Should Every Home Have a Snake Bite Bandage?

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Well its October again in Australia and its snake breeding time.  Unfortunately this year the snakes have been on the move since early September and this year there have been many more sitings than in previous years. Now is the time to consider whether your family home should actually have a snake bit bandage.

In Australia we have seen in many new estate developments, the increase of green zones, parks and undeveloped wildlife corridors and these types of zones are great breeding areas for snakes. I have seen over the last few years an increase in the number of dangerous snakes making their way into suburbia looking for food or a safe area via these zones.  This means that unlike in built up areas in the city, there is now a much greater risk of a potential bite.

Here is the thing… there is still a high risk of snake bite even in cities.

Whilst you are less likely in a high rise to be bitten, we have seen some nasty snakes come up from the sewerage system and scare home owners.  The snakes can make their way up through toilets or through the open drain systems.

A snake bite bandage is not a normal bandage, it is designed to compress a bit so that the venom is slowed down as it travels through the body.  You can now buy snake bit bandages from just $30, which means for just a small investment you can have peace of mind that you have the right tool in an emergency.

It is however important that if you have bought a snake bite bandage that you learn how to correctly apply it.  In Australia, you can learn this skill by attending a nationally accredited first aid course. The course will normally take you a day to complete but you will learn skills that can help you in any emergency not just a snake bite.

In the end it is my belief that everyone should have a snake bit bandage in the home because you just never know when you might need it. If you are traveling on the highway then this is certainly a necessity with a first aid kit.  Most first aid kits do not contain a snake bit bandage unless requested.

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If you are looking for a snake bit bandage then check out JustFirstAidKits.com, they have them available online and if you need a first aid course then visit One-on-One Professional Business Training.

Chris LE Roy

Where Do You Need A First Aid Kit In A Business?

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I have spent the last few weeks working with a couple of business owners and helping them to ensure that their business are compliant for first aid kits but there seems to be alot of confusion when it comes to first aid kits. In Queensland, all businesses are governed by a Code of Practice called the First Aid Code of Practice 2004. The Code of Practice sets out the minimum guidelines upon which a business should operate when it comes to first aid however this code is not exhaustive which means all business owners must assess their business and compare how they comply with the Code of Practice.

Pretty much most business owners recognise that they must have a first aid kit, clearly marked and available within their business. The Code of Practice sets out in section 2.1 what the minimum requirements for a first aid kit are and they even provide a Checklist. Now what I will say if you are in any other states, like New South Wales, you need to review your state Workplace Health and Safety body to find out what you are required to have in your first aid kits.

What many business owners don’t realise is that they don’t just need a First Aid Kit for their Business Premises?

Within the Code of Practice it states that all workplaces must have a first aid kit that meets the minimum standard and is appropriate to the workplace. So what this means is that if you are in a workplace where you have dangerous chemicals etc you will need a first aid kit that is far more involved than for say, somewhere like an office.

Here is the real question… What do you define as a Workplace? 

Did you know that if you have company funded cars, your staff work use their own cars to visit other workplaces or homes as part of their job or your staff work on-site that you are required to provide a first aid kit for their use?

Most employers don’t and its quite a shock. The Code of Practice is quite clear in that it states all workplaces are required to have a first aid kit and that there must be a designated first aid officer that can use the first aid kit.

This means that if you have staff who are delivery drivers, plumbers who work on site or elderly care workers visiting homes, each person must have a first aid kit in the vehicle and be trained to provide first aid and paid accordingly.

The reason this has been stipulated within the Code of Practice is that technically driving in a vehicle or being on site is a workplace.

 If you would like to learn more about the First Aid Code of Practice I suggest you download it by Clicking Here.

 My team and I are more than happy to help you with your first aid courses Brisbane and with your first aid kit needs.

Chris LE Roy

What to Wear to a First Aid Course

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My team and I have over 400 students attend our first aid courses every single month and yet one of the things that blows us away is the inappropriate clothing some people choose to wear to a first aid course or a cpr course.  In this article I am going to set out some of the guidelines you need to consider in choosing what you want to wear to a first aid course.

When you do a first aid or cpr course in Australia there are some key things that you must do in your course for you to be considered competent such as getting on the floor with a cpr mannequin to demonstrate you can do CPR, bandaging and demonstrating how to put a patient in the recovery position. Each of these activities require you to either work on the floor or in what maybe considered an uncomfortable position.

It is recommended that when you do your first aid course that you wear casual clothes that properly cover all parts of the body.  For example, ladies should wear appropriate casual shirts and shorts or aerobics pants and men should where casual shorts and a shirt.  You should also wear sandshoes at the course.

I have seen some ladies attempt to attend a first aid course in formal wear with high heeled shoes and the reality is that it is not appropriate for a first aid course or for men to wear ill fitting jeans.

In a first aid course you need to be very conscious of what you wear and to be as conservative as possible as what you wear maybe considered by others as being offensive.
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One-on-One Professional Business Training provides regular first aid course in Brisbane and CPR courses in Townsville.  Visit our first aid course booking site for more information or call our office on 1800 66 00 00.

Chris LE Roy

The Role of A First Aider

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Many people I speak to regularly in our first aid courses always share a concern about what their responsibilities will be once they have undertaken a first aid course.  The role of a first aider is not to be a doctor, you will not be doing major surgery and whilst that may seem a bit silly a statement, there are people in the world that do believe that is what their role is.  I want to explain clearly in this article what your role is as a first aider.

 If we take the word first aid, and look at it meaning, it essentially is defined as the initial care of a person who is ill or injured.  Essentially, it is like its name implies, first aid.

 Workplace first aiders have an obligation to provide first aid, however inQueenslandyou only have to provide first aid if you involved in an accident.  Essentially it is optional as to whether you provide support.  However, you might find that morally you might be challenged if you do not.

 The role of a first aider is to provide support at the scene of an emergency, provide first aid care and to ensure that the incident does not get worse.  Once you have begun providing first aid you are obligated to continue providing first aid until the person in distress has recovered or until taken over by a medical professional such as a doctor, registered nurse or paramedic.  The only exception to the rule is if you are put in danger or you are physically unable to continue.

 There are six key role and responsibilities you should remember as a first aider:

  1.  You must never place yourself in danger or to the casualty.
  2. You must only provide first aid not medical aid.
  3. You must provide a level of care in which you can prevent the casualty’s condition from getting worse or at the very least try.
  4. You must do everything in your power to get support for the casualty in the form of medical aid as soon as possible
  5. You are not require to protect the long term health care of the casualty it is about providing effective initial care
  6. You must ensure that there is no harmful intervention. Protect the causality to the best of your ability.

 The role of a first aider can play a critical role in the prevention of further harm to someone in an emergency so I want to encourage you to take your role seriously and ensure that your first aid skills are up to date at all time.

Chris LE Roy

Learn How to Deal with a Snake Bite

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Australia is known world wide as the land of milk and honey. We are so fortunate that we have a country of pristine beaches, immaculate rainforests, rolling country sides and, you guessed it, seven of the ten most dangerous snake species in the world. Making our country side one of the most dangerous places you can visit.

Australians are accustomed with living with these deadly creatures, many of which can be found in or around our homes, in gardens or wood piles. Even around my own home in the City of Brisbane these dangerous small creatures lurk and play. We often will walk outside to find something curled up at our front fence.

All though not every snake species is venomous, if you are bitten by a snake you should always treat it as if it was venomous by applying the pressure immobilization technique. Most people in Australia are not familiar with what is venomous and what is not and in the case of a snake bite, applying a pressure immobilisation bandage quickly could mean the difference between dying or just getting sick.

The pressure immobilization technique works by restricting the lymphatic flow beginning at the toes or fingers and work upwards for the whole limb as far as you can go. The Australian Resuscitation Guidelines state that it is preferable to bandage upwards from below the bite, although it will probably squeeze a small amount of venom centrally; it collapses vessels and is far more comfortable.

If you bind down a limb, rather than up the limb, we have a situation in which it will produce venous congestion and discomfort, so always ensure that the pressure the bandage is applied no greater then what you would apply for a sprained ankle, immobilise the limb with splints or slings and bring medical transport to the patient.

In particular ensure that you call an ambulance immediately. In Australia you would dial 000 (triple zero) for an ambulance or in the United States of America you will dial 911.

It is essential that there are some key activities that you do not do and let me be very clear on this:

- do not kill the snake for purpose of identification
- do not cut or excise the bite site
- do not suck the venom from the bite site
- do not use an arterial tourniquet when treating a snake bite
- do not wash or clean the bite site
- do not elevate the bite site
- do not walk the patient
- do not remove the bandage at any stage

Identification of venomous snakes can be made from venom present on the clothing or skin, so do not try and kill the snake for purposes of identification. Doctors use special kits that help in the identification of the venom. All Australian hospitals carry snake anti-venom. You should also be aware that anti-venom is available for all venomous Australian snakes

If you do live in a location where snakes are regularly seen then it is recommended that you have a snake bite bandage available. In our own home, we have one always available on our kitchen counter.

Chris LE Roy

In An Emergency is it Okay to Use a Bystander for CPR

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One of the most common questions we get asked in a First Aid Courses is what do you do if you are exhausted.  The reality is that unless you are in a highly dense capital city, sometimes you might have to perform CPR for long periods of time and this can become extremely exhausting.

The ARC guidelines do state that if you are performing CPR and exhausted and there is no other qualified first aider to help you then it is okay to take an untrained bystander to help you with CPR.

The preference is that you continue doeing the ventillation as this requires a much higher level of skill and teach the bystander how to do the compressions.

You role in this is to instruct them as quickly as possible as to what to do.  Get the bystander to follow these basic steps:

1. Get the bystander to kneel opposite from you
2. Show the bystand where to place their hands
3. Ensure there arms are straight and their fingers are off the patients chest wall
4. Show them how to depress the breastbone rhythmically and vertically
5. Ensure that the pressure is applied through the heel of the bottom hand
6. Depress the breastbone by 1/3 depth of the chest for each compression.

Whilst this instruction doesn’t take long, ensure that you explain to the bystander clearly what they need to do.

The key reason for using the bystander is to give you the opportunity to take a brake and to essentially get your breath and to regain some of your strength.

Don’t be to concerned about using a bystander as they are commonly use by Ambulance Paramedics regularly when there is a shortage of trained professionals.   The key though is to ensure that you stay and supervise the bystander at all times.

Chris LE Roy

Drownings In Baths On The Rise

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When we look at child safety in the home, many parents often look for the most obvious places where kids could be injured, but more often than not, the real dangers lurk in places parents least expect.

What is alarming is that on the release of the latest drowning statistics, more children under the age of Five in Queensland died in the bath tub than in swimming pools. This is an incredibly disheartening statistic because so many of us would consider the bath tub a harmless part of the household.

The reality though is far from that.  In Queensland there were 13 deaths of Under 5′s involving drowning between 2004 and 2011 and of those deaths, 10 of them were due to drowning in a bath tub.  The key similarity between these deaths is that the children were unaccompanied during the drowning.

The scarry part is that death can occur in a child in just 5 minutes.  There are some basic rules every parent should remember when it comes to children under 5 and the bathroom.

           Rule 1. Never Leave a Child Unaccompanied In a Bathtub
           Rule 2. If you have to answer a phone or door, take the child with you
           Rule 3. Never leave any body of water in a Bathtub or any other storage device
           Rule 4. Always tip over any item that could collect water
           Rule 5. Always supervise your children

Drownings happen so fast and it is devastating for a parent to lose a child so please ensure that you follow our basic rules for your childs well being. Children are a precious part of our lives, ensure you do your part to protect them.

Chris LE Roy