VINLEC employees undergo training in First Aid and CPR

Twenty-seven employees of St Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) are now First Aid / Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certified (Basic) following two separate training sessions on February 24 and 25.

The training, an element of VINLEC’s Health and Safety programme, is considered essential for workplace safety. Over the years, VINLEC has been providing First Aid/CPR training for a wide cross section of employees as First Aid and CPR training are critical for employee well-being.

A number of benefits of First Aid/CPR training for employers and employees were outlined by Environmental, Health and Safety Officer, Anthony Patterson at the opening of Monday’s session. He noted that in the event of a work medical emergency, a first aider’s response can be the difference between life and death and that First Aid/CPR training help employees to be more mindful of safety in the workplace.

Patterson also said that training programmes of this nature are great team building exercises. He noted that the skills and knowledge are useful outside of the work environment as participants can administer First Aid and CPR to their family, friends and the public effectively in an emergency.

The First Aid training covered common scenarios including bleeding, burns, poisoning, shock, and respiratory emergencies, while the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training examined CPR for adults and CPR for children.

The training was both theoretical and practical and allowed the participants the chance to put into practice some of the skills they acquired. It was facilitated by Cassandra Farrell of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross Society and was held at the Cane Hall Training Room.