Noosa First Aid offer a range of First Aid Charts that are FREE for you to download. Our charts cover a variety of situations that could occur in your home or office, including: CPR (resuscitation) Anaphylaxis Asthma Burns Choking Snake and spider bite If you work in a school or childcare centre, we even have a ‘Nut Free Zone’ chart you can display in your centre. Help get your workplace prepared for a First Aid response and display these charts in a common area. Hopefully you won’t need to ...

Your mother was right! When was the last time you washed your hands?  Flu season is here with all its associated sneezes and coughs.  Did you know that influenza is transmitted through coughs, sneezes and contaminated objects such as supermarket trolleys and work surfaces?  In everyday situations you should try to minimise the risk of transmission of infection to yourself and others by following standard precaution procedures to ensure a basic level of infection control.  Let’s revisit some ...

Lisa from our first aid sunshine coast office states that Cardio-Pulmonary-Resuscitation (CPR) can be life-saving and increases the person’s chances of survival if started soon after the heart has stopped beating. If no CPR is performed, it only takes three to four minutes for the person to become brain dead due to a lack of oxygen. The quality of the compressions is vital in maximise the potential outcome. Quality is important and is vital in buying time before a defibrillator is applied. C...

Stroke is the common term used to describe a CVA or Cerebral Vascular Accident.  A stroke is usually a blood clot or bleed in the brain leading to a variety of symptoms including weakness, paralysis, speech disorders and decrease of consciousness. Strokes most commonly occur in elderly people with a history of high blood pressure but may also occur in younger people.  Certain cardiac abnormalities can also lead to a stroke, either by causing a fall in blood pressure to the brain or dislodgin...

What is the best way to treat a nose bleed?  Do you lean the person forward and apply pressure below the bridge?  Do you use ice? What if the nose bleed continues? There are several reasons a nose may bleed on frequent occasions:  It can be as a result of a thin membrane contained within the nose and if so, this needs medical intervention It may also be due to insufficient pressure being applied by the first aider to the nose It may be that sufficient pressure is being applied by the first a...

  WORKPLACE SAFETY AND THE LAW: 11 THINGS EVERY SMALL BUSINESS SHOULD KNOW  Operating a small business is hard work, but that doesn’t mean safety has to be. Here are 11 things you can do that will help your business comply with work health and safety regulations and keep your team safe.  1.     Make sure you have a  workers compensation policy  if you need one – ie if you employ workers on a full-time, part-time or casual basis and pay more than $7500 in annual wages. 2.     Make time to  ta...

What do you do if you see someone clutching their throat, gagging?  Do you slap them on the back? Perform the Heimlich manoeuvre?  Do you get them to cough? The symptoms and signs of choking will depend on the cause and severity of the obstruction.  Airway obstruction may be gradual or sudden in onset and may lead to complete obstruction within a few seconds.  As a result the victim should be observed continually. A casualty who has inhaled a foreign body may be extremely anxious, agitated, ...

Last week we had some visitors stay from South of the border, escaping the colder weather to experience our Sunshine Coast paradise. As it was a quick trip they wanted to find out the best things to do in Noosa. We had a rare weekend off delivering First Aid Courses so we encouraged them to do the following; 1. Go for a walk in Noosa’s National Park Located at the eastern end of Main Beach and just off Hastings Street, the National Park has walks for every fitness type. If you’re feeling par...

With the current flu epidemic on the Gold Coast it is important now more than ever to stay healthy and steer clear of those people who are suffering from Colds and Flu symptoms. However what happens if you are the one treating those people with flu like symptoms. After completing some research online as to Why Doctors and Nurses do not get sick here are some good reasons on how you can avoid Colds and Flu this Sunshine Coast winter season Rethink that extra drink.  You don't have to skip tha...

What's the world coming to? Are we as first aiders worried about been sued. Well it's a question often asked at first aid classes. In fact, it's often the first question a first aider wants to know.   One of the most talked about subjects in first aid circles is litigation. Can I be sued? This article is not intended to be definitive legal advice as each case will always depend on the facts of the matter.   There is a distinction between being sued and being liable. Being sued is the actual ...