A development strategy of the first aid training programme for the Southern Red Cross

Abstract

This report examines the First Aid Training market for the Southern Branch of the New Zealand Red Cross. The Southern branch covers all of the Otago and Southland regions from the Waitaki River down to Stewart Island. In this report the term 'Red Cross' refers to the 'Southern Region of the New Zealand Red Cross.' The primary aim of this project is to provide the Red Cross with an indication of the potential growth for First Aid Training in the Otago/Southland region, and to provide the Red Cross with a growth strategy and implementation plan. The project objectives were to: 1. Examine the tertiary providers in the Otago/Southland area to determine the number of students requiring mandatory First Aid certificates. 2. Determine the number of Otago/Southland companies that are required to comply with the First Aid section of the Health and Safety Act 1992 and Regulations 1995. 3. Formulate a growth strategy and implementation plan for the Red Cross. This research process is primarily exploratory and was undertaken in four phases: Phase 1 An Investigation of Otago/Southland tertiary providers to determine an approximation of the number of students required to hold current First Aid certificates as entry requirements for any paper or course. Phase 2 An investigation of the Occupational Safety and Health Legislation regarding First Aid training and its application to employers. Phase 3 An investigation of Otago/Southland employers to determine the levels of First Aid training present in the business community. Phase 4 An environmental analysis of the Red Cross. The following tertiary providers within the Otago/Southland district were contacted: • Otago Polytechnic • Dunedin College of Education The University of Otago • Southland Institute of Technology • Private Training Enterprises A database of 223 Otago/Southland companies was constructed from employers with employee numbers of 25 and over, or 50 and over, who are required to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health recommendations and 85 employers who were not required to comply to the recommendations. From the two parts of the investigation of employers required to comply with the Occupational Safety and Heath recommendations and employers who are not required to comply, 200 companies were contacted in total.