Posted by mhuddleston on October 11, 2011 · Leave a Comment
In August of this year, Blue Ridge Safety and Health sponsored Claudia for a short mission assignment for Samaritan’s Purse in Haiti. The company paid her travel expenses and donated a CPR manikin for training purposes. Samaritan’s Purse helped cover some of the travel expenses and provided food and lodging. The purpose of the trip was to provide First Aid and CPR/AED training for both the ex-patriates and the Haitian staff of Samaritan’s Purse. Here is her story of this moving trip.
I had traveled to Haiti in April to serve as a volunteer nurse for Samaritan’s Purse. My assignment included not only working in the Cholera clinic but also helping in a medical outreach clinic. While there, I came to realize that there were many other volunteers at the Samaritan’s Purse camp who came from various parts of the country to remove rubble, help build shelters, and provide medical care.
While traveling back and forth under the security of a Samaritan’s Purse driver, it also became apparent to me that because of the earthquake, the roads were often difficult to maneuver and further, that the rules of the road were nonexistent translating into frequent and fatal vehicle trauma.
While contemplating the large number of volunteers and the exposure to daily trauma, I felt a real passion to be involved with equipping staff with First Aid and CPR. Not only were there high numbers of traumatic events, but there were many volunteers and staff who had limited access to emergency care so after discussion with Samaritan’s Purse management, I was asked to return and teach First Aid and CPR/AED.
In August, I returned to Haiti to complete this teaching assignment that included both of the camps operated by Samaritan’s Purse. I went with some ideas of what medical resources were available in Haiti but also what limitations existed. Haitians speak both Creole and French but not as much English. So, after development of my lessons designed especially for the situation, staff at Samaritans’ Purse and one of my Haitian friends, translated the entire learning materials into Creole.
The previous experience provided me a solid plan on what areas of First Aid that needed more emphasis. Twelve classes of First Aid and CPR/AED were organized that included over one hundred and fifty people. The First Aid course was modified to include rapid trauma assessment and triage management. Both camps had an Automatic External Defibrillator so my goal was to put them into a response plan in which a core group of staff were trained in sudden cardiac arrest and use of the AED and the rest of the camp were taught Hands Only CPR until the AED arrived.
I was assisted in some of the training by two other registered nurses that were on temporary assignment in Haiti. All students expressed gratitude for the classes but the best compliment that was given to me was by a student who solemnly vowed that before his training, he ran from an emergency, now he would run to the emergency.
According to the website: http://www.Samaritansourse.org : “Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ.”
Posted by admin on December 30, 2009 · Leave a Comment
As customers and employees enter your facility are they as safe as they should be? Most companies must comply with fire safety codes to ensure that whether it is employees or visitors, there is a fire safety strategy in place. This safety plan includes smoke detectors, fire alarm systems and fire extinguisher placed through-out buildings to protect these people from a fire. One of the first things we are taught as children is if you are in a building that catches on fire you should go to the nearest exit and get away from the danger as quick as possible. Sadly, however, the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (Fire Deaths and Injuries, 2009)) state that approximately 2800 people die in fires yearly despite safety training and equipment that is available.
But did you know that according to the American Heart Association (Currents in Emergency Cardiovascular Care, p. 1) approximately 330,000 people a year die out of a hospital from cardiac arrest. With training and planning, this number could be cut in half if good Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was performed and an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) applied quickly. So should not a plant safety plan not only include fire procedures, but also cardiac arrest management?
We know that in the event of a cardiac arrest people should be trained to quickly assess the person that is unconscious, notify the Emergency Medical System, and send for an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation by trained personnel should be started and continued until an AED arrives. Knowing the likelihood of cardiac arrest is higher than the incident of fire, the question asked then is your staff trained for this common emergency and do you have the proper equipment to provide this lifesaving help while still protecting your staff from harm?
What are the elements of a good safety plan that focuses on cardiac resuscitation?
Basically, a safety plan starts with training in CPR. A CPR class teaches people to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, what to do if the victim is conscious or becomes unconscious and how to perform CPR with or without an AED. These classes usually last three to four hours with renewal of skills every two years.
Once the students have completed the course they should be provided with the equipment to perform CPR. At a minimum, for individual personal protection, he/she should have gloves and a face shield. The most critical piece of equipment in this type of emergency is an AED. These devices are easy to use, require little maintenance and are cost effective.
Blue Ridge Safety and Health specializes in assisting companies complete a safety plan that includes training in CPR and use of the AED along with purchasing of the needed AED. With over ten years of experience with many company and industrial sites, Blue Ridge Safety and Health can provide help to make companies and industries more prepared and safer for events of cardiac emergencies and out of hospital cardiac arrest.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009). Fire Deaths and Injuries: Fact Sheet. http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/fire: Cited January 10, 2010.
Highlights of the 2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. ( Currents Winter 2005-2006). Currents in Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Volume 16: Number 4 Winter 2005-2006.
