No first aiders at train station

[Mushroomlady]

An older woman tripped and fell in front of me on the station platform while running for a train today. She was very badly injured. I've been first aid trained for work so was able to help - removed her broken glasses, laid her down on her side, stemmed the bleeding (quite heavy), bandaged her up, shaded her from the sun, talked to her, etc. I asked if any of the station staff were first aiders and the answer was no! There was about 4 of them. I had to shout at them to call an ambulance, but it was another passenger that called as the staff were dithering and seemed quite clueless.

Aibu to be absolutely shocked about this? They are dealing with hundreds of passengers per day. How is it not essential that they have a certified first aider on site at all times?
Should I complain? Assume they would need to log it in accident book?

I think you’re getting a ridiculously hard time on here @Mushroomlady. You did a good thing and I’d share your dismay at the very poor response of the station staff.

I’m not disagreeing with you OP but I find the general population tends to think first aid is not something that they should have any involvement yet look to other people to provide when they need it. Individuals can invest in the safety of their own families by getting trained but mostly don’t. I know some people invest in paediatric first aid training which is obviously great but it doesn’t have to be limited to that. People either think that nothing bad will happen or that someone like yourself will step up and deal with it.

It is not just first aid knowledge though. It is being able to handle a crisis situation, and keep a level head.
Like I said in a PP, I have the knowledge, but not the confidence.

I work on an ambulance station and we too have a first aid box and accident book even though the garage is full of fully stocked ambulances.

Like you say, there's no guarantee that any clinical staff will be available if a member of admin needs medical attention so they have to have a first aid kit and nominated first aider.

I don't think anyone is suggesting its great not having first aiders, but just pointing out its not a legal requirement to provide them for the general public.

Most first aiders I know would always help and indeed most companies expect their first aiders to help.

Nobody's saying she didn't do a good thing but I think people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to things like this.

Most small businesses won't have anyone on site who is first aid trained as it's not legally required and sending someone off on a course costs money 🤷🏻‍♀️ they also would need to train multiple people to ensure all days and holidays are covered. You'd then have to pay them all to do the training plus any associated travel costs which is yet another expense.

Ultimately most businesses are going to invest money in something that isn't legally required. You could argue we have a moral obligation to help people (which I agree we do have) but ultimately unless the law changes, businesses won't change.

I know basic first aid but like others here, I wouldn't be confident enough to help as I'd be far too worried about making things worse.

The staff you saw may have safety critical roles to fulfil to ensure the safe arrival/departure of said trains and not able to stand down to help a passenger.

The strike action currently underway is because they are trying to reduce staff numbers even further.

Whilst its sad that we don’t have spare staff milling around to step in, as a publicly funded rail network who would pay for these?

I've asked what train station it was.

I working operations for one of the largest railway companies in the UK

I have access to every single piece of information the companies holds.

1. I could tell you what our obligations are around first aiders

2. I could tell you the percentage of staff trained as first aiders

But if you don't tell me which station, I can't give you the information you're all hypothesising on

Ooh you can tell I'm tired "I working"

The majority of rail stations are unstaffed and have been for many years.

If you are someone speaking out against the train strikes, then YABVVVU. Station & train safety is one of the reasons they are striking.

I suspect that for most places the first aider us there for company employees, and is insured as such.
They will not be covered for incidents with the public. If the individual for example put someone in the recovery position when they have a spinal injury, and caused long-term damage, they are leaving themselves open to being sued.
Unfortunately, this is the way this country is heading.

My local station is only manned at peak times. In the middle of weekdays, or on Sundays, there’s no staff there at all. Just an open gate and you hop on train and buy ticket from conductor.

I think you’re misunderstanding how the railways run. Yes someone could fall and need help but that is also the case on any pavement. The railways don’t accept any responsibility for visitors (aren’t there usually lots of signs there saying exactly that?)

I'd have thought that one of the main roles of station staff is to keep trains arriving and leaving on time, in as safe a manner as possible. I would have assumed this should cover what to do if a passenger has a trip or fall (I have to do trips, slips and falls training, and I spend most of my life at home, and in the office about once a week these days.)

I can understand that there's no requirement for a trained first aider, but I am surprised they seem not to know how to deal with passengers who create a hazard (as a body on the ground is,) and potentially impede the efficient loading and unloading of passengers from trains. There are a lot of things which could potentially cause problems at a train station.

I am a first aider at work - I've been doing first aid courses every few years since I was a teenager. If someone collapsed in front of me, I'd hate to have no idea of what to do at all. Much of the training is make sure they're breathing and not bleeding and call an ambulance, though in reality, it's mostly been paper cuts. (For which I am grateful.)

I used to work for a department store, writing the duty first aid roster. It was so difficult, because being first aid trained is something you volunteer for, and after a few pretty intense incidents people weren’t keen to do it. The company paid the training fee (around £100 for the one day course) and the staff member got about £5 a week extra pay.
If the duty first aider didn’t come in then the duty manager was responsible for any incidents, but that’s basically just calling an ambulance in an emergency.

YANBU to expect the staff to have responded and tried to help the person. I would complain about that.

I'm not first aid trained but if someone using the service I work for had an accident I wouldn't just stand around and do nothing!

I wouldn’t crowd round someone who was already being attended to either. That can cause more distress to the injured party.

As garlic said, it would be interesting to know which station it was and if they really did nothing.

That could be checked fairly easily.

Or even highlighted on social media so that the station manager could answer as to actions taken and duties of those on the concourse.

And who arranged the announcement on the train? Someone arranged that. That isn’t doing nothing.

Unusual for a call to be made on a train that is due to depart. Not impossible but unusual.

There is only one observation here. It would be interesting to hear both sides.

You are all heart.

it isn’t ruinously expensive to put your staff through basic first aid training is it? I’m not saying anything fancy but basics would help.

No, it's not, but you have to have staff willing to do it - and usually train outside of work hours. And then when you do the training, they advise you that if you use it on members of the public and cause harm, you could be sued. Or at least, I'm heavily discouraged from using my pediatric first aid qualification every time I update it.

I believe the convention at train stations is to use the tannoy to call for medical support; although there will obviously be times that there isn't any. And I suppose if the NHS was fit for purpose, and the fall was bad enough, they'd be able to attend swiftly. If you were hit by a train or electrocuted, you'd need an ambulance at the bare minimum anyway (presuming survival). A first aid course wouldn't be in the least useful.

Thanks for stopping to help. I hope you're not too shaken.

What a nonsense!

Streets are public places, translations are privately owned (I presume?).

YANBU op, it's rubbish. And 4 staff? Funny that M&S and Sainsbury's have dozens and dozens of staff in their stores yet 'public' transport (well it is private transport I guess, are just taking the piss.

translations = train stations

I agree with @Tickledtrout and am completely surprised that so many have voted that YABU. I suppose that's Neo liberalism for you 😂

The stand around and stare is really common. I helped a woman who tripped and cut her head and spilt her hot coffee all over herself and the majority of people just looked at us.
When I helped a heavily pregnant homeless woman I couldn't even persuade a passerby to call an ambulance for her.