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Training for Immediate Response
An additional tool for training workers in the digital age is through mobile apps. They address the need to vary learning approaches for improving retention and are highly convenient for the learner to access. Employees can download the First Aid app for free to their mobile devices. The app is useful in a real-world situation and for polishing skills. It provides step-by-step instructions to guide employees through everyday first aid scenarios and is integrated with 911 so employees can call EMS from the app.
It is the fusion of state-of-the-art science and effective training that enables employees to act when confronted with an emergency.
That’s something safety manager Mike Mathews of Firestone Fibers & Textile in Kings Mountain, N.C., learned in a big way. During a lunch break, Matthews was alerted that an employee was suffering from an asthma attack and seizure, and he quickly gathered a team of Red Cross CPR/AED-trained staff members and went to the person’s aid.
The employee had no detectable pulse, wasn’t breathing and was turning blue. Mathews retrieved an AED, while two other employees performed rescue breathing and CPR, and a fourth called EMS. The team, which was nominated for a Red Cross award, was able to keep the victim alive until advanced medical help arrived.
“I am confident that without the actions of these team members and the invaluable American Red Cross First Aid, CPR, and AED training that prepared [my team members], Roy would not have survived,” Matthews said.
This article originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
About the Author
Alyssa Fillmore is director, workplace product management for the American Red Cross. Visit redcross.org/training for more information about Red Cross workplace programs.