The Importance of Classroom Discussions

One of the best things about teaching is interacting with students and having their perspectives and experiences spark class discussions.

A well-recognized principle of adult learning is the significant life experience and knowledge adults bring to the classroom. And here is a not-so-hidden secret; adults like to be given the opportunity to draw on those moments and share them. A good instructor facilitates those opportunities for her or his students through classroom discussion.

Now, all of that said, there are priorities we must meet within a CPR and first aid course. First and foremost is ensuring that we are giving students the psychomotor skills necessary to perform CPR or other treatments when presented with a medical emergency and allowing ample time for practice of those skills. But there is also the core cognitive information a student needs from our classes. What better way to drive that knowledge home than to enable a meaningful, albeit controlled (and brief!), classroom discussion.

The Instructor Guides of the ASHI and MEDIC First Aid programs include Key Points and Knowledge Checks on each page that can be used as discussion starters. In addition, all the programs include Written Exams, which are optional for the lay rescuer programs unless required by regulation or organization, or if the student is completing the course challenge option. They can, however, be utilized as a valuable tool for class discussions and additional knowledge review. The exams include scenario questions that would allow students to take what they have recently learned and apply it to a situation. For example, from the ASHI Basic First Aid exam:

1. Only trained providers like yourself are authorized to provide care.
2. You are trained to recognize, assess, and prioritize the need for first aid care.
3. You are responsible for the ill or injured person until he or she can get to a hospital.
4. You are trained to respond to many emergencies but may have to go beyond your training to manage challenging ones.

In this example, an instructor could ask the class for the correct answer and then facilitate a discussion on why that is the correct answer, referring the class to the Student Guide page and reinforcing the key points.

Our goal in emergency care training is to create confident responders. We do this by providing the knowledge and skills needed, and by reinforcing that knowledge and those skills with practice. The importance of skill practice is obvious; let’s start using our available tools for knowledge practice as well.

Training Center Profiles

Meet Your Peers

Discover what your peers are thinking about the emergency care industry, the challenges their TCs face, and the solutions they’ve found in their quest to make their workplaces and communities safer.

TC Name: Erie Homes for Children and Adults (EHCA INC), Erie, PA. www.ehca.org

Director: Rachael Baginski

How long have you been in business? 5-10 years as an internal, non-profit ASHI TC

What is the biggest challenge at your company?

Having the employees show up for their scheduled trainings, or making up the scheduled trainings in a timely manner

What strategies or investments have proven to be a waste of time and money?

Not sure yet; I’m still learning more every day.

Based on what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when you were starting out?

I would have liked to shadow instructors outside the agency

Where do you see your business and the emergency care training industry in the next 5-10 years?

Busy, as we are a growing company

What has your company done to make safety part of the day-to-day culture?

We have a health and safety committee with over 20 members

Can you share a favorite Good Samaritan story about your students?

An employee attended her scheduled re-certification class. Two weeks later, while at church, the pastor collapsed. The employee and another churchgoer performed CPR on the pastor. Unfortunately, he did not survive. Nevertheless, our employee told me that she will never complain about having to attend another CPR/AED/First Aid class ever again, and we’re so proud that she was confident enough to step up to help to the best of her ability.

Where do you go to stay current with the latest industry information and knowledge?

ASHI, online sources

What is the most difficult part of managing an internal Training Center?

Employee scheduling and working within a limited budget

TC Name: Show Me CPR and Personal Safety, Sullivan, MO. www.ShowMeCPRMissouri.com

Director: Emily Garcia

How long have you been in business?  4 years in Missouri, 8 years in Arizona, with 3-5 years as an external, sole-proprietor ASHI TC

What is the biggest challenge for you and your business?

Managing the increasing cost of training materials and equipment without passing the cost on to customers

How do you market your business?

Website, email marketing, radio/TV advertising, online advertising, ads in local publications, speaking as an emergency care expert at public events, offering a free public class, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn), personal referrals, and information booths at community events

Based on what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when you were starting out?

Develop a vision and mission statement, stay true to the reason that you became an instructor, and bring your passion with you every day, every class.

Where do you see your business and the emergency care training industry in the next 5-10 years?

My goal is to change the perception of a CPR class: to make everyone feel comfortable and confident when they leave that, no matter what role they play in an emergency situation, they are doing exactly what is needed at that moment. I would love to see more people empowered that they have the skill set to help in an emergency by making classes more user friendly and less stuffy.

What are some of the most common misconceptions or mistakes you have seen/heard in your career?

That you must have more advanced training to perform CPR and first aid correctly, and, if you are unable to perform CPR physically, you are "no use" -- you can still help! You can call 9-1-1, help give verbal CPR instructions to someone that is physically able to perform CPR, etc.

Of your business or training investments that cost less than $500, what has given you the best return?

Personal referrals. I also use safety magnets for advertising and as a gift for each of my students, as well as provide a CPR pocket facemask with my business logo on them.

What strategies have proved to be a waste of time and money?

Cold-calling and sending out blind emails or blind mail advertisements. We are in the business of personal connection, and we need to develop trust and relationships with our community.

Where do you go to stay current with the latest industry information and knowledge?

ASHI blog and newsletters, AHA, and ZollFire

Can you share a favorite Good Samaritan story about your students?

About a week after I taught a class at the University of Missouri, one of my students noticed someone who appeared to be choking, but the person got up from her lunch table without saying a word and went into the restroom. My student followed her into the restroom. It's a good thing, because the woman really was choking. My student was able to successfully perform abdominal thrusts!

TC Name: Coastal CPR & First Aid, LLC, Hampton, NH. www.CoastalCPR.com

Director: Gail Klanchesser

How long have you been in business? 12 years, with 5-10 years as an external, sole-proprietor ASHI TC

What is the biggest challenge for you and your business?

Administration and marketing are some of my challenges, as sometimes I am so busy teaching that I don't have enough time to work on them.

How do you market your business?

Website, online advertising, ads in local publications

Based on what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when you were starting out?

I would have set up a lot of administrative tasks differently to be more efficient.

Where do you see your business and the emergency care training industry in the next 5-10 years?

I hope to continue to grow and offer new programs.

What are some of the most common misconceptions or mistakes you have seen/heard in your career?

That CPR or first aid classes should be free. We have to purchase training materials and supplies, and we need to stay updated in our field to provide quality courses to our students.

Of your business or training investments that cost less than $500, what has given you the best return?

My website

What strategies have proved to be a waste of time and money?

Local networking groups. I'm a unique niche, but do not get a lot of referrals from these groups.

Where do you go to stay current with the latest industry information and knowledge?

AHA and HSI newsletters and blogs

Can you share a favorite Good Samaritan story about your students?

I recently had a student who was taking her third renewal with me. Her current employer didn't value CPR and first aid certification, but she did. At her previous position, her employer trained staff annually and she used her CPR skills to save a co-worker’s life. I'm thrilled that this student continues to call me every two years to renew her certification.

TC Name: ALERT CPR (Aquatic & Land Emergency Response Training), Coeur d’Alene, ID. www.ezytrainingsolutions.org

Director: Jeremy Siegler

How long have you been in business?  Over 15 years as an external ASHI TC

What is the biggest challenge for you and your business?

Administration

How do you market your business?

Website, online advertising, direct mail

Based on what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when you were starting out?

Offer flat on-site rates.

Where do you see your business and the emergency care training industry in the next 5-10 years?

Growing and evolving

What are some of the most common misconceptions or mistakes you have seen/heard in your career?

Thinking this a part-time job, and not taking into account administration, development, travel, equipment care, etc.

Of your business or training investments that cost less than $500, what has given you the best return?

CPR keychains

What strategies have proved to be a waste of time and money?

Business fairs

Where do you go to stay current with the latest industry information and knowledge?

Starguard Instructor Trainer workshops and trainings

Can you share a favorite Good Samaritan story about your students?

One month after training, one of my students saved her son who was unresponsive in the water.

We want to hear from you!

Share your wisdom with your TC peers by completing one of our 15-minute profile surveys.

If your TC provides training for individuals or organizations for a fee, click the "External TC" button. For those TCs that offer training for employees/members at no charge, choose "Internal TC."

OSHA BBP Compliance and First Aid Providers: What's the Reality? - Part 1

If you are a CPR, AED, and first aid instructor, how much do you know about the connection between the OSHA Bloodborne Standard and first aid providers?

• Does OSHA recognize first aid providers as having enough risk of exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material that their job classification needs to be covered under a company’s exposure control plan?
• If so, do they need additional training? How much?
• If they are identified at risk, is the organization they work for obligated to offer and pay for their hepatitis-B immunization series?

From a compliance perspective, everyone is aware of the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 1910.1030. The BBP Standard outlines the requirements employers need to comply with in regard to employee safety and health. If an organization needs to comply with this standard, this document is the core reference for doing so.

However, you may not be aware of a second document that is also extremely helpful. The OSHA Enforcement Procedures for the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Directive, CPL 0202-069 provides details about how OSHA enforces the BBP Standard. This document explains more about how OSHA expects workplaces to comply and provides more interpretation about unique situations.

Like first aid providers.

Does being trained as a first aid provider put you in a job classification that must be covered under an exposure control plan?

Well… maybe.

The OSHA directive directly addresses job classifications, and trained first aid providers are included:

XIII.A.2 - “Although a list is included below of a number of job classifications that may be associated with tasks that have occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials, the scope of this standard is not limited to employees in these jobs. The hazard of exposure to infectious materials affects employees in many types of employment and is not restricted to the healthcare industry. At the same time, employees in the following jobs are not automatically covered unless they have the potential for occupational exposure:”

(Included on the list that follows are “employees designated to provide emergency first aid”)

The last line is the one to pay the most attention to. What does the “potential for occupational exposure” mean? Who makes that determination?

This is a good time to talk about how compliance is addressed by the employer. When establishing an exposure control plan, it is the responsibility of the employer to define which employee job classifications have the potential for exposure. Not OSHA, not a BBP expert (although consultation is helpful), not a BBP instructor. The employer.

So, do first aid providers have the potential for exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials? At face value, the answer is yes. The control of bleeding is a fundamental first aid skill. A manufacturing business may present a higher risk than an office setting, but bleeding can potentially occur anywhere.

Here is where an employer needs to make the decision as to potential for exposure, identifying the risk of whether or not it may occur.

In some cases it is obvious that a first aid trained employee has the potential for exposure. This occurs when an employer requires a first aid trained employee to respond as part of their job, such as with emergency response teams. According to the OSHA directive:

XIII.A.3.c - “If an employee is trained in first aid and identified by the employer as responsible for rendering medical assistance as part of his/her job duties, that employee is covered by the standard.” (emphasis added)

Employers should also be careful when an employee (trained or not as a first aid provider) routinely has the potential for exposure, even if first aid treatment is not part of the employee’s job description.

XIII.A.3.c - “An employee who routinely provides first aid to fellow employees with the knowledge of the employer may also fall, de facto, under this designation even if the employer has not officially designated this employee as a first aid provider.”

Relying on the history of exposures to make a compliance decision is cautioned by OSHA:

XIII.B.6 - “The term "reasonably anticipated contact" includes the potential for contact as well as actual contact with blood or OPIM. Lack of history of blood exposures among designated first aid personnel of a particular manufacturing site, for instance, does not preclude coverage.”

Finally, there is a note in the directive that addresses cases in which an employee acts a “Good Samaritan," volunteering to help an ill or injured person in a workplace.

XIII.B.6  - “NOTE: This definition does not cover "Good Samaritan" acts (i.e. voluntarily aiding someone in one’s place of employment) that result in exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials from voluntarily assisting a fellow employee, although OSHA encourages employers to offer follow-up procedures to these employees in such cases.”

This note makes things a little less clear about compliance. Could an employer comply with the OSHA Medical and First Aid regulations by providing first aid training, without the expectation that a first aid trained provider would respond?

So… is a first aid provider covered by the OSHA BBP Standard? As stated previously, the answer appears to be “probably,” as described by the OSHA directive. However, remember it is ultimately the employer’s decision to identify whether or not an employee is covered. An employer may balance the risk of non-compliance against the difficulty and cost of additional BBP compliance, and decide not to do it.

The risk to employers for non-compliance can vary depending on how the compliance issue is identified. For example, a routine inspection could reveal employees who should be covered but are not. In many cases, the employer is simply directed to address the issue and come into compliance. However, if an investigation into a workplace medical emergency reveals that a lack of compliance contributed to a threat or damage to an employee’s health, more serious citations or penalties could occur.

As a first aid Training Center or instructor, you cannot make the decision for the employer, but you can certainly help make it a more informed decision by providing details on the costs and benefits of BBP training as part of complying with the BBP Standard.

ASHI and MEDIC First Aid can help. Our BBP training programs have been developed with first aiders in mind and can provide effective standalone training or combined training with CPR, AED, and first aid.

(Look for Part 2 of this article where we will cover OSHA’s citation policy for offering the hepatitis B vaccine series to first aid providers as part of complying with the BBP Standard.) 

HSI Can Help You or Your Customers with EHS Compliance

At HSI, we think one of the best things about being a multi-brand organization is the ability to help all our customers with all their workplace training AND compliance needs. For our internal TCs that train their own teams or external TCs who offer classes to their wider communities, did you know we can help you and your customers meet OSHA, EPA, MSHA, and DOL regulations for workplace safety and chemical management compliance?

Our workplace safety brands Summit Training Source and Vivid Learning Systems provide over 450 online courses for everything from ladder safety to fire extinguisher training to electrical safety and more. Plus, we offer OSHA 10- and 30-hour training for both general industry and construction. Entrepreneurial TCs have an extra opportunity to benefit from our EHS brand offerings by participating in our referral program. It’s as easy as adding a banner ad to your website. For more information, click here for our April, 2018 newsletter article on the program.

For GHS compliance and safety data sheet (SDS) management, our SafeTec brand makes it easy to keep your team safe and your company in compliance. Our robust online platform unlocks your SDS data, so you can perform detailed chemical searches, streamline your environmental reporting, and automate your hazard analysis process, as well as help ensure you have a complete set of SDS for all the chemicals in your facilities. For more information on SDS management, visit our website here.

To speak with an HSI representative about any of these training and compliance solutions, call us at 800-447-3177 or click here to fill out our contact form.

Stay in Touch!

We love hearing from our customers -- whenever you have a question, suggestion, or need our assistance with a program approval or Otis technical issue, we’re here for you.

There are several options for staying connected to ASHI and MEDIC First Aid:

Phone: 1-800-447-3177

Email: emergencycare@hsi.com

Website contact page: https://emergencycare.hsi.com/contact-us

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASHIandMedicFirstAid/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashimedic (@ashimedic)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/american-safety-&-health-institute/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashiandmedicfirstaid/

Note to those on social media: If you’re already following HSI, be sure to add the ASHI and MEDIC First Aid pages as well! Remember to tag your posts with #ASHICPR and #MFACPR.