The basics of first aid (toolbox talk)

During emergencies, workers should be prepared to respond to injuries until medical professionals can come on scene. Use this first aid toolbox talk to discuss the basics of providing aid and reporting serious injuries to managers. That way, your employees can be active participants in your incident management protocol.

First aid toolbox talk overview

In this toolbox talk, we’ll go over:

• Reasons for administering first aid
• Basic first aid practices
• Escalating injuries to management

Ideally, you won’t ever need to administer first aid at work. But accidents happen, and it’s good to be prepared. And while it’s good to know how to react to injuries, it’s just as important to know when to escalate them immediately.

Reasons for first aid

The purpose of first aid is to help someone with an injury or illness before they can get medical treatment. Reasons for providing first aid include:

• The injury or illness requires immediate attention to control symptoms.
• Medical attention isn’t immediately available and there’s a lag in response time.
• The affected person may die without first aid measures.

In case of an emergency, knowing the basics of first aid may be the difference between life and death. Reacting quickly and effectively is your best chance of deescalating the situation until help arrives.

Basic first aid practices

Everybody should know some first aid basics in case an accident happens at work. Here are some of the main practices to follow:

• Always know the location and contents of the nearest first aid kit.
• Make sure that first aid kits are easily accessible and stocked for use.
• Treat cuts and scrapes with clean water, an antiseptic solution, and a bandage.
• If someone is bleeding, apply pressure to the wound and elevate it if you can.
• For common sprain and strain injuries, use the R.I.C.E method of rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
• Avoid treating burns with ice or lotion. Instead, run them under cool water and apply a sterile dressing to avoid dirt and irritation.
• If someone is in shock, do your best to keep them calm until help arrives.
• Anyone with a break or fracture should stay as still as possible while waiting for help.

Escalating injuries to management

If you’re not trained to administer first aid, it’s best to let a qualified person do it. When multiple people are around during an accident, someone should always stay with the injured worker while someone else calls for help.

Per the site emergency preparedness plan, you should escalate all workplace injuries and illnesses to management. In most cases, the safety team will handle first aid and call emergency services if necessary.

They’ll also begin documenting the incident, so they can figure out why it happened and how to prevent it in the future. That’s where you can help the most—by providing details of the situation. Whether you’re providing first aid or not, there’s almost always something you can do to help.