Due to demand we have added another couple of dates to our Essex based  "First Aid for Child Care Practitioners" courses.

22 & 29 November - Rayleigh

24 & 25 November- Rayleigh.

21 & 28 January 2009- Brentwood

21 & 28 February- Harlow

7 & 14 March- Braintree & Chelmsford

21 & 28 March- Rayleigh

As always call the office on 0870 740 9247 or email info@ertuk.co.uk for information or to book.

Another year, another go-karting race, but not another trophy for Kevin!

Being out on the road running our safety training courses can be a bit lonely- we get to meet lots of nice people, but its new people every week. So whenever we have a staff training day we try and do some bonding!

Having covered what's new in ERT and in the industry [the forthcoming changes in First Aid courses causing some excitement] it was off to our local go-karting track for the afternoon. Having been twice before, with Kevin carrying off the winner's trophy both times, it was time for a change. A different event, combined with a little cheating creative driving means it is with great pleasure I announce our current champion..... Paul.

Finally a competition, spot the sore loser in the photo above, answers on an email to the usual address.

With the summer holidays firmly behind us we're now looking towards Christmas! With this in mind new dates have been set for our First Aid For Child Care Practitioners course [formerly First Aid for Child Carers].

Working with the NCMA Essex we have set up the following courses, call our office on 0870 7402947 or info@ertuk.co.uk to book your space:

20 & 27 September @ Rayleigh

27 September & 4 October @ Colchester

11 & 18 October @ Benfleet

11 & 18 October @ Basildon

18 & 25 October @ Rayleigh

25 October & 1 November @ Epping

8 & 15 November @ Maldon

6 & 13 December @ Tendering

We are already planning [and taking bookings] for course till Easter 2009. Venues include: Brentwood; Harlow; Braintree & Rochford. Call the office on 0870 740 9247 for details.

Emergency Response Training is happy to announce a new series of our popular "First Aid for Child Carers" course.

Working with the NCMA Essex we are aiming to make this required course as accessible as possible for childminders in Essex. Therefore over the summer we are running courses at:

Harlow & Colchester: 26th July + 2nd August

Chelmsford, Braintree, Tendering & Benfleet: 9th + 16th August

Epping, Basildon, Maldon & Brentwood: 23rd + 30th August

Make sure you mention this blog or the order code AH54 to receive a discounted rate.

This course is aimed at anyone working with children and may help schools meet the new requirements for reception classes. Contact the office for more details.

We are delighted to announce that Southend Surestart have once again choosen Emergency Response Training to run its First Aid for Child Carers courses.

For the fifth year running we will be providing our 12 hour programme aimed at those working with children in various settings. More detail on the course can be found here, or contact our office on 0870 740 9247 to discuss your particular needs.

As reported here there have been various statements issued related to "hands only CPR". The American Heart Association have advocated a move to "hands only" CPR dropping the need for nouth to mouth, but the European Resuscitation Council believes there isn't sufficient evidence to warrant a change.

The UK Resuscitation Council have pinned their colours to the mast here, and also believe the evidence isn't compelling enough to require a change before the 2010 congress.

Therefore the current UK and European guidelines can be found here or you can watch a video here.

In first aid trainng CPR is the area of most change and probably most research. The Amercian Heart Association issued on 31st March 2008 new guidelines aimed at the layperson. Details can be found here, but essentially a bystander witnessing a sudden collapse in an adult is recommended to only perform chest compressions.

This has lead to the European Resuscitation council issuing its own statement not altering its existing advice, click here for a PDF version. So for us as a UK based training company, until told otherwise its still 30 compressions followed by 2 ventilations.

If a rescuer is unwilling or unable to perform ventilations "hands only" CPR would be better than no CPR.

A GP has developed a way to find up to 500,000 people with potential diabetes who risk being overlooked by their doctors.

To find out more click here

The Nintendo Wii games console is being used as part of physiotherapy treatment for patients in South-East England. 

To read in full click here

Would you know what to do if a child stops breathing?

Why not make sure you do with our "Child First Aid" short course, held at our Rayleigh Training Centre on the following dates:

21 Feb, 10 March, 10 April, 12 May, 5 June, 7 July, 15 Sept, 13 Oct & 10 Nov - from 1.00pm to 2.30pm. 

Call 0870 7409247 or email info@ertuk.co.uk to reserve your place - cost £10.00 per delegate.

Errr, its us!

Emergency Response Training was recently awarded " Best Health and Safety training" by Business and Commerce Today.

In winning the 2007 Health and Safety training award we are pleased at the recognition for our training methods and style. Emergency Response Training was also commended on its "responsible, ethical organisation".

Thank you and we look forward to the 2008 awards!

The HSE has released further information on the future of workplace first aid training. Employer's will need to carry out an assessment of their first aid training needs and then select one of two courses.

The First Aid at Work (FAW) course will be 18 hours (3 days) long with a shorter Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) lasting 6 hours available. Both courses (if successfully completed) will lead to a qualification valid for three years, with a yearly update course (4 hour) required. In year 3 the FAW can be refreshed with a 12 hour course, the EFAW by re-attending the 6 hour course.

For the time being the HSE will continue to approve organisations to run FAW courses, this giving automatice approval for EFAW and refresher training. Other ogranisations such as the QCA or SQA may also develop approvals for EFAW training.

For the full details click here to visit the HSE website. A further update with for Scottish readers can be found here.

Emergency Response Training is proud to announce the official launch of its Tactical Care Officer course range. Having run bespoke training for Police Firearms staff we can now offer a "complete" training package.

Designed to reflect the current requirements for Police medics in this demanding role, the course focuses on the practical application of  basic and advanced life saving skills.

For more detail contact the office on 0870 740 9247 and ask for Alistair or Nicky.

Much has been made in the media recently about people wasting time, especially at work on sights such as Youtube.

Well we are glad people do- our  channel has recently broken the 61,000 viewers barrier. The great bit is that many of them have got in touch, some with strange requests or links, but some with genuine, positive feedback.

Training courses, medical emergencies, fires and mutlimedia broadcasting- its all in a days work of Barry.

Still at Lakeside for the darts, when an extra special referee was needed for an extra special match, it was obvious it would be Barry.

Scott Mills, the relatively popular DJ from BBC Radio 1, played a match against Bobby George on Thursday. It would seem Barry wasn't worked too hard to add up Scott's score!

For more detail- visit the BBC website.

Just a quick, and belated, congratulations to Claire who recently graduated from Greenwich University with her Certificate of Education. After two years of hard study, assessments and assignments, all on top of her day job, it is great to see Claire receive this official recognition of her teaching skills.

Well done you.

If you're been watching the darts on TV this week you may have heard a familiar voice. Barry is there scoring, the matches that is. To keep up with whats going on check here.

For a quick reminder of what Barry looks like try here, he's the one being put in the Recovery Position.

A lady used a pair of wet knickers to douse a fire in her house. The full story can be found here.

Another option for fires such as oils would be a foam fire extinguisher.

To all our blog viewers!

Some people may be genetically destined to have a generous personality, Israeli research has suggested!

Click here to read more!

Scientists believe they have located a new brain area essential for good memory - the "irrelevance filter".

To view article click here

A toy that allows children aged 3-6 to exercise while playing on a computer is being tipped as a Christmas bestseller. Users pedal the stationary Smart Cycle while following routes on screen. Dr Colin Waine, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, based in Nottingham, said: “Obesity in children has reached epidemic proportions . . . doctors are worried that type2 diabetes, previously associated with adults, is rising in our children. It was only a matter of time before manufacturers wove calorie burning into toys.

Mice carrying a gene which appears to make them invulnerable to cancer may hold the key to safer and more effective treatments for humans. University of Kentucky researchers said " a human cancer treatment was possible".

To read the full article click here

With the party season upon us, we thought you may be interested to read a few pointers on how to avoid that morning after feeling!

Before you go out
Eat a good fatty meal
Drink a glass of milk