School-age children are generally at higher risk of being involved in accidents and sustaining injuries, making first aid a critical skill for schools.
Not only children are at risk of medical emergencies, but teachers, school staff, and even visitors can sustain a severe or life-threatening injuries while on school premises.
The timely application of first aid can help reduce the severity of a medical incident or emergency. It can prevent injury and illnesses from becoming significantly worse, and potentially even save lives.
Below are some statistics that prove how important first aid is in schools.
- Child injury hospitalisation rates have not decreased at all over the past decade, and many of these incidents occur outside the home.
- Cardiac arrest can occur in young people, and often occurs in a school-setting when it does
- Schools are the most statistically frequent place for accidents and injuries, outside the home.
- According to the Australian Red Cross, only 5% of the population have the knowledge and skills to provide first aid in an emergency situation.
- The HSE reports show thousands of major injuries to teachers and other employees in schools every year.
Within a school context, the health and safety of all students and school staff should be of the utmost importance.
Importance Of First Aid In Schools
Equipping the teachers, school staff and even children with first aid skills and knowledge is vital for many reasons.
Here are some benefits of learning first aid in schools.
Prevent Conditions From Worsening
Often the primary goal of first aid is to provide temporary treatment until further medical help is available. Timely first aid intervention can help prevent medical emergencies from becoming worse, and potentially be life-saving.
A qualified first aider is able to use skills and techniques learned through formal training to keep the casualty stable and prevent the situation from deteriorating.
Increase The Feeling Of Security
Knowing that everyone has access to support and treatment in the event of an emergency can provide a sense of safety for all members of the school community – especially for parents.
Preserve Life
To preserve life is one of the primary aims of first aid.
A trained first aider is equipped with skills and knowledge to help save lives in various emergencies. They also know the importance of calling triple zero (000) in life-threatening situations and are familiar with the essentials of CPR and use of the recovery position.
All these can preserve the victim’s life while waiting for emergency help to arrive.
Meet Legal Requirements
Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations, there are policies and procedures to follow to ensure proper administration of first aid in schools.
The current regulation requires educators, school staff, and nominated supervisors to undertaken first aid training and obtain the relevant qualifications, including a component focused on asthma and anaphylaxis management.
An appointed first aid person should always be present on site during school hours, and available at all times of emergency.
Reduce The Likelihood Of An Accident Occurring
Knowledge of first aid makes it easier for everyone to identify potential hazards, including school children and staff members.
First aid training also highlights the importance of regularly conducting risk assessments and how to implement actions to prevent injuries effectively. All these lessen the likelihood of accidents on school promises.
Mental Health First Aid
With the rise in awareness of mental ill-health and related difficulties in schools, mental health first aid is an important branch of first aid that everyone should be educated about and have some knowledge of.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), about 314,00 children ages 4 to 11 experience a mental health problem. Furthermore, over half of the teachers in Australia suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental disorder.
Mental health first aid training help introduce children and teacher to the warning signs of mental illness. It covers the importance of identifying risk factors and early intervention, including how to help a person in crisis.
For more information about the MHFA course, click here.
Where Can I Complete My First Aid Training?
Although training is now available online via zoom, first aid courses are still available face-to-face. Take part in our six hour theory and practical course under the guidance of highly qualified and accredited first aid training instructors.
Finding a course suitable for different ages and purpose is important. Training providers should be able to tailor the course specifically for young children and educators.
First Aid Pro offers a variety of first aid courses for schools across Australia. Course options include Childcare First Aid (Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting), First Aid, CPR, Mental Health First Aid, and more.
Contact us today for more information.
