Matters of the heart for AJE staff
An issue close to a staff member’s heart as led to over half the staff at AJ Engineering being trained in basic first aid and in how to use the in-house defibrillator.
The idea of getting his colleagues trained up came from Project Support Manager Simon Hutchins who himself has experienced open heart surgery and whose wife, last October suffered a sudden heart attack.
The workshop was carried out by The Sand Piper Trust whose mission is save lives across Scotland, particularly in rural areas by giving the people the right skills to do so.
Survival rates
Simon explained why it was important to ensure the majority of staff knows how to use the equipment: “There are a few defibrillators dotted all over Forres and a wee while back AJ Engineering bought a defibrillator as it seemed like a logical step to have one on site as the quicker we can react to a heart attack the better your chances are of surviving one.
“However, although myself and other members of the team have first aid training, we felt it would be good to have a training session for the development of as many staff as possible, to better the opportunity if the worst was to happen. Lee Binks, our development manager had recently found out about The Sandpiper Trust so suggested them.”
Simon added: “The training was great and although the defibrillators are relatively easy to use, having someone from The Sand Piper Trust there to explain everything and give hands-on experience has really boosted the confidence of everyone.
“I have always had a vested interest in the heart as a few years ago I had open heart surgery to remedy an issue I was born with and recently my wife had a sudden heart attack. Luckily, we caught it in time and after some minor surgery she is well on the way to making a full recover, however it was a real eye opener that we are all vulnerable to such sudden unexplained attacks.”
