Refresh first aid skills before Christmas

Despite being known as the festive season, Christmas comes with an increased risk of injury, in both the workplace and at home, and first aid skills might be the difference between life and death.

Each year, statistics reveal December delivers an uptick in injuries due to incidents ranging from slips, trips and falls to serious motor vehicle accidents, drownings, and food poisoning.

That makes now an ideal time to consider your Christmas safety including updating your first aid skills, according to a leading Australian provider of first aid and CPR training.

National First Aid Courses director Samuel Bohr said the festive season often involved a heady combination of socialising, sporting activities, and travel.

“As a result, statistics consistently show an increase in Christmas-related injuries, ranging from falls while decorating to alcohol related injuries, and cuts and burns while preparing food.

“As it’s summer, there’s also the increased risk of drowning, not just for children but for adults too, and the road statistics speak for themselves when it comes to the increased risk of motor vehicle accidents over the holidays.”

Data from the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health and other sources indicate the top causes of injury over the festive season are:

Slips, trips and falls, including falls from ladders, with about 5,000 Australians admitted to hospital each year as a result of ladder falls with men over the age of 60 most at risk

Electrical injuries from Christmas lights including tripping hazards and overloaded power boards that pose a fire risk

Food poisoning due to inadequate food handling and storage Alcohol related injuries, including poisoning, vehicle crashes and falls Motor vehicle accidents

Drownings at swimming pools, beaches, and waterholes, and Gift-related injuries, including choking hazards and swallowing risks for children,

Risk of injury does not just increase in the home over the Christmas period.

Workplaces also report a rise in incidents, especially in the immediate lead-up to Christmas, with staff often under increased pressure to complete tasks prior to the end of year break.

Mr Bohr said regardless of whether an injury happened in the home or workplace, up-to-date first aid skills could be the difference between life or death.

“From CPR to burns treatment, and managing spinal injuries, current first aid skills ensure you are not only equipped to manage minor festive season mishaps but also potentially save a life.

“There’s no better time than now to learn or refresh those skills, with First Aid courses taking as little as a day to complete.

“In fact, your first aid knowledge could just be the ultimate gift for someone you love this Christmas.”