WorkSafe BC Occupational First Aid

For our last Pro-D a group of teachers renewed their WorkSafe BC Occupational First Aid Level 1 Course.   Although I was pleased with the amount of role-playing we got to do and the competency of our instructor, I was extremely disappointed with how WorkSafe BC chose to present the content in text-rich PowerPoint slides.  The training guide that we got to take home with us was essentially the same thing, list after list of procedures with only a couple of images and diagrams.  The instructor did a fabulous job of explaining the procedures and demonstrating the scenario’s to us; however, the experience could have been greatly enhanced with some short video clips and simulations.  Also, it had been three years since I had last renewed it, and although this was my fifth time taking the course, I still felt pretty rusty. Since last Friday, I’ve also found myself wondering about other more job-specific scenarios that we did not directly address in the course. Perhaps there is a need for an online program where ticketed first aiders could brush up on their skills. It could run first aiders through common workplace scenarios and have them decide what actions they would take to help the victim(s). It could actually be designed similarly to the ladder game and would be intended as a supplement to the course, not as a replacement.  In addition, it could provide new candidates with an introduction to the first aid course. We had a few newbies in our class, and although they passed the test, they had been feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the terminology and procedures. Perhaps new first aiders could be given a link to an optional online orientation task before taking the course.