ERC Changes 2010

Just for information remember that the European Resus Council meet every 5 years and review CPR and this is coming up in 2010.  When the changes occur we will keep you posted and then EFR or FAI will amend the material.  No news on what the changes are has been released yet.

www.itg-first-aid.com

FAW Centre with FREE set up

We have just finalised a new arrangement and they can set you up as a HSE FAW/EFAW centre and the set up is free if done before the end of November to ITG students.

Even if you have an existing centre then its worth having this for free for a year and you will be able to teach EFAW as a QCA course which will be of interest to your customers.

If you require more information then please email me.

Keith@itg-first-aid.com

www.itg-first-aid.com

First Aid at Work Courses – Make sure you are teaching the right course

Remember that from now on the FAW course is now a 3 day course 18 contact hours (not including lunch breaks etc) and the new 6 contact hour EFAW course has been launched.  Both these as well as the 2 day 12 contact hour FAW requalification MUST be run through an approved HSE centre.

If you need any help with this please get in touch.  You are not allowed to offer these courses unless its through a centre.

www.itg-first-aid.com

Recognising Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Symptoms

The bloodstream binds to carbon monoxide (CO) about 200 times stronger than it binds to oxygen. That means a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning has less oxygen getting to important organs like the heart and brain.

The only treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning is to replace the carbon monoxide in the victim’s blood with oxygen. At a minimum, the victim will have to breathe high concentrations of oxygen for a long time to reverse the poisoning. In worst case scenarios, victims must be treated in barometric chambers, which provide 100% oxygen in high-pressure environments.

Full story please see http://firstaid.about.com/od/hazardousmaterials/qt/06_COpoisoning.htm

New HSE First Aid at Work Regulation book – post 1st Oct 09 changes

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 apply to workplaces in the UK, including those with less than five employees, and to the self-employed. This Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance is aimed at all industries, although guidance on first aid in mines, offshore and diving is covered in separate publications. It sets out the aspects of first aid that employers need to address, offering practical advice on what they need to do, and aims to help employers understand and comply with the Regulations. This second edition provides details of a new training regime for first-aiders in the workplace. It has been revised to give employers greater flexibility in determining their first-aid provision and to recommend annual refresher training for first-aiders to help maintain their skills. Contents: Introduction; Regulations1-10; Schedule 1:Repeals; Schedule 2:Revocations; Appendices; References and further reading; Further information or to order direct at £8.75:

http://books.hse.gov.uk/hse/public/saleproduct.jsf;jsessionid=C33BF09871907DA7A382826ED967466D.plukweb6?catalogueCode=9780717662609

HSE Changes as of 1st October 2009 – An update for EFR instructors

HSE Changes as of 1st October 2009 Last week EFR held their update in Bristol and before I start making notes here please make sure that you read all the latest updates from EFR and if you have any questions please contact them as things do change and it is your responsibility to keep up to date with instructor and centre status.  Any questions please contact EFR as they will have the latest information and be able to discuss your rating or centre. For some of you this is the first change in rules laid down by the HSE or EFR on what you should teach.  First aid rules were set in 1981 so it is well overdue a re-write. It was identified that employers were concerned about the time it took to do a 4 day course and the costs involved not just in the course but the time off work. It was also found that a 3 year gap was too long to ensure that first aiders stayed current. They also reviewed other things like adding AED to the course but this was not passed. EFR and it’s workplace facilities are subject to HSE audits and they check all paperwork and this is why more information is required. It is much easier using EFR rather than going direct to the HSE as they ensure that we have the right forms and paperwork to comply at all times but there are things you need to do.  The HSE are still the governing body when it comes to first aid in the workplace and they still follow the latest ILCOR ERC guidelines and will implement the changes in the next review in 2010. At this stage it is worth noting the the HSE Northern Ireland have NOT implemented these changes and you are still on the old system including needing 2 assessors. For up to 6 students you need one assessor and for 7 and over you will need 2 and at least one of these has to be an EFR assessor as they understand the system.  The FAW course is now over at least 3 days and a contact time of 18 hours but the course can be run over up to 10 weeks but each session must be at least 2 hours. All FAW courses must be still notified to EFR and there is a new form to do this on. The FAW requalification course is still  to be held over 2 days and 12 hours, you need to notify EFR and you need the same number of assessors for the full course. The new Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course must be a minimum of 6 hours and can be conducted over a period of up to 4 weeks as long as each session is at least 2 hours long.  No assessors are needed in a EFAW but it must be run through a HSE Facility  and you must notify EFR that you are running the course. A HSE wall certificate is issued now on completion as this is an HSE requirement. The old high/medium/low bands of risk are now just high and low and the employer in their risk assessments decide how many FAW and EFAW people they need. With the annual refresher course this is NOT an approved HSE course nor are you allowed to say it is a HSE approved course.  It is strongly recommended that all EFAW and FAW first aiders complete an annual refresher but you are not allowed to say the HSE state it is complusery. It is recomended that the course is carried out over 3 hours in one day. Remember that if you add extra things into your courses like AED then this cannot be used to make up the contact hours. Contact hours are actual time teaching the prescribed subjects.  You cannot include breaks or extra subjects in this time. Remember you will need to buy your EFR manuals and certificate request forms before the course you are running either FAW or EFAW and make sure you order the right packs  - Check with EFR for prices. To teach EFAW and FAW you must be a FAW instructor (contact me if you need the upgrade) and you must operate through an EFR HSE facility.  These are HSE rules. You must have a current portfolio of evidence and you must keep it upto date and with you when you teach for yourself or another company. You must also be current with EFR. With regard to pricing it seems that the price for the 4 day is being kept for the 3 day so no need to cut prices. You can go onto the EFR site and download the latest September 09 facility standards now. To open a facility you will need to attach some documents like your portifolio of evdience for you and 2 others.  If you apply for your centre after the 1st October your centre will run to the end of December 2010, before it will expire the end of this year. HSE Facilities need to promote a profesional image and have at least one EFR FAWI on staff and they must be in the mainland UK and NI.  There must be classroom type facilities and there must be some form of waiting room for the students while the others are doing the assessment. You must also have the following in place: Health and Safety Policy Equipment cleaning protocol Access and equal opportunities statement Comply with EFR standards Customers service statement – make sure everyone knows your terms of business Agree to post apporval monitoring visits Keep data secure You should with or without these changes be registered with data protection. You can do this yourself online Now the portfolio of evidence, which as we said must be up to date and current. It must show courses taught and any other relevant information on your teaching skills. A copy of your instructor certs and provider FAW cert must be included and new instructors must include the letter that came with your instructor certificates. We are here to help you but if you have questions about EFR then it may be easier for you to contact them direct.  Remember it does take time to set up your facility so do not leave it to long if you want to start running courses. This may seem a lot of paperwork but that is the way it is in modern business and its a lot easier to keep the paperwork up to date rather than have problems with non compliance later.  EFR offer an excellent way of providing HSE courses without the fuss of direct application and if you need a facility then the cost is £300 plus VAT to set one up.  Finally remember you cannot teach these EFAW and FAW or its refresher without a facility but you CAN teach the annual refresher course without a facility. Hope that makes sense, any questions drop me an email. Why not consider seriously our new online or blended online/hands on course for the annual refresher, you may find it a better option for business and you cna earn on the course and the hands on part. Keith Sleightholm keith@itg-first-aid.com www.itg-first-aid.com

Avoiding the “Swine Flu”

We continue to hear a lot about the “Swine Flu” or H1N1 virus in the media.  What has concerned healthcare professional regarding this strain of the flu is that it has continued to grow and spread even though it is not the flu season. Now that we are nearing the flu season, there is concern that H1N1 virus will spread exponentially. Although they have been working on a vaccine, we are still weeks away from it becoming available. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the following advice for avoiding this flu virus:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
• Be prepared in case you get sick and need to stay home for a week or so; a supply of over-the-counter medicines, alcohol-based hand rubs, tissues and other related items might could be useful and help avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick and contagious

What signs should you seek medical support with the flu?

It seems like it’s always difficult to determine when you should see a doctor. With flu season right around the corner, it wise to be reminded of the when we should seek medical attention. The Center for Disease Control offers the following recommendations for determining when you should seek immediate medical attention.

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

· Fast breathing or trouble breathing

· Bluish or gray skin color

· Not drinking enough fluids

· Severe or persistent vomiting

· Not waking up or not interacting

· Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held

· Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

· Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

· Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen

· Sudden dizziness

· Confusion

· Severe or persistent vomiting

· Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

CPR For Your Pet

Did you know you can perform CPR on your pet? It’s true! There are many accounts of pet owners and even rescue personnel who have used a modified version of traditional CPR to save the life of a dog, cat, or even a bird. Bubba the Chihuahua was saved by his owners who knew what to do and acted quickly after Bubba chewed through the cord of his electric blanket.See Bubba’s story by clicking here.

Knowing how to perform “mouth to snout” resuscitation and chest compressions can literally save your pet’s life.

CPR for Cats & Dogs

CPR for cats and dogs is similar to CPR for humans. These directions assume the animal is unconscious and the risk of being bitten by the animal is not present

1. Remove any obstruction. Open the animal’s mouth, pull his tongue out, and make sure the air passage is clear. If not, remove the object obstructing the air passage.

2. Extend the head and give several artificial respirations A. For large dogs: close the animal’s jaw tightly and breathe into the nose. Give two breaths. The animal’s chest should rise. B. For small dogs and cats you may be able to cover the entire snout with your mouth as you breathe. Give two breaths. The animal’s chest should rise.

3. Perform chest compression. Lay the animal on its right side and compress the side of the rib cage. The rate of chest compressions varies with the size of the animal

• Dogs over 60 lbs: 60 compressions per minute • Animals 11 to 60 lbs: 80-100 compressions per minute • Animals 10 lbs or less: 120 compressions per minute The ratio of compressions to breaths should be approximately the same as for humans – 30:2. Continue doing this until the animal responds or begins to breathe on its own

Advice for first aiders responding to harness suspension incidents

Following completion of an evidence based review of published medical literature, HSE has clarified guidance on the first aid management of a person falling into suspension in a harness who may develop ’suspension trauma’.

The key recommendations are:

• No change should be made to the standard first aid guidance for the post recovery of a semi-conscious or unconscious person in a horizontal position, even if the subject of prior harness suspension.
• No change should be made to the standard UK first aid guidance of ABC management, even if the subject of prior harness suspension.
• A casualty who is experiencing pre-syncopal symptoms or who is unconscious whilst suspended in a harness should be rescued as soon as is safely possible.
• If the rescuer is unable to immediately release a conscious casualty from a suspended position, elevation of the legs by the casualty or rescuer where safely possible may prolong tolerance of suspension.
• First responders to persons in harness suspension should be able to recognise the symptoms of pre-syncope. These include light headedness; nausea; sensations of flushing; tingling or numbness of the arms or legs; anxiety; visual disturbance; or a feeling they are about to faint. (Motionless head up suspension can lead to pre-syncope in most normal subjects within 1 hour and in a fifth within 10 minutes.)

A report and the full list of recommendations will be published shortly on HSE’s website. Notification of publication will appear on HSE’s Falls from Height news page.

See http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/harness.htm