Monday 23 November 2015

FirstAid.Directory November 2015 Newsletter

FirstAid.Directory November Newsletter

A new look

Registration discount offer

Blowing hot and cold

Good News - Bad News


A New Look

The First Aid Directory has undergone a radical makeover. Next time that you are out in public, do take a moment to look at everyone passing by, heads bowed, moving purposefully forwards. Perhaps darting to one side every now and again.

No, they are not on a Route March to work, more likely they are engrossed in their mobile device. It's funny how things come full circle. PCs started with low resolution screens and when t'Internet came along, websites were optimised for smaller screens (640 x 480 pixels, typically).

As technology improved, screen resolution improved and websites got wider to fit more in. It was unthinkable to put any content 'below the fold' as it would not get seen.

When mobile phones arrived, screens were text only. Then Nokia started to introduce low resolution graphic displays, good for playing snake or Tetris and that was about it. However, in the mobile arms race, this extended to larger and larger screens and they also became touch sensitive.

At the current time, a significant number of users use mobile devices that to some extent reflect the low resolution PCs and website designers have had to allow for this. Hence the long, scrolling pages that you see nowadays. Below the fold content is now expected and Google has publicly stated that it will give preference to mobile-enabled websites.

TL;DR  The FirstAid Directory is now a single column website, optimised for mobile devices, whilst still being perfectly useable on a PC or Mac. Behind the scenes we have made it much more manageable and are adding a plethora of features for you.



If you are a First Aid Provider and you haven't signed up yet, then why not? A basic listing is free and if you want to really sell your services, the premium option is not very much - one paying enquiry per year will easily cover the cost.

Registration discount offer

Still not convinced? Register and upgrade to a Premium Account before the end of 2015 and we'll even knock some money off for you!

Click here to get going.

Blowing hot and cold


Traditionally, the treatment for strains (muscles and tendons) and sprains (ligaments) has been RICE - Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate.

In recent times, this has been subject to some scrutinizing and there is a body of thought that this might not be best practice. In this article from Healthline, "researchers have been questioning the way these injuries are treated. They've found that the RICE advice came about more from educated guesswork than actual research."

In the medium to longer term, Sports Therapists and Physios have been known to alternate heat and cold, for instance.

No-one is saying that you should currently deviate from currently accepted Good Practice (RICE) as a First Aider - and, indeed, you open yourself up to all sorts of liabilities if you do. However, First Aid does not stand still and, over the years, all sorts of practices come and go as they are either disproven (Revised Sylvester, anyone?) or superseded (tourniquets and ring bandages, for instance). Leeches were in, then they were out. Now, they are back in again in a Hospital environment as their saliva has good clotting attributes.

Good News


Morgan Sindall installs heart attack machines on all sites

Morgan Sindall is installing life-saving defibrillators in all its sites and offices.

The contractor has signed a deal with Cardiac Science to provide Powerheart G5 automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

Morgan Sindall teams are now installing a minimum of one AED at each of its office and site locations across the country.

The kit will be made available to each of Morgan Sindall’s business operations through its internal plant hire division Magnor Plant.


Bad News

Tory MPs block bill to give first aid training to children by talking non-stop until debate ends

Conservative MPs have blocked a bill to bring first aid training to schools by talking non-stop until time to discuss and vote on it ran out.

The Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-Funded Secondary Schools) Bill would have required schools to teach first aid training to children as part of the national curriculum.