The Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides standards regarding first aid and CPR for the construction industry. OSHA Standard Number 1926.50, Safety and Health Regulations for Construction, gives a range of guidance, including the following: “In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, hospital, or physician, that is reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance to the worksite, which is available for the treatment of injured employees, a person who has a valid certificate in first-aid training from the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the American Red Cross, or equivalent training that can be verified by documentary evidence, shall be available at the worksite to render first aid.”
“As a manufacturer and fabricator of glass and metal products for the construction industry it is imperative that our employees understand and practice preventative safety measures that meet or exceed OSHA standards,” says Steven Schwartz, health and safety coordinator for Christopher Glass & Aluminum Inc. “In case there is an incident which would require immediate intervention to save someone’s life we felt it necessary to train as many of our employees as possible in CPR and Stop the Bleed.”
The comprehensive training provided to employees included step-by-step instruction in activating emergency medical services, or EMS; hands-only CPR; how to identify life-threatening bleeding; compression with the application of direct pressure on the wound; use of a tourniquet and wound packing. Each participant was able to practice these lifesaving techniques on mannequins and wound-care training appendage apparatus.
