We believe that prevention is better than cure and wish to better support existing and future clients by offering them a wider range of courses. To complement our range of first aid training we will be offering Health and Safety in the Workplace, Food Safety, Manual Handling and Fire Awareness courses working in association with Safety and Management Solutions Ltd.

We will be offering this training as stand alone courses and as part of a wider training package for clients who wish to deliver cost effective health and safety training to their staff to include H.S.E approved first aid training.

Watch out for special offers on our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter @ICSFirstAid ahead of the launch of these courses.

The EFAW course complies with Health and Safety Executive (H.S.E) regulations and enables delegates to be able to deal with a variety of emergencies in the workplace where a three day First Aid at Work qualification is not deemed necessary. At the end of the course delegates will receive a nationally recognised H.S.E. approved Emergency First Aid at Work certificate which is valid for three years and be able to respond to an accident or illness in the workplace safely and effectively.

Each delegate will receive a first aid manual to work from which can be kept for future reference and there are plenty of opportunities to practice new skills under the supervision of the instructor.

Although not mandatory, the H.S.E. strongly recommend that an update should be undertaken each year to help first aiders maintain their skills and keep abreast of any changes to first aid procedures. On the third year, this one day EFAW course will need to be undertaken again.

This course will be held at Safety and Management Solutions Ltd, Manston Road, Manston, Kent. There is plenty of car parking available on site. The cost of this course is £75 per head (no VAT payable) to be paid in advance and includes all course materials, tea / coffee and a light lunch. The course will run between 0930 and 1700.

For further information on this course or to make a booking please contact Paul on 01227 781768 or 07969 471653. You can also e-mail paul@immediatecaresolutions.com .

The EFAW course complies with Health and Safety Executive (H.S.E) regulations and enables delegates to be able to deal with a variety of emergencies in the workplace where a three day First Aid at Work qualification is not deemed necessary. At the end of the course delegates will receive a nationally recognised H.S.E. approved Emergency First Aid at Work certificate which is valid for three years and be able to respond to an accident or illness in the workplace safely and effectively.

Each delegate will receive a first aid manual to work from which can be kept for future reference and there are plenty of opportunities to practice new skills under the supervision of the instructor.

Although not mandatory, the H.S.E. strongly recommend that an update should be undertaken each year to help first aiders maintain their skills and keep abreast of any changes to first aid procedures. On the third year, this one day EFAW course will need to be undertaken again.

This course will be held at Safety and Management Solutions Ltd, Manston Road, Manston, Kent. There is plenty of car parking available on site. The cost of this course is £75 per head (no VAT payable) to be paid in advance and includes all course materials, tea / coffee and a light lunch. The course will run between 0930 and 1700.

For further information on this course or to make a booking please contact Paul on 01227 781768 or 07969 471653. You can also e-mail paul@immediatecaresolutions.com .

Now the weather has turned we thought it would be useful to give you some winter first aid tips.

Many people will suffer from the effects of the cold weather or fall and sustain either soft tissue injuries or broken bones.

Hypothermia

We can suffer from a lowering of our body temperature by being exposed to cold environments or by becoming immersed in water.  If we are wearing inadequate clothing at this time of year we are also vulnerable. 

When our body temperature drops to below 35 degrees celsius we become hypothermic. Signs and symptoms include shivering, cold pale skin, lethargy, abnormal behaviour and even unconsciousness. Babies will not normally shiver as they haven't developed this reflex yet.

It is important to treat any life threatening injuries relating to their airway, breathing or circulation first but then it is possible to make your casualty more comfortable until help arrives.

You can look after a hypothermic casualty by slowly rewarming them in a sheltered, warm location and by changing them out of any wet clothing. It is important not to overheat someone. Warm food and drink is generally discouraged. Call an ambulance if necessary.

Fractures, Sprains and Strains

Bones are similar to trees in that some considerable force is needed to break one but older ones break more easily and younger ones tend to split or bend under stress as with children. The term 'fracture' is used to describe a broken bone and they can be 'open' where the overlying skin at the site of injury is broken or 'closed' where there is no break in the skin.

Bones are connected together at joints and we can sustain injuries to the soft tissue at joints. These injuries are known as sprains or strains depending on what tissue is damaged.

It is important to treat any life threatening injuries relating to their airway, breathing or circulation first but then it is possible to make your casualty more comfortable until help arrives.

It is often difficult to determine whether a casualty has broken a bone or sustained a soft tissue injury as they can all be extremely uncomfortable and often present with swelling, tenderness and reduced movement. Often, a description of the accident will help you in your 'diagnosis'.

If you suspect that someone may have broken a bone it is important to support the limb and immobilise it as best you can until help arrives. They should not have anything to eat or drink.

Soft tissue injuries can be managed by resting the affected limb, applying a cold compress and elevating it slightly.

Always seek medical attention if you suspect a potentially serious injury, call an ambulance if necessary.

The advice in this article is not a substitute for first aid training and you are advised to seek medical advice in the event of any accident or incident.

Revised online forms will make the reporting process quick and easy. Businesses will no longer report incidents by email, post or fax.

Fatal and major injuries and incidents can still be reported to HSE's Incident Contact Centre by telephone, as at present.

The seven online RIDDOR reporting forms will be:

• F2508 Report of an injury
• F2508 Report of a Dangerous Occurrence
• F2508A Report of a Case of Disease
• OIR9B Report of an Injury Offshore
• OIR9B Report of a Dangerous Occurrence Offshore
• F2508G1 Report of a Flammable Gas Incident
• F2508G2 Report of a Dangerous Gas Fitting

Source: Association of First Aiders

Physical activity is important to all of us and carries very little risk for most of us. The risks of poor health resulting from inactivity is high and there is a clear link between physical activity and chronic disease.

Read more about these guidelines however old you are at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_127931

In July 2006 the approval system in place for paediatric first aid was withdrawn leaving no credible approval system and the effective de-regulation of the Paediatric first aid industry.

The Paediatric First Aid Association is a non-profit association set up to address this current 'lack of regulation' and aims to ensure that its members have an independent identity with the credibility, support and monitoring of a professional trade body.

Immediate Care Solutions has been granted membership of the PFAA following the submission of a portfolio that was "more than satisfactory" according to Chairman Paul Stedman.

We look forward to long future with the Paediatric First Aid Association.

Membership Number PFAA11045  www.pfaa.org.uk

An article published in the Emergency Medical Journal discusses a study that investigated the interval between the last basic life support (BLS) course and present skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The study, based in a German town, found that current guidelines were not followed highlighting the need for regular basic life support training.

Read more about this study here.

Read about our basic life support refresher training here and contact us to book your course  here.

The good news is you don't have to worry and your existing first aid kit does not need to be replaced. You may already know that the contents of a first aid kit are only recommended by the Health and Safety Executive (H.S.E) and that it is up to the employer to determine what is suitable. With this in mind, the H.S.E will not be making the new BS8599 first aid kit mandatory.

It is always good practice to review the contents of workplace first aid kits however and it may be that this new kit will better meet your needs but it is not mandatory.

Source: FAAMS, HSE