Comprehensive Emergency Medical Response Planning

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Basic Concept: There Are No Accidents

The word accident absolves everyone involved of responsibility. We prefer the word incident. Incidents are caused by:

– Failure do to something that should be done

– Doing something that should not be done or

– A combination of both

Can Every Incident be Prevented?

Of course not. We can’t prevent severe weather systems, but we can heed Environment Canada warnings and take action to mitigate the risk. Workplaces cannot prevent medical emergencies, such as a heart attack, but we can encourage healthy living.

Planning Is Critical!

Achieving an effective Emergency Medical Response Plan in the workplace, requires the same commitment to planning as other areas of the business. Financial, marketing, production, sales, fire, and disaster recovery plans are essential to keeping the enterprise running on track.

Your organization has many important assets, including processes, equipment, patents, technology and culture. By far, its’ most important asset is people.

A comprehensive Emergency Medical Response Plan enables a prompt, effective and appropriate emergency response. It concentrates the workplace’s resources on saving life, reducing suffering and promoting recovery of the injured or ill person.

Emergency response plan elements

Sounding The Alarm

Train everyone in the organization on how to activate the First Aid Team. This is the crucial first step in implementing an effective response plan. Employees must know the difference between a minor injury, like a cut finger, and a serious emergency. Without regular reminders people will almost certainly forget what to do. Use e-mails, posters and department meetings to continually reinforce the basics.

Locating The Incident

First Aiders will respond from all parts of the building. So the next crucial step is having a clear address system that informs the responders of the exact location of the incident. One highly effective method is to post signage using a grid system to map every floor of the building.

Emergency Response Equipment

Standardize your emergency response equipment. Every First Aid Station should be exactly the same, containing minor and serious first aid kits, defibrillators, first aiders located in the immediate area and any special equipment required for that specific area. Locate First Aid Stations within a one to two minute walk of each other. We recommend using CSA first aid kits. The First Aid Kit section of this website details a best practice approach to first aid kits, equipment, supplies and maintenance.

First Aid, CPR/AED Training

Serious, life threatening emergencies, like Sudden Cardiac Arrest and catastrophic bleeding require immediate action. We recommend that First Aid Team members be strategically located in every area or department on all shifts. However, we recognize that the First Aid Team may not arrive fast enough. So, best practice is to have everyone trained in basic CPR/AED and control of severe bleeding.

First Aid Team Response

An emergency medical scene is stressful for the victim, those witnessing the situation and responding First Aid Team members. Code Eight’s First Aid Team approach channels that energy into useful action. Our real-world training program includes realistic scenarios, using theatrical blood and injuries, in various locations within the facility.

Management Response

Management’s best response is implementing injury prevention and emergency response strategies. Encourage every worker to become trained in basic CPR/AED and control of severe bleeding. Support the First Aid Team by having sufficient First Aid Team members in all areas of the facility, strategically locating first aid equipment and implementing maintenance programs and allowing the Team time every month to run practice scenarios.