"SVBS Award" for successful resuscitation and rapid response to an eye injury.
Two touching first responder stories, two worthy awards: When it really counts, fast help is needed in an emergency: for example, in the case of a sudden cardiac arrest in a crowd of people or even dangerous eye injuries. Every year, the "SVBS Award" from the Swiss Association for Company First Aid is aimed at particularly motivating first-aid operations in order to inspire other Samaritans.
Every year, the Swiss Association for Company First Aid (SVBS) awards the "First Aiders of the Year". The so-called "SVBS Award" is aimed at innovative projects or exemplary operations in the field of first aid. The motivation behind this is, on the one hand, the praise of the association and, on the other hand, the communication of touching stories to other first responders so that they are even more motivated to act correctly in an emergency. This year, two SVBS Awards were presented in November. as part of the First Aider Symposium at the KKL Lucerne awarded.
Team spirit and immediate action at a Christmas market
The traditional award of 2019 could only be presented this year due to the pandemic. It went to Manuela Greco. The course instructor and Samaritan teacher of the SV Neuhausen am Rheinfall is a professionally active company paramedic. She initiated, without hesitation, resuscitation on a man who was affected by cardiac arrest.
Between lined up trees at a Christmas tree sale lay a man who suddenly fell to the ground as if "struck by lightning". By chance, a former trainer of the Samaritan was also on the scene. The active firefighter knew the area well and immediately ordered the fire department to get the defibrillator. It worked like a perfectly coordinated team. The resuscitation was started immediately without any big words. Two firefighters quickly rushed over to start chest compressions, while the first-aider took over the procedure with the AED and her colleague assisted with bag resuscitation.
Prevented a dangerous eye burn in just a few minutes
This year, the SVBS Award 2020 went to IBM Research Zurich. According to the SVBS, the company's first-aid team provided exemplary assistance in an emergency involving an incident with caustic soda in the eye of an employee in the summer of 2020. While emptying a canister, a splash of caustic solution got into the employee's eye via the bottom of the canister - behind his glasses. The employee then immediately ran to the sink and rinsed his eye.
When someone from his team returned to the workplace, he heard screams from his injured colleague. He sent him to fetch the eye wash bottle. On the way, his colleague immediately alerted the company ambulance and then immediately took care of the affected employee again.
The three company paramedics who were alerted were on the scene within two minutes with additional eye wash bottles. Only about ten minutes later, the police and rescue services were also on the scene and about forty minutes later the incident was already being debriefed.
In addition to the SVBS Award, the winners received a voucher worth 2500 Swiss francs from IVF Hartmann AG of the betriebsapotheke.ch platform. Anyone who would like to inspire other first responders with their stories may submit a Online form send in. Next year's award ceremony will take place on November 5, 2022 - again in Lucerne.
Source: SVBS
