Dan Coad First Aid Interview

Dan Coad First Aid Interview

A recent poll conducted by Red Cross College found that although two thirds of people stated they knew what to do in an emergency, a deeper look into the situation uncovered a worrying 50% of people would make the wrong First Aid choices in life-threatening scenarios.

As the weather heats up, Red Cross is highlighting the need for Australians to refresh their First Aid skills in preparation for a fun and safe summer with family and friends.

'Outoor activities, hot weather and increased time in, or near, the water all contribute to higher accident rates over the summer period," said Chris Casey, General Manager – Training Services from Red Cross College.

'Our poll has shown that we, as a nation, are ready and willing to step up in an an emergency situation, however many people are not up to date with current life-saving thinking and are potentially endangering our loved ones," he said.

Red Cross College's First Aid courses equip people with the skills and knowledge to help in a First Aid emergency. Course participants are taught how to deal with numerous scenarios from severe sunburn, heat exhaustion and insect bites through to choking, cuts and CPR.

Refreshing First Aid knowledge and having a first aid kit to hand is vital, Chris said, 'we encourage everyone to refresh their skills. With summer on its way, you'll never know when you might need them."

Red Cross College is a leader in quality education that assists individuals and communities to transform their lives through learning and development, enabling personal and professional growth. Red Cross College is committed to improving the health, safety and wellbeing of the community through the delivery of First Aid training and provision of safety related products.

As a national training provider, Red Cross College is dedicated to generating income to support the ongoing humanitarian work of Australian Red Cross.
Learn, or refresh your First Aid skills online or at one of the 80+ conveniently located training venues. Enrol online or call 1300 367 428 or go to www.redcross.edu.au today.
First Aid kits can be purchased online at http://redcross.org.au/first-aid-kits

Interview with Dan Coad

Question: What does your role as a First Aid Training Manager entail?

Dan Coad: I am in charge of the First Aid and Health and Safety training in South Australia. I worked with the South Australian Ambulance in education before coming to Red Cross.


Question: What are some of the out-dated First Aid procedures people are commonly following?

Dan Coad: We can begin with CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) as the new Australian guidelines have been released and the procedure used to be two breathes then 30 compressions however the compressions are more important than the two breaths because you have six-eight minutes of oxygen within your blood stream before cardiac arrest. The sooner you can start compressions that take the place of the heart muscle the better off the patient is going to be. The earlier you can defibrillate, if there is a recognisable cardiac electrophysiology reading, the better the person will be and the better the outcome.


Question: What is the common mistake people make in regards to First Aid?

Dan Coad: One of the biggest mistakes people make is not checking for danger; if someone collapses in front of you then you need to check around them as to why they may have collapsed for example because of chemicals and gases. If the person is conscious, ask them what happened before rushing over and getting injured. We often don't check for dangers because adrenalin kicks in and we do what we think we need to do.

If someone does have a fall, you shouldn't race over to help them up; the best thing you can do is to let them stand up, on their own. If they cannot get up on their own, then you know there is a problem. If you pick someone up, instead of letting them stand you don't know if you are causing further damage.


Question: How can we not make these simple mistakes?

Dan Coad: I recommend that if you see something, you stop and take a breath and have a look around to assess the situation, then you act. If you don't check for danger you may put yourself in danger. This process is important whether someone has a broken arm or has had a heart attack.


Question: What is a common mistake people make in regards to workplace First Aid?

Dan Coad: With sunburn, radiation or chemical burn the new protocol is cool, running water for at least 20 minutes if that isn't possible, use a wet flannel and keep pouring cold water to get the heat out of the burn. Some people put cream or butter on burns but all that does it keep the heat in when the whole idea is to get the heat out.


Question: Why is First Aid more important in the hotter months?
Dan Coad: Summer is a terrible time because we are out and about more, we are using barbeques, chemicals for the swimming pool plus the weather causes heatstroke, heat exhaustion and sunburn. Everything is highlighted in Summer because people are outside more and down the beach.

People are often unaware of the correct procedures. If someone gets bitten by a snake, a spider (Tunnelweb), jellyfish or a Blue-Ringed Octopus then they often run around and try and get to a hospital. The best thing is to sit down and not move (or wiggle their toes) because then the toxins are spread through the lymphatic system. People need to learn the Pressure Immobilisation Technique (especially in areas where snakes are prolific) for these dangerous venoms and that practice includes an extremely tight bandage.

In regards to other bandaging; the person who has the broken bone or dislocated shoulder will have it in a perfect position – don't go trying to put a sling on it, if you don't have to as you could aggravate the injury. Once again, you need to stop, think and talk to the person – if they're comfortable, call an ambulance.


Question: What should we do if someone is suffering from a heat related illness?

Dan Coad: A lot of people leave it too late as they will feel hot and sweaty but as soon as they stop sweating that is when they're going into major muscle breakdown shock and the body has lost the ability to cool itself down. If you can recognise the signs and symptoms of dehydration especially in young children and the elderly, then you can help them. If someone is dehydrated they will need to drink little sips of water regularly and be moved to a cool place.

Tradesman working in Summer will suffer from heatstroke because the weather takes its toll on people.


Question: How often should we retrain in First Aid?

Dan Coad: Your Applied First Aid Certificate has a life of three years because not much changes in that time in regards to snake bites, splinting and bandages.


Question: We all have First Aid kits but what mistakes do people make in regards to at home kits?

Dan Coad: Yes, most people have a First Aid kit but I believe at least 80% of people have never opened their kit and they don't know what's in the kit until they need it. Buy yourself an up-to-date First Aid kit and have a look what's in there and do a risk-assessment in regards to where you visit and what you may need to do and if you have enough items in the kit (do I have enough saline to wash out wounds or do I have enough compression bandages in case of a snake). You need to ensure you have the basics, so if you needed to assist you could.
The Red Cross sells a number of different First Aid kits for different areas.


Question: What advise do you give in your First Aid classes?

Dan Coad: Any form of CPR is better than no CPR however people still get worried about helping someone and making the situation worse. People fear administrating any form of lifesaving First Aid. If someone has had a heart attack or been in an accident and you've done everything you can possibly do and the outcome is not good, people blame themselves. What I try to get through to people is that if you perform CPR or another lifesaving form of First Aid you are making an offer to the person who is injured; if they accept that offer and they come back to life that is terrific but if they don't accept that offer then you can't blame yourself.

I push to my students, that if you think in the back of your mind, -maybe I need an ambulance' that's when you call one. If you think -should I?' just do it! As soon as you think about calling an ambulance, do it.


Interview by Brooke Hunter