A training session on first aid practices is aiming to provide safer environments for Seychellois in the workplace.

The three-day workshop, organised by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, is teaching first aid skills, such as CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), used to treat injuries and health problems.

Three facilitators have been brought in via the health ministry to conduct the workshop.  Participants consist of employees from a number of private and public institutions, including banks, building contractors and government ministries.

“Having first aid skills can mean the difference between the life and death of a loved one,” said Kevin Aglae, director of operational health and safety inspection services for the social affairs ministry.

A law passed in 1991 states that every workplace must have a proper first aid kit, along with a suitable number of employees qualified to administer first aid.

However, Mr Aglae said that with operational accidents across different industries increasing in Seychelles – 125 cases, including one fatality, were reported to the ministry last year – the need for close-at-hand first aid is much more apparent.

“It is quite alarming in a small country like ours,” he said.

According to Mr Aglae, co-operation between various stakeholders in organising the session has been instrumental, with the Seychelles Federation of Workers Union and the health ministry playing a prominent role.

Participants who successfully complete the training session by passing both a practical and theoretical examination will earn a certificate officially qualifying them to administer first aid. 

The certificate will be valid for two years, after which a refresher course is required.

The successful participants will be presented with their certificates in a ceremony during this year’s Safety Week on October 3.

First aid workshops are also planned for Praslin and La Digue.

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