In 2017, the Red Cross found Australia had one of the lowest rates of first aid training in the world, despite almost half a million injured people being admitted to hospitals annually. Among them almost 60,000 are children.
Estimates by the Royal Life Saving Society suggest that, on average, 20 Australians die from heart attacks every day. It also found 60 per cent of injuries requiring first aid treatment occur at home.
Less than one in three employees feel confident to perform first aid in a workplace emergency.
Buck Reed has been a paramedic for more than 20 years. He is also a lecturer of Paramedicine in Western Sydney University.
He says although most people don’t undertake first aid training unless required for work, there is merit in doing so.
First aid training does two things, it both gives people skills, to sort of self-manage situations and improve people's outcomes when they become injured or unwell. But it also gives them confidence. So, it's a good way for people to learn about how respond in situations, not just in terms of hands on first aid things, but kind of how to mentally prepare themselves.
