If you are planning on snacking this holiday season, it isn’t just your sugars that might take a hint. You could end up a statistic without meaning to. The holidays seem like a wonderful time to get together and enjoy good food and good company, but there are numerous hazards around that could make your winter a stressful one.
There’s never a bad time to get your First Aid & CPR certification, but the holidays can be an important motivator for you if you know the hazards. Whether a small child or an aged relative, your certification could help you overcome challenges with confidence.
Do you need First Aid? Can’t you just google it?
While having your phone handy may seem like the easiest prevention and treatment, it is actually not much help. When you are stressed and unprepared, you can never google fast enough to prevent trouble. It is helpful to learn the hows and whys of First Aid, but when it comes to actually performing it, hands-on and under pressure, you might not be able to find the focus.
First Aid training allows you to spend time with an instructor and other classmates. You’ll learn how to apply first aid and perform CPR correctly. You can gain confidence with each moment you spend applying your new skills to both classmates and first aid dolls. This practice allows you to see how to do it right and ask questions of instructors.
Getting your certification isn’t just essential for your home life, but is an important addition to make to your resume. Employers may be looking for someone with a First Aid & CPR Certification. It means the candidate is prepared for emergencies and ready to be confident when facing any challenges. You’ll be able to show your readiness to help with emergencies and your ability to learn and achieve certification.
Holiday Hazard 1: Be ready for choking scares
We don’t have to tell you about all the things that can happen during the holiday season. You’ve probably already seen them: gingerbread hazards, electrical shorts, falling asleep with candles lit. There’s more, but let’s discuss choking and how your First Aid training can help save the day.
Choking is one of the biggest risks for all ages. Babies and toddlers are at the greatest risk of choking, with it being the primary cause of accidental injury or death, according to Stanford Medicine. This is often because of toys with small parts, popcorn and nuts, and decorations. Adults are also vulnerable, whether because of eating holiday foods or becoming distracted while eating.
While knowing your Heimlich maneuver is important, a major part of First Aid is prevention. If you have little ones, take a first aid course that has an infant/toddler element. Place possible choking hazards up high, avoid decorating where they can be easily reached, and do not let your small children around food unattended. For adults, always chew thoroughly and eat slowly. Avoid talking or laughing while eating if possible. This great article by the Canadian Red Cross tells you more about what to do when an adult chokes.
Holiday Hazard 2: Fires and Cuts
Maybe you are a big fan of Christmas Vacation, but trust us. You are not going to want to go through everything the Griswolds go through. It looks funny on the screen, but it is rarely funny in real life. Burns and fires are two accidents waiting to happen in the holiday season. It can happen from putting up lights or cooking on the stove.
Be aware that Christmas-time burns and fires can cause more serious damage. Being careless is often the reason for injuries. A burn from a faulty light connection can result in painful hours, and a fire could destroy your home. Prevention is one of your best weapons against injuries. Never leave the stove unattended, keep an eye on any lit candles, and always check your electrical connections to make sure there is no chance of shorting out.
Treating a burn is important to do correctly. Avoid following the old wives’ tales of using butter, toothpaste, ointments, or ice on a burn. Cool the burn and cover it with a dry sterile dressing, something you will learn when you take First Aid courses. It is important to stay calm and not panic. If the burn is serious, call 9-1-1 immediately. Always remember that if a small child is burned, you should get them to the hospital immediately.
When it comes to fires and burns, knowing how to properly treat the burn can make a difference in where you spend your holidays. You don’t want to ignore a wound of any kind, and no one wants to spend the holidays in the emergency room. By preventing the chance of fire, you’re also preventing the chance for burns to happen.
Holiday Hazard 3: Trips and Falls
Maybe you loved Home Alone, where the burglars trip and fall all around the tricks and traps set. But if you have ever fallen on ice, you know that it is never funny in real life. You likely know that it can happen more frequently in the winter too, with icy walkways, snow patches, and decorations in the way. But it is also one of the biggest reasons for injury as well.
In the holiday season, trips and falls account for many of the injuries, with injuries like broken bones, concussions, and pulled muscles making it even worse. The most common ways you could injure yourself are hanging decorations and Christmas lights, tripping over clutter like toys and boxes, poor lighting, and slipping on wet floors and ice. We bet you that you don’t plan on spending the holidays on the couch, unable to move. It isn’t the best way to get through December and January, and being prepared to avoid falls is important.
Your Environment Matters
Creating a safe environment is a great way to avoid injury. You can take control of your environment by making sure that walkways are cleared and salted, walking with winter boots, and putting boxes away promptly. If you are in an unknown area that may be icy, take slow steps and avoid rushing. Avoid walking anywhere that is poorly lit if you can and be mindful of wet floors in high-traffic areas. If you do fall, rest and immobilize where you are injured, using an ice-pack and elevating as necessary.
While a dramatic and comedic fall is funny on screen, it’s only to cause you pain and stress. Being mindful of your surroundings and avoiding rushing or taking unnecessary risks will help you avoid tripping and falling. It is better to be safe than sorry, and always be aware that your First Aid training is there to help you treat falls wisely.
Confidence is Key
First Aid and CPR training gives you many skills year-round, but one of the most important is confidence. The holidays are often frantic, especially close to Christmas and New Year’s. It can seem like you don’t have enough time to get everything done. So if an emergency happens, if you don’t have the training, you can end up panicking or doing something harmful.
Knowing the ins and outs of this training, whether performing CPR or binding wounds, means you can gain confidence. You may be unsure at first. The more you learn, the more you practice, the more you’ll be ready in case of emergencies. You don’t have to be hyper-vigilant. You’ll want to be ready, especially if attending hectic parties or walking across an icy parking lot at the mall.
Not just for the Holidays
The holidays are a great reason to invest in First Aid and CPR training. But these skills aren’t just for now and then, forgotten until next year. Knowing how to perform First Aid and CPR provides you with transferable skills that bridge the gap between your home and work. Who hasn’t been to a Christmas party before and seen someone nursing a cut or burn, or recovering from choking on a piece of popcorn? If you haven’t… it is likely to happen sooner or later!
Those skills that you learn can also be very useful at work. Knowing how to treat a burn or cut, or how to help someone who has fallen, means that you have the confidence to make a difference in a stressful situation. Many employers see First Aid and CPR certification as a bonus on resumes as well, as it shows not only that you have the capacity to learn new skills but that you have the initiative. Employers may be open to sending you for certification, as it increases the safety and well-being of the workplace.
Spend your Certification with Pathways!
Having the ability to reduce injury severity while reducing panic and increasing safety awareness can give you a strong sense of achievement, but also help your career by boosting your transferable skills. While you may think that you can put it off until next year, why not start now? Certification in First Aid and CPR takes 2 days of learning, but the lessons you participate in will stay with you far longer. This certification does need renewal, but take it as an opportunity to brush up on your life-saving skills!
Pathways Career College offers individuals the opportunity to learn with others or for businesses to send small groups for training. When you are ready to learn First Aid & CPR, talk to us!