Would Your Workplace Know How to Respond to a Life-Threatening Bleed?

Most workplaces have a first aid kit. Many have trained first aiders. But if a colleague suffered a catastrophic or life-threatening bleed, would your team know what to do in those crucial first few minutes?

Severe bleeding can happen in almost any workplace – from an accident involving machinery or tools to broken glass, a fall, a serious vehicle incident or another traumatic injury.

When bleeding is severe, acting quickly matters.

Would your team recognise a life-threatening bleed?

Not every cut or wound is a medical emergency. The challenge is recognising when blood loss has become potentially life-threatening and requires immediate action.

Warning signs can include continuous or rapidly flowing bleeding, blood pooling on the floor or soaking through clothing or dressings, or a casualty showing signs of shock or deterioration.

In these situations, the priority is to call 999 and control the bleeding as quickly as possible while awaiting emergency medical assistance.

What should you do?

For serious external bleeding, first aiders should follow their training and take immediate steps to control blood loss.

This will usually involve applying firm, direct pressure to the wound and using an appropriate dressing.

Where bleeding from a limb is life-threatening and cannot be controlled effectively by direct pressure, a commercial tourniquet may be required if one is available and the person has been appropriately trained to use it.

The important point is that equipment alone isn't enough.

A workplace could purchase specialist trauma equipment, but in an emergency, employees need to understand what it is for, when it should be used and how to use it correctly.

Does your workplace need a bleed kit?

There isn't a single answer for every business.

Employers should consider the risks within their own workplace as part of their first aid needs assessment.

Businesses working with machinery, cutting equipment, glass, vehicles, construction equipment or other activities capable of causing serious traumatic injury may want to consider whether their existing first aid provision is appropriate for the risks they face.

The location of the workplace and the potential response time of emergency services may also be relevant.

Simply buying a bleed kit shouldn't replace an appropriate risk assessment, suitable first aid arrangements or properly trained personnel.

First aid training has moved on

First aid isn't simply about plasters, bandages and the recovery position.

Modern workplace first aid training should prepare people to deal confidently with potentially life-threatening emergencies, including cardiac arrest, choking and severe bleeding.

At Emergency Response Training Ltd, we have incorporated life-threatening bleeding into our workplace first aid training, including practical discussion around severe haemorrhage and tourniquet use where appropriate.

Our aim is not simply to help delegates gain a certificate. We want people to leave training with the confidence to recognise an emergency and take effective action.

When did your first aiders last practise?

A qualification may be valid for several years, but practical skills can fade when they aren't regularly used.

This is one reason annual refresher training is valuable.

It is also worth considering emergency scenarios within your own workplace. Where would an accident be most likely to happen? How quickly could somebody raise the alarm? Where is your first aid equipment located? Would employees know where to find it?

And perhaps most importantly:

Would someone know what to do with it?

September is a good time to review your emergency arrangements

As businesses return to normal routines following the summer holiday period, September is an ideal opportunity to review workplace safety and first aid provision.

Check your first aid needs assessment, inspect your equipment and make sure your trained first aiders are still available across your working hours.

If your workplace has risks that could result in a serious bleeding injury, consider whether your team has the training, equipment and confidence needed to respond.

Because when a life-threatening bleed occurs, those first few minutes can be critical.

Workplace First Aid Training in Doncaster

Emergency Response Training Ltd has been delivering professional workplace training since 2002.

Based at Canberra House in Doncaster, we provide regular open First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work courses, alongside on-site group training for businesses across Doncaster, South Yorkshire and the surrounding regions.

Our training is practical, engaging and designed to give people skills they can use in a real emergency.

Emergency Response Training Ltd
Canberra House, Doncaster
Tel: 01302 802016
Email: mail@ertraining.co.uk

If you're reviewing your workplace first aid arrangements this autumn, now is an excellent time to check that your training reflects the risks your employees actually face.