Kouga Municipality is looking after the health of its workers.
Forty staff members were awarded their Level 1 First Aid certificates at a ceremony in Jeffreys Bay last week.
Corporate Services Portfolio Councillor Frances Baxter said trainees had been chosen from all sections of the municipality.
“The course covered, among others, first aid assistance for medical conditions, head and spinal injuries, poisoning, respiratory emergencies, fractures and sprains, as well as the dressing of wounds,” she said.
Municipal Manager Charl du Plessis said workers were exposed to many risks, some of which were health related and others linked to their working environments.
“Staff need to know how to deal with medical emergencies should the need arise.
“As much as legislation is important, governance is not only about ticking the correct boxes and being compliant. Our staff are human beings and we need to create a safe and caring environment for them,” he said.
Du Plessis said the skills attained by these employees were not only relevant for the workplace but could be used in their everyday lives where they could lend a hand in emergency situations.
“With all our training programmes, we would like to empower our workers beyond just being fit for their occupations. We want them to be able to use their skills in their communities as well,” he said.
The training, which took place in February and March, is a legal requirement in line with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (nr 85 of 1993), which stipulates that an institution must have first aiders and occupational safety representatives.
The qualification of this group is now valid for the next two years. They will be going on Level 2 training in June this year.
Each were given a first aid kit for their sections.
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