Think what if – Not if only

In safety these six words, “think what if – not if only” can help focus employers, managers and employees when thinking about safety.

By thinking about what could happen when completing risk assessments or carrying out your daily work tasks in respect of keeping yourself and colleagues safe at work you will be in a better position to prevent accidents or incidents.

Too often we hear “if only …..” after an incident or accident has occurred; it’s too late at this stage as there is nothing we can do about the situation that has now occurred except prevent it from happening again which costs time money and effort that could have been avoided.

Dave Middlemiss

PPD Safety Training Ltd

T:  01453 758475

dave@ppdsafetytraining.co.uk

www.ppdsafetytraining.co.uk

Safety - are we getting it right? – Education or Legislation

Today we hear constantly that we are over regulated and the Government needs to reduce the burden on employers by removing regulations.

Is this approach of de-regulation the right way; or is it misguided by a Government that is not really in touch with modern businesses thinking? I have been delivering a variety of health and safety training at all levels for over 10 years and although I agree that safety regulation should keep pace with modern business strategies; but not when it reduces the effectiveness of maintaining safety standards in our workplaces.

Over the years I found the acceptance of safety management and safety awareness training for business owners, managers and employees at times a difficult service to sell. I regularly find at the onset that businesses find it difficult to see the coloration between good safety management and good business practice.

So should the education of business owners, managers and employees be our driving force in health and safety alongside robust and appropriate regulation or should we just de-regulate?

Dave Middlemiss

PPD Safety Training Ltd

Should we have an AED's in our workplace?

In the press recently we have seen several references to high profile sportsmen  suffering from a cardiac arrest, also much discussion has taken place over the past few days; asking should  we should test people before they undertake high stress fitness regimes.

In my experiance the workplace can also be just as stressful; where the heart can be put under varying levels of stress.  Therefore should we consider having AED's in our workplaces?  I believe before we can answer this question; we should first find out what an AED is and what benifit it can do for us?

A defibrillator or AED is a life-saving machine that delivers and electric shock to the heart which when used promptly, in the case of sudden cardiac arrest or a heart attack.  When someone has a sudden cardiac arrest the heart commonly goes into a state of ventricular fibrillation (VF), a kind of wobbling muscle spasm rather than a proper heart beat which means that blood is not being pumped around the body. While it is in this state applying an electric shock from a defibrillator can restart the heart and help save that person’s life.  Performing CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) helps to prolong the period of time that the heart remains in this shockable rhythm until defibrillation is available.

The UK Resuscitation council estimates that there are around 30 000 cardiac arrests in the UK outside of hospital every year. So knowing how to perform CPR and increasing the number of AED's available in public and work places will directly increase the survival rates of cardiac arrest victims.

The scientific evidence to support early defibrillation is overwhelming; the delay from collapse to delivery of the first shock is the single most important determinant of survival.  If defibrillation is delivered promptly, survival rates as high as 75% have been reported. The chances of successful defibrillation decline at a rate of about 8-10% with each minute of delay.

So should we consider putting a AED in our workplace?    http://www.ppdsafetytraining.co.uk/