Someone cuts his finger in the work kitchen. At a gym, an older gentleman collapses from a heart attack. During a sporting event, a young boy faints from standing too long. Two automobiles collide, seriously injuring the occupants.  A youngster floats motionless, facedown in a swimming pool. A diner at the next table chokes on food, unable to breathe., this could all be around you or your workplace.

Accidents happen every day. Some of these people just need a helping hand, while others will die or suffer serious permanent injury if not immediately attended to. Many things separate those who live and escape serious disability from those who die or suffer long after their misfortune.  

The individuals fitness and health, the severity of the initial incident, the distance from medical care and often, just plain luck. No one can control these variables.        

But there’s one variable you can control when you’re on the scene of any medical emergency: you. Often, life versus death or complete recovery versus long-term disability lies with a layperson first responder providing care between the emergency’s onset and the arrival of professional medical personnel. If you are there, you can provide that care. You can be an Emergency Responder. As a layperson, you can’t guarantee that a patient will live or fully recover – there’s too much beyond anyone’s control – but you can feel confident that given the circumstances, everything that can be done will be done. 

If you’re not familiar with emergency care procedures, they can seem intimidating and complex.

What do you do?

For that matter, how do you know what to do first?

Such questions may appear overwhelming, but actually, they're not.

If you can remember DRABCD’S you’ll know what to do. This is because no matter what the nature of a medical emergency, you follow the same steps in the same order, providing basic care based on what you find. In the Emergency First Response Primary Care (CPR) and Secondary Care (First Aid) modules of the programme, you’ll learn that DRABCD’S prompt you to follow the necessary steps in the right order, so you do the right things at the right time.  

You’ll learn to apply first responder care following the same priorities used by medical professionals. 

Primary goals of occupational health and safety are: 

• To promote the health, safety and welfare of people at work.
• To ensure safe work practices in the handling of equipment and materials
• To ensure the prevention of injury and illness and any risks to health and safety arising out of the activities of people at work.
• To identify and report any potential hazards from equipment, facilities and the environment.
• To rectify, where possible any potential hazards
• To report any accidents and incidents
• To complete any required occupational health and safety training