First aid training can help people to save lives.

As such, workplaces should be encouraged to look at making them part of their plans.

Red Cross Samoa Secretary General, Namulaulu Tautala  Mauala, told the Samoa Observer in an interview on Wednesday that first aid can be critical in an emergency situation in an office as lives can be saved.

She said her organisation has done first aid training for a number of companies in Samoa and their work is supported by law through the workplace (first aid) regulations.

“Now companies have been calling us to conduct training for first aid because the training of Red Cross must be done by our members who have been certified and trained in first aid,” she said. 

“There has been a few companies whom we have been training and now we are doing training at the National University of Samoa.”

Namulaulu said they have heard amazing stories of lives being saved by people who underwent the training offered by the Red Cross. 

"Most have helped out their families," she said. 

When the 2019 XVI Pacific Games was hosted by Samoa in July this year, Namulauulu said people who underwent first aid training with the Red Cross were able to put their skills to the test during the two-week sporting event. 

The Red Cross currently has programmes with the local communities and the schools and they are working with schools to have first aid teams of their own.

“We want the schools to have a Red Cross team of their own which they can help the schools in times of their schools’ sports or whatever happening in school,” she added.

Under the law known as the Workplace (first aid) Regulation 4(1), an employer in Samoa shall ensure each of his or her workers or any person present in the workplace shall have rapid access to first aid whenever needed.