How to Prepare Your Team for a Medical Emergency

When an accident occurs in the workplace it can be both stressful and upsetting. Taking the time to ensure your team is prepared and know what to do in a medical emergency is crucial, as it could stop the incident from becoming fatal.

If a serious incident occurs in your workplace, calling 999 should always be your first port of call. However, it may be that the patient requires immediate treatment and it is therefore crucial that you have experienced first aiders and the appropriate medical supplies on hand.

Preparing your team

1. First aid training
Having a qualified first aider in your working environment is one of the simplest ways to prepare for a medical emergency; in work spaces that are considered low hazard, such as offices, it is legally required that there is at least 1 first aider per 25 people.

When your employees carry out their training, they will be taught about areas such as:

It is a first aider’s job to look after the first aid equipment, facilities and to call emergency services when needed.

2. Accessible medical equipment
Ensuring your office is well equipped for a medical emergency is vital; it is required by law that all offices have a first aid kit that can easily be found. Additionally, it has become increasingly common for businesses to keep a defibrillator on site, which are used if someone collapses as a result of sudden cardiac arrest.

There are no set rules for what a first aid kit should contain, but you can expect to find the following items:

Some items that are kept in a first aid kit will have an expiration date, so it is important that you regularly check that the contents of the kit are in date.

3. Have emergency contacts for staff members
If anything happens to a member of your team, it is useful to have emergency contacts on file to allow you to notify their next of kin. It is recommended that you get these details from your employees when they first start working for you.

4. Be aware of existing medical conditions
Some team members may already have medical conditions that you need to be aware of. Finding out about this as early on as possible is essential, as it could enable you to treat an employee appropriately if the need arises.

Accidents at work don’t have to be traumatic.

If someone injures themselves or falls ill while working for you, with a well prepared team and the necessary equipment nearby, there’s no reason it has to be stressful. By giving your team the relevant training and making sure there is first aid apparatus, the incident can be dealt with professionally and quickly.

Sophie Mellor is a digital content writer for defibshop. Defibshop are the UK’s largest independent seller of defibrillators, with stock from every manufacturer on the market.