Promoting safety at school: The role of first aid training

Introduction
Italian legislative decree 81/08 includes First Aid (FA) among the general measures for safeguarding workers, and FA is an item in the broader chapter of safety training. FA training raises workers’ awareness of risk, fostering a sense of responsibility and safer behavior. 
With a view to encouraging sensible lifestyles and thoughtful behavior among tomorrow’s workers, Basic Life Support and Defibrillation (BLSD) courses were organized, in collaboration with the Italian Resuscitation Council for the Community, aimed at teachers and students (17-18 years old). 

Methods
A first course of five hours (following the international ILCOR guidelines) for “BLSD operators” was aimed at teachers. This was followed by a three-hour course for “BLSD instructors”, to teach the schoolchildren the maneuvers, using self-directed equipment (MiniAnne Training Kit). Five-hour BLSD courses organized by the instructors were then run for students in their last years at school. 

Results
Between January 2010 and June 2011, 89 teachers were trained, 31 as instructors, in six schools. Four of the instructors have now trained 54 students, making a total of 143 “operators” between teachers and pupils.

Discussion
The project has given encouraging results to date. Of the four schools enrolled in the first year, three continued the courses the next year too. The schoolchildren who complete the courses receive a BLSD operator certificate that is recognized by employers. 
The project teachers actively involved their colleagues and promoted courses for the pupils. The schools that took part in the project now offer BLSD training courses, and have all purchased semiautomatic defibrillators. 
Awareness of BLSD is now part of the individual and collective “mentality” in these schools, besides being a useful means of raising consciousness about health and safety in schools.