There are a lot of essentials that you have to prepare in order to succeed, especially in the B2B market. In a previous article, we talked about some basics such as the need to keep your website accessible, keeping employees accountable, and keeping your spending in check. From a business standpoint, there is also the need to keep overheads at a minimum, construct a strong and effective team, and provide a suitable working environment for the employees.
The latter is usually achieved through the combination of safety policies and employee training. Among the most important basic training you need to provide your employees is CPR training. There are plenty of benefits to be gained from having employees trained in first-aid and CPR, especially when you know how to choose the most suitable CPR training for your business.
Benefits of CPR Training for Business
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA defines CPR and first-aid skills as mandatory. As one of its policies, OSHA states:
“In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity to the workplace which is used for the treatment of all injured employees, a person or persons shall be adequately trained to render first aid. Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available.”
While businesses and corporations usually have strict safety policies and provide safety training to employees, CPR and first-aid training are still not part of those policies in many cases. Today, CPR and first-aid skills are essential rather than optional.
In reality, CPR training brings more benefits to both employees and the business as a whole. For starters, CPR training promotes work safety. Employees are better equipped to deal with emergency situations. The training teaches employees how to provide first-aid treatments to victims of cardiac arrest or a similar health emergency. It also provides employees with knowledge on how to treat external injuries, how to treat victims in emergency situations, and how to use Automated External Defibrillators or AEDs.
The benefits of CPR training extend beyond the work environment. Employees who have children at home, for example, will be better equipped for similar emergency situations with children and their partner. The training is very empowering; knowing that you can handle emergency situations properly, especially one that involves your children, gives you that extra sense of safety that you can’t get elsewhere.
There are even cases of employees helping strangers survive their medical emergencies on the street. The companies that provided them with CPR training received high exposure for the immense attention to safety they have shown.
We can’t talk about benefits of CPR training without talking about its psychological benefits. CPR training helps employees feel better about themselves. The training is designed to help employees think calmly yet critically in emergency situations. It is also designed to equip employees with the skills needed to deal with emergencies. The result is obvious; employees with CPR training are more confident and perform better, both in emergency situations and at work in general.
The Right Training for Your Organization
There are several types of CPR training available today. Non-profit organizations and government entities provide free training to individuals. This training is usually tailored for individuals and teaches them how to deal with emergency situations at home. Some of your employees may have already taken this type of training already.
For business environments, and to meet the OSHA requirements, you need a CPR training program designed for business. CPR training for business is accredited and must follow the standards set by OSHA. The good news is that business CPR training is just as affordable as the training programs for individuals – some of them are even free.
Before you start looking into training programs and CPR courses, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself first:
- What are the industry-specific regulations and standards I need to follow?
- How comprehensive does the CPR training have to be?
- Do I need to provide my employees with AED training as well?
- Do I need my employees to have CPR certification?
Answering these questions will help you get a better picture of the kind of CPR training you need to look into. To provide employees with the best CPR skills, however, you may want to opt for a CPR certification by a reputable entity such as the National CPR Foundation.
Next, it is time to look at who the programs are designed. There is specific training for teachers, counsellors, drivers, trainers, and nursing home employees as well as construction, office and factory floor workers. The difference between these training courses is the way they are designed. A CPR training course for teachers, for example, focusses more on CPR for children and infants. A CPR training course for office workers, on the other hand, targets adults and focusses on heart attack victims.
There is a higher level of CPR training too, and that is CPR training for healthcare providers. This particular type of training follows an even stricter set of standards. The training is designed for nurses, medical assistants, paramedics, and other healthcare professionals. Some companies are starting to opt for this higher-level training, but choosing CPR training for business is usually enough in most situations.
Choosing a Training Program
There are several aspects to consider when choosing a CPR training program for your business. You can start by looking into the different programs available and finding the right type of training as discussed in the previous part of this article. At this point, you will have a handful of options to consider.
Take a closer look at the training provider behind each program. Find out more about past clients, the training the provider has given, and the overall reputation of the provider itself. Checking the training provider’s background will give you a better picture of the quality of training programs they provide. Stick with a training provider that is experienced and maintains a positive reputation.
The next aspect to consider is the applied standard. Since you are trying to comply with OSHA’s requirements, you need to choose a CPR training program that follows the same standards. You can either review the training program yourself or contact the training provider directly to get a clearer explanation about OSHA compliance.
You also need to consider the certification you’re providing the employees. Every good CPR training ends with a certification exam. This exam acts as a way to verify that your employees have mastered the necessary CPR and first-aid skills. You can provide employees with more value by providing a CPR certification that complies with AHA and ECC/ILCOR 2015.
Training delivery method matters too. Some CPR training programs require employees to spend an entire day at a training facility. Other programs are delivered through digital means. The training can then be conducted at the office or the factory, eliminating the need for employees to travel just to take the training and certification. The latter is usually the better and more efficient option.
Last but certainly not least, compare costs of CPR training programs before finalising your decision. The best CPR training courses are usually free. The fee you pay to enrol employees on to these training courses is for the certification instead of the actual training. You no longer have to worry about paying a lot to provide your team members with the best training possible.
Other Things to Consider
Now that you know the different CPR training available and the necessary aspects to consider when choosing them, choosing the right CPR training for your business should be relatively easy. Before you go ahead and start browsing through training programs, however, there are a few more things you need to know.
If you haven’t provided employees with CPR training, now is the perfect time to do so. Aside from meeting the OSHA and other industry requirements, your business will gain so much from employees who are capable of handling emergency situations. Work-related accidents and injuries can be minimised and fatalities can be avoided entirely.
You will also be saving money by investing in CPR training. The training itself helps lower your employees’ insurance rating, which means you no longer have to pay a high premium to provide the same level of coverage. The money you save on insurance premiums is actually much higher than the cost of providing employees with CPR training. This is another reason to invest in CPR training, isn’t it?
Lastly, the CPR certification employees receive at the end of their training programs expire after two years. This is the standard certificate validity period and a good reminder to set up employees with refresher courses in the future. Always remember to renew your employees’ certificates when they expire so that you continue to comply with industry standards.
Kidal Delonix is a contributor to Mr. Hoffman's blog. The views and opinions are entirely his/her own and may not reflect Mr Hoffman's views.
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