First aid for divers

[Alex Liddon]

Hi

Ive recently completed the RYA first aid course.

The Syllabus covered resucitation, control of bleeding, treatment of an unconscious casualty and the recognition and treatment of hypothermia.

Does anyone know if this is an exceptable alternative for the BSAC First aid for divers SDC?

[Gareth]

It is unlikely that the RYA would be seen as equivelent to the First Aid for Divers course.

All general first aid courses contain the same core material. So on the face of it the RYA course & the BSAC course are the same.

However, Part of the BSAC course is based around injuries likely to happen to divers. More relevently, using diving equipment, or equipment to hand on a diving boat for the treatment & stabilisation of casualties. They are therefore not equivelent courses.

I have over the years done a number of different first aid courses. These include first aid courses for work, first aid for divers, rescue first aid, Emergency First Response, O2 Admin etc.

The basics are always the same. Some are more advanced than others, using more specialised equipment or different first aid equipment. But they all teach you something new or a different approach. More relevently, there is nothing like practice & revision for first aid skills.

I would suggest if you want the first aid for divers endorsement, you give it 6 - 12 months then sign up. The revision will be relevent then!

Gareth

[Alan Ewart]

Hi

Ive recently completed the RYA first aid course.

The Syllabus covered resucitation, control of bleeding, treatment of an unconscious casualty and the recognition and treatment of hypothermia.

Does anyone know if this is an exceptable alternative for the BSAC First aid for divers SDC?


Here is the basis of your answer http://www.bsac.org/techserv/A5.pdf

[JamesW]

Speak to Mike Clack at HQ.
Thanks

[JamesW]

We got to remember its First Aid so how many ways is it to do First Aid.
What specialised equipment do we use in First Aid ??
With regards to Advance First Aid are we covered by the Good Samaritan law with this ??.
Thanks

[Alex Liddon]

Thanks guys

Ive sent an email to BSAC HQ anyway.

Will wait and see

[Gordon]

My understanding of the good samaritan bit is that if you are a designated first aider, the good samaritan rule does not apply.
If you happen to see an incident and go and help as someone that might be able to do something youre covered by the good samaritan bit.

[JamesW]

That only covers the FAW
The situation may also be slightly different if the casualty is a work colleague of a work place first-aider. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the subsequent Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, an employer is under a statutory duty to provide first-aiders in the work place for the benefit of his employees. These first-aiders must undergo training to an approved standard in a specified list of competencies. As such, an individual who takes on this role as part of his job description could be argued to owe a duty of care to his fellow employees to render first aid.

As it stands only the First Aid at Work course is the only HSE approved course so I would say that the good samaritan act would stand. When they change the standards next year then the appointed persons has to be First Aid trained through a HSE approved training centre.
As long as you act in good faith & and act as a prudent person would, only provide care that is within the scope of your training and never be reckless or negligent, you should be ok. With what we call Advance First Aid when would we stop in giving treatment.(before or after we started intubation)
Thanks