A first-aid course – First Aid for Farmers – aimed specifically at the farming community, was recently launched amid a flurry of fantastic feedback from all thirty attendees. The brainchild of H&H Group, the farm-specific first-aid course was held on 11th December at Borderway Mart, Carlisle.
Before the event took place, its reputation preceded it, generating interest beyond its planned audience of the agricultural industry. Due to its unique and specialist nature, the course had been over-subscribed to and produced a waiting list even before the first session had taken place.
The course was a resounding success and met all the aims and objectives with active participation from all candidates. Commenting, Non-Executive Director of H&H Group Colin Lindsay, who has spearheaded the course to ensure that the farming community was better protected, commented: “We covered a whole range of scenarios using real farm equipment to aid the appearance of a real-life experience from primary survey to emergency treatment. None of the content was for the faint-hearted – we covered conscious and unconscious patients, impalement on a bale spike, a fall from a height with suspected spinal injury, CPR with and without a defibrillator, dealing with crushing injuries that may require amputation and how to treat head trauma. The practical sessions were rotated around relevant farm equipment kindly provided by Carrs Billington and Johnston’s Tractors.
“As well as these more serious situations, we also walked through common accidents which happen on farms. It was quite hard-hitting as we were role playing scenarios that could not be fixed with a simple sticking plaster.”
All the first aid kits used were bespoke for farms through a company which provides first aid advice and kits for expedition use and also suitable for battlefield scenarios. This included an Israeli bandage, an army field dressings tourniquet alongside regular bandages. These were not the standard first aid kit with plasters and crepe bandages and most attendees bought or ordered one on the day.
In addition, guidance was given as to which useful App to download on your phone including ‘What3words’ which provides your GPS location to the call handling services, as well as the potential to access the camera on your phone.
Colin added: “By the end of the training we wanted attendees to feel confident on how to stabilise the patient and correctly use the kit, whilst waiting for the emergency services. First Aid for Farmers is a unique course and extremely hands-on. The role plays we have selected are a variety of scenarios agreed with consultation with paramedics who have attended various accidents on farms and were delivered by casualty actors. This course really offered the cutting edge of first aid and support for farmers.”
The Health & Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require all employers to provide first-aid equipment and facilities in the case of injury or illness at work and a first-aider, but it is a grey area as to what it means to the farming community. This is why this course is so unique and highly sought after as it addressed these questions head-on.
At the end of the course, all attendees received a certificate in first aid and were provided with access to the app for their farm, which will aid them in emergency situations.
Summarising the success of the event, Colin concluded: “We saw such a good turn out to the course, which demonstrates that the industry is keen to minimise risk and to utilise modern technology to do this. Having the knowhow as well as the technology to support can have a massive impact on reducing serious injury on farms. A similar initiative in Sweden halved mortality rates, so this course has the potential to have a significant impact by saving lives.”
Following the success of this first aid course, which received 100% feedback recommending the course and trainers, H&H Group will be rolling out a series of replicated events across their geographical area throughout 2020. Likely to be held at the end of January, if you would like to register your interest please email us here.