Third of professional services workers have been in office without first aid training

As St John Ambulance tries to encourage workers across the UK to sign up for life-saving first aid courses, a new study has shown that many workplaces are very short on training. In the professional services sector, the researchers found that a quarter of staff had never had first aid training, while a third had been on site when no trained first aiders were present.

First aid training is a vital skill that can make a significant difference in emergency situations. Whether at work, home, or in a public setting, having someone trained in first aid can be the determining factor between life and death. For example, around half of cardiac emergencies are successfully handled, if CPR is performed within the first three minutes.

Despite this, a worrying number of professionals in the UK report having little to no knowledge, when it comes to administering first aid. St John Ambulance has polled 2,000 UK employees across multiple sectors – and found that many employers are leaving their workforce vulnerable in an emergency.

This was especially pronounced in the professional services sector. There, the researchers found that 29% of staff had experienced times with no first aid trained peers present on site. Meanwhile, 25% said they had no first training at all.

Of those that did, the situation was not necessarily better. The poll found 22% said they had been training in first aid, but longer than five years ago – meaning their skills may have been forgotten, or become outdated.

Meanwhile, 43% reported that they had been the sole person with first aid training on site. This means in the event of an accident involving them, nobody else would be trained to help.

Lisa Sharman, national head of education and commercial training at St John Ambulance, said, “Building life-saving skills within the workplace not only ensures people can act quickly and confidently, but also helps all employees feel safe at work. Even if your workplace seems low-risk, like an office, accidents and emergencies still happen – choking, slips, allergic reactions, or even serious unexpected situations like terrorist attacks or natural disasters. Having multiple trained first aiders is an important safety measure that will protect both colleagues and the business. Plus, if an employee is harmed due to a lack of first aid provision, the employer may face legal action, fines or prosecution.”

Fortunately for professional services firms, there is a real appetite among workers to improve the situation. While 84% of staff said they would go out of their way to help colleagues when they can, another 64% said that they would be interested in a first aid course, if it was offered to them.