London’s office workers are woefully ill-equipped to give effective first
aid to their colleagues in emergency situations, a survey has concluded.
Research commissioned by first-aid supplier Safety First Aid found that just
6 per cent of respondents said they had first-aid skills.
A total of 87 per cent were not confident enough to administer
cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, 78 per cent did not know who their first aider
was, 60 per cent could not correctly treat a choking colleague, and 49 per cent
did not know how to treat a burn.
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But 71 per cent said they would readily take a practical first-aid course,
if their employer offered it to them.
John Howell, head of training at Safety First Aid, said: "There is a
distinct lack of health and safety knowledge among employees."