3 Teachers in Your School Who Need to Be First Aid Qualified
If you're looking to enhance the calibre of your school faculty, one of the best professional development courses you can send teachers on is a first aid training session. First aid knowledge helps keep students safe and reduces the likelihood of serious incidents that result in legal action. Here are the 3 types of teachers in your school who'll benefit most from first aid training.
Science Teachers
Unsurprisingly, science is one of the most hazardous classes in any school. Students use Bunsen burners and corrosive, toxic, or highly flammable substances in chemistry classes, while sharp tools are often used in biology study. Your pupils could also get injured slipping on spilled chemicals or shocked by the electrical outlets used for various science tools. There's even a risk of fainting or collapse in students who experience vasovagal reactions (a drop in blood pressure) at the sight of blood or dissected animals. That's why it's so important that science teachers are trained in first aid. Knowing how to treat burns, shocks, cuts, poisoning, broken bones and other injuries in an emergency protects science students from harm and ensures that lessons aren't hindered by inadequate health and safety precautions.
P.E. Teachers
Alongside science, the other obvious culprit for accident and injury is physical education. In the heat of competition, it's easy for students to slip over or trip another child up. This can lead to cuts and bruises at the minor end of the scale and broken bones or brain trauma at the more extreme end. Games which involve kicking, throwing, or hitting balls carry a risk of head injury too. Fainting is also common in P.E. classes, though in this case, the cause is often overexertion as opposed to squeamishness, and students with conditions like asthma often suffer ill effects if they push themselves too hard. Given the fact that P.E. injuries can ruin a child's long-term sports career or athletic ability, it's crucial that first aid is administered early in the event of an incident. Training P.E. teachers in first aid will ensure that students can get fast relief and treatment while the ambulance is on its way.
Special Needs Teachers
If you have dedicated special educational needs teachers working in your school, it's vital that they know how to administer first aid. Children with disabilities that affect their senses, their mobility, or their understanding and awareness of their surroundings are more likely to get injured than their peers. Those with neurodevelopmental disabilities or mental health disorders may also be a risk to themselves. Often, it's not ideal for a general first aid responder to treat a student with special needs because these children and teens may be more fearful, sensitive, or physically at-risk than non-disabled students. It's better to have your special educational needs staff trained in first aid so they can combine their medical knowledge with their SEN expertise in an emergency.