By Kevin B. Keith, Director of Safety Services, ABC Keystone

We live in a world that has changed and become progressively more unsafe. Mass shootings, terrorism, and mental illness seem to be at the root of the issue. As a result, we have had to change our medical approach to aiding the victims. In as quickly as five to 10 minutes a victim can die from uncontrolled bleeding. Preparing for such events is a necessity and following the simple directives can help to save a life.

Basic first aid has been teaching students how to apply direct pressure to a wound. This is very effective in addressing the non-life-threatening type bleeding. For more advanced wound care, organizations like BleedingControl.org and the Department of Homeland Security’s Stop the Bleed campaign focus on trying to get more people trained in more advanced techniques, like the application of a tourniquet. Employers can request to have advanced wound care to be included in their first aid training to ensure that they have trained personnel on the job. Special care must be taken when applying a tourniquet, and having the appropriate training will greatly increase the likelihood that a trained responder will perform the proper techniques to save a live. Having an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Plan in place and training your workers to respond appropriately goes a long way in limiting causalities. To get more information for the Stop the Bleed campaign go to https://www.dhs.gov/stopthebleed.

ABC Keystone offers training to assist your company to prepare for an Active Shooter and First Aid/CPR classes that can include the application of tourniquets. Go to https://abckeystone.org and look at the upcoming course offerings. If you don’t see a course that you are looking for contact Kevin Keith, Director of Safety Services, to discuss a customized training for your company.