Agriculture is one of the major industries in Northern Ireland employing upwards of fifty thousand people, including farmers and many of their family members. 

Yvonne McConnell, trainer for Global Horizon Skills, stated:

“Potential hazards in farming are many. People may be working with livestock, dangerous machinery, chemicals, poisons, heavy vehicles and in some cases firearms.  They face many serious risks on a daily basis such as, overturning tractors or quads, limbs crushed or amputated by machinery, being trampled by livestock, catastrophic bleed from a chainsaw accident, falls from height, impaled on a tractor prong or exposure to poisonous gases coming from slurry pits“

“Many farms are in remote locations, so in the event of a medical emergency the emergency services can take longer to arrive at the scene, sometimes considerably longer.  Also many farms are family run businesses and if an accident does happen, it is likely to involve family members possibly including small children.”

These two-hour programmes are currently available online, easily accessible by all the family from home, or face-to-face. We would also be delighted to hear from groups interested in having this training delivered at their venue. Eligible participants completing the training will also be provided with a First Aid kit. 

So why is this course important? The first few seconds and minutes can make all the difference when it comes to saving a life. The basic knowledge of first aid skills that the Farm Family programme provides could be the difference between life and death.  Knowledge is key and the programme provides you with the tools to be effective in an emergency on the farm. All attending families on the course will receive a free First Aid Kit.

The course is delivered by highly qualified and experienced trainers from Global Horizon Skills who will be able to answer any queries that you may have. 

Some important tips to remember, that will help in an emergency:

    1. Always carry a foil blanket in your pocket. This is the first guard against preventing shock. Shock can kill. These lifesaving blankets are very compact and easy to carry. 
    2. Remember in a serious accident children will deteriorate rapidly because they cannot store oxygen to the same levels as adults.  So if the heart stops they must get five rescue breathes before we commence CPR. 
    3. In the case of an amputated limb, the detached part must not come into direct contact with ice or water. Instead place inside a clean plastic bag according to the size of the amputation and once the limb has been sealed then it can be placed beside something cold.
    4. When working remotely download a tracking app onto your phone so you can be easily found by emergency services in the event of an accident e.g. What3Words
    5. Always make sure a suitable first aid kit is accessible and fully stocked.

Using a scenario based approach, the course provides training on many aspects of first aid including:

·         Scene Management

·         Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

·         Using a defibrillator

·         Recognising and managing shock

·         Stemming catastrophic bleeds

·         Dressing wounds

·         Dealing with amputations

·         How to deal with neck and back injuries

·         Dealing with head trauma

·         Dealing with chest injuries

·         How to assess a non-responsive casualty

·         Emergency medical equipment (including equipment useful for lone workers hemostatic dressings  and tourniquets)

·         How to give accurate information to the emergency services

·         How to prepare a specialized first aid kit for hazardous environments

The course has proved to be very popular and successful over the last few years with many glowing testimonials from participants, including examples of people being able to save a life. You could too, so book today and feel more prepared. 

Booking for this free course is now open, with sessions available on 17th Feb, 28th Feb, and 24th March 2022 www.ghskills.com/events

Notes:

Farm Family Key Skills courses are an important element of the Rural Development Programme.  The FFKS programme is part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).

FFKS first aid awareness training is free to farm families and farm workers and is delivered by CAFRE’s training partners, Global Horizon Skills Ltd. 

Dates and times of the training sessions can be found on the CAFRE website at:

https://www.cafre.ac.uk/business-courses/first-aid-awareness/

To find out more, please contact Colette on Tel: 028 822 50544 or email Colette or Catherine on: colette@ghskills.com or catherine@ghskills.com