Workplace Health and Safety

As I am delivering a course from an Australian training organisation there is a section on Occupational Health and Safety. Teachers, facilitators and trainers in Australia have a duty of care for their students and fellow workers, so it is mandatory that certain conditions be met.

We need to advice students about the toilet facilities (where they are), what to do in case of emergency - usually there are posters giving information on emergency numbers, who the qualified first aider is, where the first aid kit is, and so on.

I know in China that this information was not anything of concern to the authorities in our college. And so it is here in Korea, though I have an obligation to address this. Not only for my students' safety, but for my own.

It was an interesting exercise. Two students were sent to enquire in the building, which has security guards, to find out where a first aid kit was, and what other information was available. They returned with a hastily made first aid kit (or at least an empty box done up with a red cross and sign - First Aid Kit.) Later a guard appeared with a bottle of Iodine, as my students had told that someone was injured.

It has been an interesting exercise - and I think there will be some schools here that will consider the safety of their students a little more. It appears that no one knows first aid, and that there is an opportunity for first aid training.