First Aid: The Importance of Training Restaurant Staff
If you manage a restaurant, you may not have considered how important it is to provide your staff with first-aid training. After all, these people are chefs and service staff; they are not doctors. However, as you will discover as you read this article, there are lots of reasons why you should have your employees take a first-aid course. Read on to find out everything you need to know.
Basic Life Support
If a customer or member of staff suffers a medical emergency such as a heart attack, they may stop breathing and their heart may stop beating. A person who is trained in CPR can offer basic life support, which will keep the person alive until emergency medics arrive. During a first-aid course, your staff will learn to check for signs of a pulse and if breathing is occurring, how to place a person into the recovery position and how to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions.
Choking
If someone eating in your restaurant began to choke, would your staff know what to do? In situations like this, seconds can count as a blocked airway can quickly lead to unconsciousness and death. During a first-aid course, your staff will learn techniques such as the Heimlich manoeuvre. This involves applying thrusts to the abdominal area of the patient. These thrusts can help to unblock their airway. However, the Heimlich manoeuvre should not be carried out by an untrained person, as it could lead to unintended injuries when performed incorrectly.
Treating Burns
The kitchen staff who prepare food should be trained on how to treat burn injuries. When dealing with hot ovens, gas stoves and boiling oil, it only takes one lapse of concentration for an accident to happen. If one of your team members suffers a burn injury, it is important that someone knows how to support them. During a first-aid course, your staff will learn to remove clothing and jewellery from the affected area and cover it with a sterile cloth to prevent infection. Your staff will also learn how to assess the extent of a burn so they know if emergency treatment is required.
If you are interested in finding out more about what your staff can learn during a first-aid course, you should make contact with a training company which offers lessons in first aid and basic emergency care. A member of the team will be happy to offer you further help and assistance.
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