St John Ambulance, the leading first-aid charity in England, has launched a campaign to encourage businesses to better train their employees to deal with traumatic workplace injuries – from accidents to terrorist attacks to mass casualty events.
In recent years the need for holistic approaches to trauma injuries has increased dramatically. More than 50,000 knife-related offences in England and Wales were recorded in 2024. This is a 4% increase on the year before. In Britain, more than 600,000.000 employees were injured on the job last year.
St John Ambulance’s new campaign on trauma response urges organizations across England to remain compliant with changing health and safety standards. This includes preparing for Martyn’s Law, a forthcoming legislation which requires certain venues and work places to have robust anti-terrorist training and response plans.
St John Ambulance’s research* also shows that only 4/10 people are able to perform CPR or treat a severe bleeding, and that less than half of the population can give a basic back-blow to someone who is choking.
Lisa Sharman is the Head of Education and Commercial Training for St John Ambulance. She said: “Our findings, and tragedies such as the one that occurred in Liverpool, underscore the urgency of this campaign. We urge organisations to increase their staff training to respond to major trauma incidents.
All organisations must prepare for the unexpected, and improve their emergency response at work.
It is important to have a holistic approach to health care that includes not only physical but also mental needs.
Traumatic incidents can happen to anyone, from being involved in a mass casualty incident to falling out of a window. Employers have the duty to make sure their teams are properly trained and equipped.
Practical, hands-on training can help to overcome this. Comprehensive training helps create a workplace that is trauma-informed, and gives people the knowledge and skills to handle first aid emergencies at most workplaces.
St John Ambulance offers a range of specialist courses including First Responder On Scene and First Responder Emergency Care Level 3. These courses prepare workers to act as emergency responders for situations like catastrophic bleeding or neck and spine injuries.
St John Ambulance* conducted research that found nearly three-quarters of English people have suffered a severe bleeding event, either as first aiders, bystanders or patients. Statisticians have shown for years that those with more advanced knowledge are likely to intervene in cases of trauma.
“Training and equipping people to save lives” Training is a key factor in determining how people will react to these types of emergencies. Preparedness is key when emergencies occur, and they will.
St John Ambulance Workplace Training Courses include First Aid, Emergency First Aid, Pediatric First Aid, Annual Refreshers, and more.
Mental Health First Aid Training courses are offered by the organisation. They include Mental Health Awareness, Manager Training, E-learning Modules, Workplace First Aider, and Workplace First Responseer Courses. These courses help workers recognize the signs of mental illness and how to respond.
St John Ambulance also ranks as one of the best providers of first aid courses in England, with more than 40,000 reviews rating them 4.9 out 5 based on their course.
Visit www.sja.org.uk/ml for more information and to book an training course with St John Ambulance.
The first time HR news published the article St John Ambulance launches a national campaign to urge workplaces better prepare for mass casualties and traumatic injuries.
