Construction Employee’s Experiences of Being Involved as a Layperson First-Aid Provider in a Serious Workplace Injury Event A Qualitative Study
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Abstract
Background: Workplace-related serious injury events are a recognized problem in Europe, with construction sites bearing a higher risk compared to other workplaces. Sweden reports approximately 1,000 serious injury per year. Layperson involvement in workplace injury events can be stressful and may impact their ability to respond effectively. There is a knowledge gap concerning how workers in this context perceived their role.
Aim: To describe Swedish construction employees’ experiences of being involved as a layperson first aid provider in a serious workplace injury event.
Method: A total of nine construction employees were interviewed. Their ages ranged from 22 to 66 years, and varying experience in the construction industry, from 5 to 41 years. Eight had completed a first aid course at their workplace within the last three years. None of the participants had a background in areas such as rescue services, police, healthcare, or military. None of the construction sites had trained EMTs or company medical personnel on site. The transcribed text from the interviews was analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Results: The study showed that construction employees experiences of being involved as a layperson first aid provider was linked to one main category: to try to reduce the consequences of limited knowledge through mutual understanding and support. There were three additional categories for reported experiences: suddenly trying to save lives after realizing the unexpected, the importance of collaboration in a chaotic situation, and the need for social support and following improvements with subcategories.
Conclusion: The results showed that with injury events in a complex environment, such as construction sites, there is a need for mutual understanding between dispatcher, ambulance services, rescue service, and laypersons. A level of understanding from professional organizations is required to support the layperson to be a valuable resource to the emergency personnel in serious workplace injury events.
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