One of the key strategies to maintaining a safe workplace and preventing fires is fire safety training. With proper training workers can eliminate fire hazards and respond quickly and efficiently if a fire breaks out.

Every workplace has its own specific fire risks, and in turn should therefore have in place its own preventative measures and carefully honed procedures in order to combat these unique threats.

But whether you work in a factory or in an office, in a garage or a care home, there are still some basic tips which everyone should follow to maintain fire safety in the workplace.

 

Here are 10 Ways to keep your workplace safe

1. Good Housekeeping. 

A clean and tidy workplace helps combat a range of different threats, and if your workplace handles a lot of flammable material this could be the difference between a minor threat and a catastrophic blaze. Whether you’re dealing with oily rags or stacks of paper filing, make sure everything is stored safely and away from naked flames.

 

2. Maintain electrical safety. 

A huge number of fires in workplace premises can be traced back to faulty wiring and electrical equipment. If your team contains someone qualified to repair electrical equipment, ensure they keep on top of any known issues. If not, book in regular inspections and PAT testing to avoid the risk of electrical fire. You should also maintain the safe operation of your site’s equipment, and prevent overheating or sparking wherever possible. Unless you are qualified and authorized, you should never attempt electrical repairs. Faulty wiring and malfunctioning electrical equipment are key contributors to workplace fires. If you notice something does not look right, immediately notify the proper person in your facility.

 

3. Accessibility. 

If there is an emergency and you need to shut down a particular machine, the last thing you want to be doing is shifting boxes or equipment out of the way before you can even get to the control panel. Keep a clear line of access and sight to any control panels within your premises, and preferably have them visibly marked to enable swift identification at a moment’s notice. Also, never block sprinklers, firefighting equipment or emergency exits and observe clearances when stacking materials.

 

4. Fire Drills and Evacuation Plan. 

Conduct fire drills at least twice a year and have a designated spot where employees will meet once they exit the building. Assign employees to be fire drill captains and make sure everyone knows what the proper procedure is. Review your plan with your local fire company to assess its effectiveness. One of the most important parts of fire safety training concerns exit procedures in the event of fire. Make fire drills a regular part of your workplace schedule, and ensure that your employees treat each one with the respect it deserves. You may also wish to appoint a dedicated fire marshal to oversee the correct observance of every fire drill, and ensure that any employees who disregard its importance are re-educated in fire safety to prevent further lapses.

 

5. Fit relevant equipment.

 Smoke alarms should be fitted throughout your building and tested at regular intervals, with their batteries replaced annually. You should also make sure that you have the right fire-fighting equipment relevant to the threats present in every room. Different types of fire require vastly different approaches in order to tackle them effectively, so as part of your fire safety training ensure that your staff not only have access to the right kind of extinguisher, but that they also know how to use them.

6. Fully Charged Fire Extinguishers. 

Check fire extinguishers often by looking at the gauges and making sure they’re fully charged and ready for use. If they’re not fully charged or if the attached tag indicates that the last inspection occurred more than a month ago, call for maintenance.  Also, encourage all workers to learn how to use a fire extinguisher and provide the proper training.

7. Maintain Fire Safety Training. 

A team of educated and observant employees is your biggest ally in achieving fire safety for the workplace. Knowing the best course of action in an emergency can help prevent major disasters and unnecessary loss of life and infrastructure, therefore it is imperative that all employees, both new and old; are retrained in your workplace’s fire safety procedures as often as possible.

 

8. Store Chemicals Safely.

Many workplaces might not feel this particular point applies to them, but flammable chemicals can be found in most workplaces. This could be in the form of printing supplies and the products stocked in your cleaner’s cupboard. Follow all documented advice which comes on both the label and any material safety data sheets you may have for these items. Make sure your employees have the proper protective equipment for handling hazardous materials.

 

9. Building security.

To help prevent arson fires, always lock up as instructed and report suspicious persons or behaviour. Never leave combustible waste outside or near your building.

10. Emergency Numbers and Proper Signage.

Emergency phone numbers, as well as your company address, should be posted by the phone station for quick access. If necessary, create additional information sheets in the native languages for your employees. Make sure you have exit signs installed in your facility. In addition to this, a fire evacuation plan in the event of an emergency.

 

 

At Ajuda, we run regular First Safety Courses at our Training Academy in Cardiff Bay, or we can come to you to deliver in house training at your premises.

 

To find about more about Fire Safety, contact us at Ajuda Training on 02920 576 883 or visit us at ajuda.org.uk

 

 

As a parent one of your biggest worries and concerns are your children. You want to make sure they are safe at all times, but, unfortunately you can’t keep them in bubble wrap and cotton wool. Accidents do happen, even around the home but as it is Child Safety Week we have some top tips. Hopefully these will help you put your mind at rest just by doing these few things to prevent a burn happening to your children at home.

 

 

Cooking

Hot cooker hobs, oven doors, kettles and saucepans are just a few of the dangers in the kitchen. Young children don’t have a reflex to pull away from something that is burning them, it’s something we learn.

Push kettles to the back of the worktop and try to use the back rings on the hob. Better still, keep children out of the kitchen when you’re cooking if you can.

 

 

Hot drinks

This is the main cause of scalds for under fives. Your hot drink can scald a baby 15 minutes after it’s been made.

Put your hot drink down well out of reach – don’t rely on young children understanding not to touch.

Put your baby down safely before you pick up your hot drink.

 

 

Hair straighteners

They can get as hot as your iron and can still burn 15 minutes after they are switched off.

Keep straighteners out of reach when you’re using them

Put them in a heat-proof pouch or on a high shelf to cool.

 

 

Bath water

Baths can cause a serious scald in just 5 seconds.

Put the cold water in first and top up with hot, in case your toddler takes a tumble into the bath.

 

Internal burns from button batteries

If swallowed, a button battery can burn through a child’s throat and lead to serious internal bleeding and even death.

Keep objects with accessible button batteries well out of young children’s reach.

Store spare batteries somewhere safe and take care when replacing batteries.

 

Fires and heaters

Babies in cots can trap arms or legs against radiators.

Children can touch or fall into fires, especially if using baby walkers.

Move cots away from radiators.

Fit fireguards around fires and heaters.

 

Paediatric First Aid

Unfortunately, burns and accidents do happen, in fact, Six toddlers are admitted to hospital every day because they’ve been badly burned.  But, we have some first aid tips for you in case you will ever need them.

 

1. Cool the burn

Do this immediately using running cool water for 10 minutes.

2. Remove jewellery and loose clothing

Do this gently and carefully, before the area starts to swell. Do not remove anything that is stuck to the burn.

For burns involving chemicals, be careful not to contaminate yourself or other areas of the body.

3. Dress the burn

Use a sterile dressing that won’t stick. Cling Film is ideal – discard the first two turns of the film and don’t wrap it tight as the area may continue to swell. Secure with a bandage.

 

Never:

• Cool the burn using ice
• Burst blisters
• Touch the burn
• Apply creams, ointments or fats
• Apply adhesive dressings
• Remove clothing that has stuck to the burn

 

If you want to know more or be trained in First Aid then we run regular courses at our Training Academy

See our course calendar here

A food allergy is when the body’s immune system reacts unusually to specific foods. Although allergic reactions are often mild, they can be very serious.

 

What causes food allergies?

Food allergies happen when the immune system – the body’s defence against infection – mistakenly treats proteins found in food as a threat.

As a result, a number of chemicals are released. It’s these chemicals that cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Almost any food can cause an allergic reaction, but there are certain foods that are responsible for most food allergies.

In children, the foods that most commonly cause an allergic reaction are:

• milk
• eggs
• peanuts
• tree nuts
• fish
• shellfish

Most children that have a food allergy will have experienced eczema during infancy. The worse the child’s eczema and the earlier it started, the more likely they are to have a food allergy.

In adults, the foods that most commonly cause an allergic reaction are:

• peanuts
• tree nuts – such as walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds and hazelnuts
• fruits – such as apples and peaches
• fish
• shellfish – such as crab, lobster and prawns

 

If you want to know more, why not book on to one of our training courses. At Ajuda we provide Food Safety Level 2 and Level 3 Food Allergens.

Find out more here or give us a call on 02920 576883

Food Allergy Awareness Week is an initiative created by FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education). The aim of this week is to raise awareness of different food allergies and improve public understanding of what can sometimes be a life-threatening condition.

The Purpose of Food Allergy Awareness Week

It calls on people to take action and make an impact, on behalf of the millions of people around the world that suffer with food allergies.

 

 

 

What are the symptoms of food allergies?

Symptoms of a food allergy can affect different areas of the body at the same time. Some common symptoms include:

• an itchy sensation inside the mouth, throat or ears
• a raised itchy red rash (urticaria, or “hives”)
• swelling of the face, around the eyes, lips, tongue and roof of the mouth (angioedema)
• vomiting

In the most serious cases, a person has a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), which can be life threatening.

If you think someone has the symptoms of anaphylaxis – such as breathing difficulties, lightheadedness, and feeling like they’re going to faint or lose consciousness – call 999.

Ask for an ambulance and tell the operator you think the person has anaphylaxis or “anaphylactic shock”.

Want to know more about Food Allergies?
We have a Food Hygiene Course taking place at Ajuda Training Academy on Wednesday 27th June and an Allergens Course taking place on Monday 9th July.
You can email admin@ajuda.org.uk to find out more or book your place.

 

We also have online training courses that you can take at any time to suit you

• Level 1 Food Safety and Hygiene for Manufacturing, Catering and Retail
• Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene for Manufacturing, Catering and Retail
• Achieving Level 5 Food Hygiene
• Allergy Awareness

Find out more here

To find out more about our online training portal please do not hesitate to get in touch. To see what other training we have to offer please clickhere.
You can get further information by contacting admin@ajuda.org.uk or 029 2057 6883. 

At Ajuda we’ve just launched an online course on social media for Business.

Being a business owner is hard work and sometimes you just don’t have the time to learn new skills when running your business. We all know social media is an important way to increase your brand awareness but where to start?

Our online courses can be take at any time during the day (or night) to suit your busy schedules.

The Internet has changed our lives both personally and commercially.

Three quarters of us in the developed world use the internet and Social media has become a serious business marketing technique with over 90% of businesses with an in‐house marketing department using social media for marketing and committing up to 20% of marketers time in that direction. So far as your social media audience in concerned, 43% of people aged 20‐29 spend more than 10 hours a week on social media sites.

The starting point in any social media activity for business is your website or microsite and your social media activities will invariably be referencing this site so the first measurement of success in your social media activity will be the traffic you’re generating for your site through social media channels.

This course is designed to assist people in business to understand how social media techniques can be used as an effective business marketing tool. The object is to provide sufficient information to enable you to develop a social media strategy for a business and implement that strategy personally or through the informed engagement of third party specialists.

How long will it take?

Duration is 100 minutes. This is based on the amount of video content shown and is rounded off. It does not account in any way for loading time or thinking time on the questions.

Is there a time limit?

There is not, therefore, you can take as long as is needed.

Can I save and come back?

Yes, that is the freedom of doing one of our online courses

How much does it cost?

The course is £149. There are discounts available when more courses are booked

Will you get an accreditation from doing the course?

You’ll be given a certificate (PDF Download) that you can print and display in your premises.

How to book on?

There is no booking required, just click here to go to our online course portal

Any other courses?

We also provide specific courses to each platform. There are individual courses for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for £90 per candidate.

Contact us

To find out more email admin@adjuda.org.uk or see all available online courses here

https://www.ajuda.org.uk/

02920 576883

 

 

You may have heard about Sepsis, the silent killer, in the news.  If you haven’t, Sepsis is a serious complication of an infection. Although Sepsis is more common than heart attacks, much less is known about the terrifying disease. Without fast treatment, Sepsis can lead to multiple organ failure and death.

Sepsis accounts for 44,000 deaths in the UK every year. Recent NHS data shows that of the 44,000 deaths each year, 14,000 were preventable. The silent killer kills more people than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined. Every year, 150,000 people in the UK develop Sepsis and costs the NHS £2.93 billion a year.

Survivors of Sepsis are often left with life changing and debilitating disabilities such as amputated limbs or brain damage.

What is Sepsis?

When the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection, Sepsis occurs. This results in inflammation, swelling and blood clots throughout the whole body. From this, the body goes into Septic Shock. Septic Shock leads to a large decrease in blood pressure which ultimately interrupts the blood supply to vital organs.

Sepsis symptoms in children under five (from the NHS)

You must go straight to A&E or call 999 if your child has any of these symptoms:

– looks mottled, bluish or pale

– is very lethargic or difficult to wake

– feels abnormally cold to touch

– is breathing very fast

– has a rash that does not fade when you press it

– has a fit or convulsion

Get medical advice urgently from NHS 111

You must urgently seek medical advice from NHS 111 if your child has any of the below symptoms, is getting worse or is sicker than you would expect. It is better to act than to not, so trust your instincts and seek medical advice urgently.

Temperature

– over 38C in babies under three months

– over 39C in babies aged three to six months

– any high temperature in a child who cannot be encouraged to show interest in anything

– low temperature (below 36C – check three times in a 10-minute period)

Breathing

– harder to breathe than normal

– making “grunting” noises with each breath

– can’t say more than a few words at once

– breathing that obviously pauses

Toilet/nappies

– not had a wee or wet nappy for 12 hours

Eating and drinking

– new baby under one month old with no interest in feeding

– not drinking for more than eight hours (when awake)

– bile-stained (green), bloody or black vomit/sick

Activity and body

– soft spot on a baby’s head is bulging

– eyes look “sunken”

– child cannot be encouraged to show interest in anything

– baby is floppy

– weak, “whining” or continuous crying in a younger child

– older child who’s confused

– not responding or very irritable

– stiff neck, especially when trying to look up and down

Sepsis symptoms in older children and adults (from the NHS)

Early symptoms of Sepsis may include:

– a high temperature (fever) or low body temperature

– chills and shivering

– a fast heartbeat

– fast breathing

In some cases, symptoms of more severe sepsis or Septic Shock (when your blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level) develop soon after.

These can include:

– feeling dizzy or faint

– a change in mental state – such as confusion or disorientation

– diarrhoea

– nausea and vomiting

– slurred speech

– severe muscle pain

– severe breathlessness

– less urine production than normal – for example, not urinating for a day

– cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin

– loss of consciousness

When should you seek medical help for suspected Sepsis?

Suspected Sepsis should not be taken lightly.

You must seek medical advice urgently from NHS 111 if you’ve recently had an infection or injury and you have possible early signs of Sepsis. If Sepsis is suspected, you’ll usually be referred to hospital for further diagnosis and treatment. Severe sepsis and septic shock are medical emergencies. If you think you or someone in your care has one of these conditions, go straight to A&E or call 999.

Who’s at risk of Sepsis?

ANYONE can develop Sepsis after a minor infection such as a UTI or an injury. However, there are some people who are more vulnerable such as, people with a medical condition that results in a weakened immune system, people who are very young or very old and people who have recently had surgery or who have injuries as a result of an accident.

To learn more about Sepsis and other medical conditions, Ajuda runs First Aid training courses every month at our training academy in Cardiff Bay. To book a space on one of our popular, life-saving training courses, please contact Daisy on admin@ ajuda.org.uk or call 029 2057 6883.

A key focus of International Women’s Day is to celebrate women’s achievements in the political, economic, and social spheres. Here at Ajuda, we firmly believe that opportunities for women should be maximised in all walks of life, and particularly in business. This would be beneficial to society as a whole, as increasing the number of women in business will bring huge economic growth – RBS calculated that ‘boosting female entrepreneurship could deliver approximately £60bn extra to the UK economy’.

 

Ajuda’s Managing Director and founder, Dawn Evans was named Female Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016 at the South Wales Business Awards. Her initial business plan was to create a business that delivered First Aid training in Cardiff. However, since she established Ajuda in 2009, it has expanded to train thousands of people, both locally and across the UK, in a variety of different courses. It is our aim to truly make a difference to safety standards in the community and upskill as many people as possible.

 

A Role Model for the Welsh Government Big Ideas Programme, Dawn strives to inspire young people to follow the path of entrepreneurship. She often delivers presentations at schools and colleges, where she shares her own experiences of founding a successful local company. This week she will be speaking at Bath University and University of South Wales helping to inspire and motivate young minds. Through her role as a business mentor for The Prince’s Trust, she has also given support and advice to young individuals who are entering into self-employment.

 

The theme of this year’s International Women’a Day campaign, #PressforProgress, encourages people to contribute to a more gender equal world. The World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report findings told us that gender parity is over 200 years away, so, with this in mind, there has never been a more important time to keep motivated in pressing for progress.

Women around the world are making positive gains each day and the global movement of advocacy is quickly growing. At Ajuda we are forever proud of our strong mentor and role model, Dawn, who will be travelling through South Africa next week doing charity work and inspiring others. We hope that today, by celebrating women in leadership roles, we can promote their visibility – giving them due credit for their success and highlighting role models for other women to be inspired by.

Paediatric first aid training was made compulsory for new nursery recruits in September 2016 after the introduction of Millie’s Law. It is now a requirement for new nursery and pre-school staff to undertake paediatric first aid training thanks to the government proposals.

These measures ensure that newly qualified staff with a childcare level 2 or 3 qualification must have emergency paediatric first aid training or a full paediatric first aid certificate.  This life-saving change will hopefully add an approximate of 15,000 trained early years professionals to our nurseries, pre-schools and child minders each year.

 

 

Millie’s Mark

Following the tragic death of their daughter Millie, parents Joanne and Dan Thompson have shown their full support to the plans. They have been campaigning for change since Millie passed away from choking at nursery in October 2012 at just 9 months old. Their important campaign culminated in an e-petition signed by over 103,000 people.

The aims of Millie’s Mark are to keep children safe and minimise risk and accidents by:

• Raising standards in paediatric first aid;

• Increasing numbers of first aid-trained staff;

• Increasing competency in applying first aid;

• Enabling staff to respond quickly in emergencies;

• Raising the quality and skills of the early years workforce and helping them with day-to-day first aid issues, such as allergies;

• Providing reassurance to parents.

Every parent wants the confidence that any person who is caring for their child has the right training should the worst happen.  First aid training really is a life-saving skill to have. Ultimately, these changes in the law could save a child’s life.

 

Level 3 Paediatric First Aid

Anyone who works with children on a professional basis – nursery staff, childminders, nannies, pre-school and after-school club staff – must have a paediatric first aid qualification. Ajuda’s Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid is designed for staff working in childcare settings; they meet legal requirements by gaining an accredited certificate, and their workplaces will be able to reassure parents that their children are being cared for by trained and knowledgeable staff.  The course gives delegates the ability to deliver first aid to infants and children in the event of unconsciousness, choking, bleeding, shock, burns, and a number of other injuries and conditions.

The Paediatric First Aid course is designed to equip candidates with the minimum knowledge and skills required to save lives in a medical emergency. This course meets the Sure Start requirements for staff training and also that of the Appointed Person, it is ideal for nursery nurses, crèche staff and anyone who is responsible for the care of young children.

Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes

• Incident management & safety
• Basic life support baby & child
• Unconscious patient
• Control of bleeding & shock
• Burns & scalds
• Diabetes, epilepsy, asthma
• Choking
• Stings & bites
• Infantile convulsions
• Head injuries
• Croup
• First aid kits
• Eye injury
• Poisons
• Meningitis
• Record keeping

For more information about our paediatric first aid training, please contact us on 029 2057 6883 or email admin@ ajuda.org.uk

If you’ve done your first aid training with Ajuda, we’d love to know what you thought! Tweet us or review us on facebook.

Are you interested in becoming a trainer?

There are many great reasons to become a trainer. As a trainer, you can be a part of teaching people life-changing skills such as performing CPR and using a defibrillator. You will be sharing valuable knowledge with people that they will take with them into their everyday life. If flexible working is also something you require, becoming a trainer is a fantastic way of achieving this.

Teachers and trainers play an important role within society and can have a large impact on the lives of those that they teach. This makes teaching and training an extremely worthwhile career.

Next month Ajuda will be running 2 training courses that will assist you in becoming a trainer.

First Aid Train the Trainer

The First Aid Train the Trainer course is specific training to aid you in becoming a first aid trainer and will give you the tools required to do this effectively. Becoming a first aid trainer is an accessible career route. If you are aiming to be a first aid trainer within the workplace at an unaccredited level, you will only need the Level 3 First Aid at Work and the First Aid Train the Trainer qualifications. However, to teach at an accredited level you will need either a PGCE qualification or the Level 3 Education and Training qualification.

The course will cover:

– 4MAT system of education

– First aid subject workshops

– First aid changes by the European Resuscitation Council

– First Aid at Work 3 day course delivery, assessment and administration

– First Aid at Work 2 day refresher delivery, assessment and administration

– Emergency First Aid delivery, assessment and administration

– Course equipment and resource requirements

Dates: 5^th – 7^th March

Time: 9:30-4:30

Location: 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay

Cost: £395+VAT

Level 3 Education and Training

The Education and Training qualification on the other hand, is not limited to first aid alone. Formerly known as PTLLS, the Award in Education and Training is a short course that is designed to enable a wide range of students to undertake teaching, training or other learning tasks relevant to their own training or teaching situation. The Level 3 Award in Education and Training is an important qualification for anyone working in or interested in working in teaching. It is suitable for those already in education, who want to gain formal recognition of their skills, and for those with no teaching experience at all. It is recommended for all teachers new to the sector, whether in further education, adult and community learning, work-based learning or other parts of the learning and skills sector.

The course will cover:

– Understanding the roles, responsibilities and relationships in education and training.

– Understanding and using inclusive teaching and learning approaches in education and training.

– Understanding assessment in education and training.

Dates: 21^st, 22^nd, 26^th, 27^th March & 3rd April

Time: 9:30 – 4:30

Location: 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay

Cost: £525+VAT

For more information on becoming a trainer, about what the courses listed above cover, or, to book a space please contact us on admin@ ajuda.org.uk or call 029 2057 6883.