With first aid and fire safety a crucial issue for most businesses, SoGlos spoke to Zone Safety Training about the best ways to ensure your firm has its bases covered.
About the expert – Alan Hook, managing director of Zone Safety Training
Former fire fighter, Alan Hook, set up Zone Safety Training 20 years ago with the vision of keeping as many people safe and healthy as possible. As well as being the managing director at Zone Safety Training, he is also an instructor at the world renowned Fire Service College in Morton-in-Marsh Gloucestershire.
Zone Safety Training now runs a wide range of the latest safety training courses for a variety of firms from dentists to schools. Hook and his team focus on making training fun, as well as competitively priced, to ensure it is as accessible as possible.
Why is workplace first aid and safety training so important?
Apart from it being the law to train staff in first aid in the workplace, it’s also a useful skill to have for those ‘didn’t expect that’ moments in life.
You have probably heard of the flight or fight phenomenon which causes people to react in certain situations but by understanding an incident or casualty and why things happen, it can help to control those flight or fight urges and keep people more on top of the situation.
Who delivers your training and why are they perfectly placed to do so?
We use handpicked serving emergency services personnel and NHS staff who have the right blend of operational and teaching experience to deliver our first aid and casualty care courses. They are also overflowing with hilarious real-world anecdotes.
Some people can find first aid at work unappealing, but Zone Safety Training always delivers these courses with realism, fun and professionalism backed up by years of hands-on experience.
Although an accredited first aid at work qualification requires some theoretical knowledge, we prefer delegates to be able to perform the practical skills where necessary.
When the emergency services are called, it’s our trainers who will be attending so we give an insight into our work and help people understand what we would like to see from the public on our arrival.
What do your courses encompass?
All our courses encompass fit-for-purpose content. We have trainers with real world experience who deliver our courses at the correct level for the learner – ensuring the maximum potential is achieved during the training.
Who are your courses suitable for?
Our courses are suitable for anyone in any workplace where government mandatory training is required – and it’s also great for employer and staff peace of mind.
Once people have completed our course, they will know what to do in an emergency – it’s hard to put a price on that.
How many businesses have you worked with and what kind of businesses are they?
We work with a huge range of companies and institutions in Gloucestershire and nationally, too. We have brought our training to more than 50 GP surgeries, Hartpury College, Pizza Hut, Cineworld, fire services, laundry companies, Gloucestershire Airport and Cheltenham Racecourse. We also offer open courses that anyone can attend.
What do course prices start at?
Our one day open first aid course is £70 per person or if we deliver a one-day emergency first aid at work course at a workplace, it’s £400 for up to 12 people.
The certificate lasts for three years so it works out around 3p per day to have a lifesaving skill!
If you could share three most useful pieces of safety advice for readers to take away, what would they be?
Get a free home fire risk assessment and smoke alarm fitted by your local fire and rescue service.
Learn basic first aid to include CPR (chest compressions) and choking procedure.
Find out how to handle a casualty in an incident. If you’ve got the knowledge on whether to move someone or leave them where they are in a road traffic collision, you’ll potentially make a massive difference.
Why do you enjoy doing what you do?
The value of delivering training courses like ours is that they are designed for real life.
Unfortunately, emergency incidents will always happen and it’s normally the actions that are taken in the first two minutes that make the difference and hopefully provide a successful outcome.
If we can equip members of the public with these basic, effective skills then it makes our job as emergency services personnel far easier when we arrive.
What are some of the best outcomes you’ve heard about from people taking your course?
We have had many messages informing us of good outcomes but one of the best ones was when a company had a staff member who experienced a cardiac arrest the very next day.
After the first aid course, with our advice fresh in their minds and with good quality CPR and early defibrillation, they managed to save the gentleman who went on to make a full recovery. That sort of result is always nice to hear!
