London Bomb Sparks "ICE" campaign

Following the appalling recent terrorist atrocities in London, East Anglian Ambulance Service has launched a national campaign called "ICE" - an acronym for "In Case of Emergency". It's being supported by Falklands Veteran Simon Weston.

Store the word "ICE" in your mobile phone address book and enter the number of the person that you want to be contacted in the case of an emergency.

• In an emergency situation both ambulance and hospital staff will be able to cotnact your next of kin quickly and easily.
• It's such a simple idea; we believe EVERYBODY should do it.
• Don't wait. Do it today. 
• For more than one cotnact name use ICE 1, ICE 2, ICE 3 etc

Change to the Fire Safety Legislation - DVD Explains All

As you may now be aware, changes to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order are expected to come into effect by the autumn of this year - that's any time NOW!

The changes mean that the burden of proof for fire safety provision will be the responsibility of the person accountable for the premises and not the enforcement authorities. Any person or organisation not complying with the Order could be fined and face penalties consistent with health and safety legislation.

There is a perfect solution for ensuring you are complying with the new changes ~ Fire Risk Assessment ~ The Facts on DVD. For only £129 when ordering by phone (a saving of over £12 off the normal RRP), this new release will guide you through the complex process of conducting Fire Risk Assessments.

To order this new DVD, call 01244 342133 and we will despatch the DVD to you immediately. Why not check out all of our other products in the Fire Safety range (including DVDs, Videos and Posters) by visiting our shop and train your employees in the essentials of Fire Safety awareness in the workplace. Please state which Licensed Centre you completed your training with: Achievable Training, Crucial Training, Fast Forward, Mere Hall, OPTIMUM Flintshire, Renshaw Associates, TDP Training, Preston & Lancs, SIASS (Chester), or a Groundwork centre.

First Aiders Could Also Be Responsible for Preventing Accidents

A possible ~secondary~ benefit of first-aid training is the prevention of accidents,~ states Mark Woods, PhD, Medical Science Unit, HSE.

As long ago as 1938, an American engineer with responsibility for safety in mines, stated: ~ The secondary effect from first-aid training has been quite apparent in reducing both the number and the severity of accidents, with the result that additional large financial savings have been made. First-aid training in addition to being an emergency measure, becomes a means of accident prevention as well.

Research by McKenna and Hale reported the results of studies at two large UK factories. Combined data from both sites reviewed a group of 98 volunteers that had undertaken a four-hour first aid course and compared them with a control group of 98 workers who had no training. Evaluation of surgery attendance records and interviews were carried out before and after first aid training. Volunteers for training initially had a significantly higher reported accident injury frequency than untrained workers, but after training there was no difference between the groups. Overall, the number of injuries reported by volunteers decreased after training, while that of the control group increased.

Key points from the research:

• First Aiders may play a role in the prevention of accidents and contribute to improving health and safety in the workplace
• First aid training appears to increase awareness of injuries and their consequences, and improves health and safety behaviour.
• It has been suggested that first-aiders may indirectly impact on health and safety by passing relevant information on to others, such as work colleagues, or by influencing the safety of their environment.
• First Aiders could play a more proactive role in helping to improve health and safety in the workplace.

So there is more value to be had in training your people in First Aid. For information on courses or comment on this article please call 0800 594 2134.

Licensed Centres Continue to Grow

OPTIMUM clients now have access to even more centres offering the award winning OPTIMUM portfolio of courses.

In the past few months, two new centres now offer OPTIMUM First Aid courses. TDP Training in Monmouth, South Wales is headed by Russell Light, and Wayne Renshaw Associates in Staffordshire is lead by Wayne Renshaw himself.

Russell will be focusing on clients in the South West and running open courses in Bristol, Cardiff and Newport.

Wayne will be focusing on clients in the Midlands and delivering open courses in Birmingham, Stafford and Stoke.

New venues and dates in these areas will be announced shortly. Please visit www.optimum-training.com for the most recent additions.

There are now ten OPTIMUM licensed centres in over 17 locations, as follows: Birkenhead, Birmingham, Bolton, Bristol, Buxton, Cardif, Chester, Crewe, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newport, North Wales, Oldham, Stafford, South Wales and Stoke.

There are new centres under negotiation and due for completion by the end of 2005. These will be in the following areas: Glasgow, York, Luton, Middlesex.

If you would like to know more about the new centres or are interested in owning and operating a centre, please contact our offices on 0800 594 2134 or visit us online at www.optimum-training.com

Real Life Stories

Michelle Otway, a nursery nurse attended the OPTIMUM First Aid for Childcarers© course back in October 2004 and only days after was able to put her skills into practice.

It was a bright Sunday afternoon when Michelle was with her husband and family driving down a narrow country lane near Ludlow, when the car coming towards them flashed their headlights. As they cautiously continued along the road they came across an accident involving a motorcyclist who had taken the corner too widely and collided with a car. The motorcyclist was unconscious and a child in the car had an open fracture to the wrist. Another passenger had a scalp injury. All of the passengers in the car were in shock.

Michelle successfully applied her skills and knowledge until the ambulance arrived and was praised for her actions. She informed us that she continued on her journey and when she arrived home, she became upset, “My husband was amazed at how well I was able to handle to situation and kept praising me on the journey home. I even surprised myself! It took him by surprise when I suddenly became upset at home - it just seemed to hit me in the face when I sat down at home and I just burst into tears!”

She called our Critical Incident Line the following morning to discuss what had happened. It’s not unusual for First Aiders to react like this; it can be something of a shock to you… First Aiders are human after all! The main point to remember is that once you have the knowledge and skills and are faced with a first aid situation then you are likely to respond instinctively and deal with the situation. Afterwards, when you have time to think about it, you may become distressed. Our advisors on the Critical Incident Line have all dealt with major traumatic events and can help you to overcome any distress or fears that later occur. Michelle now understands what and why she reacted as she did and this has resulted in her being more confident in her own abilities as a first aider and tells us that she will always stop to help in any future emergency situation. Well done Michelle – you are an outstanding OPTIMUM First Aider!

Elaine O'Connor, attended an OPTIMUM First Aid course in April 05. Only one week after the course she was on her way home when she walked around the corner to find herself face to face with an accident. A lady was lying on the road, suffering from head injuries, and choking on blood in her mouth. She was the victim of a hit and run accident. Her husband, who did not know what to do, was with the casualty.

Elaine took control of the situation, asked the casualty’s husband for his wife’s name and Elaine used her own poncho to keep the casualty warm. Elaine said she just kept talking to the casualty until an ambulance arrived.

Elaine later discovered that the woman had died in hospital. May she rest in peace. Our sympathy goes out to her family. Elaine was clearly upset by the accident and called the OPTIMUM Critical Incident Line for clarification. Like most people dealing with a traumatic incident for the first time, Elaine wanted clarification on her actions. Did she “do the right thing?”, which is what most First Aiders ask themselves after a dealing with a traumatic event. As we said to Elaine, she did the best she could with the resources she had available. Sometimes there is little we, as First Aiders, can do except reassure the casualty and treat for Shock. What is true is that Elaine made this woman’s final few hours of life a lot less traumatic than it might otherwise have been. The woman saw Elaine looking after both her and her husband. Having spoken to one of our advisors on the Critical Incident Line, Elaine now feels far more comfortable about her skills and that she had done as much as she could to help the casualty. She says, “I’m amazed that I just seemed to know what to do. It just came to me.”

Just like riding a bike! If you haven’t ridden a bike in years, and you tried to ride one, you may find yourself to be a bit wobbly at first, but never forget.

Elaine wins our OPTIMUM FIRST AIDER OF THE YEAR AWARD. Congratulations Elaine! A brand new, fully stocked Childcare First Aid Kit is on its way to you, along with your certificate.

Nursery Staff on a Sticky Wicket after Baby Death

“A must have for energetic infants” states the advert for a baby bouncer displayed on a leading supermarket’s website (10th June 2005).

But BE WARNED, baby bouncers can be dangerous. Unfortunately three women have been charged with manslaughter following the death of a seven-month-old baby boy as a result of using a similar product.

Cameron Lindsay, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, died of asphyxiation on 30th March 2004, following an incident that occurred the previous day at Bromsgrove’s Sticky Fingers Nursery. The Nursery has since closed.

An inquest heard that Nursery staff found Cameron with his head wedged between the seat and the hood of the bouncer. The trial continues.

The Child Accident Prevention Trust believes these items to be dangerous and should not be used, including baby walkers. This is especially important to those who are caring for other people’s children.

If you have any querires relating to any aspect of First Aid phone OPTIMUM on 0800 5942134.

Hope and Homes for Children Trek a Success

As many clients will be aware, our Managing Director, Amanda Clarke, recently undertook a trip to Peru in order to raise vital funds for our adopted charity "Hope and Homes for Children".

In 2001 Amanda & her husband Paul, both trekked to Everest Base Camp in support of this charity. Since then they have heard amazing stories about the incredible transformations achieved by the work of this charity.

So far (at the time of printing) the total amount raised for the Peru trek is £3970. OPTIMUM sponsored the trip and has pledged to match every £1 raised, which means we have almost £8000. We hope to raise £14,000, which will go directly to the Bihor County Project detailed below.

The charity was founded by Mark and Caroline Cook in 1994, following Mark's work with the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Balkans and against the backdrop of one million children growing up in state institutions in Eastern Europe in fear, poverty and unhappiness. The charity's mission is to give hope to the poorest children in the world - those who are orphaned, abandoned or vulnerable - by enabling them to grow up in the love and support of a family unit and the security of a home.

To raise more vital funds for a project in Romania, which will secure the closure of the last remaining children's state institution in the Bihor County, the trip included a trek to the ancient ruins of Macchu Picchu. As a result Amanda and Paul have created a book named "A Journey Through Peru" which contains insights into Peru and its culture along with colourful images of sights encountered during the Journey from Puno (on the Eastern Border with Bolivia) to the Inca Trail and Macchu Picchu. Martin Bell, ex-BBC Correspondent, supporter of the charity and UNICEF ambassador, has written the Foreword.

This limited edition document is available to just 50 people who donate in excess of £50. There are also 50 books, personally signed by Martin Bell and these are available to all those donating £100 or more.

An e-book version will be available on the website very soon. Keep an eye on www.optimum-training.com for more information.

To find out more about the charity visit www.hopeandhomes.org. When contacting the charity, please mention this publication.

Amanda would like to thank all our supporters for the donations contributed to date. She is committed to continue raising funds for this project until its completion.