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Copyright © 1999 FleetWatch magazine and FleetWatch On-Line. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission from the publishers. Views published are not necessarily those of the publishers. |
Supplements - First Aid for Truckers  Truck
Drivers Can Play a Key Role
It seems ironical that
as the decision was taken by FleetWatch and Engen, our partner
in this project, to publish a booklet on Basic First Aid for truck
drivers, news of the closure of the emergency helicopter ambulance
service in Gauteng hit the headlines. I say ironical because the
motivation for us to do this book was provided via an article in
a recent issue of FleetWatch in which Dr Ken Boffard, head
of the Trauma Unit at Johannesburg Hospital, called for the compulsory
training of truck drivers in basic First Aid. His reasoning was
that truck drivers are often the first to arrive at the scene of
an accident and if trained, could render vital assistance to accident
victims until the medical professional arrive. According to experts
like Dr Boffard, it is often the first hour that counts - call it
the critical hour - and treatment rendered during this hour can
mean the difference between life and death. The first on the scene
thus has an important role to play and it is because of this that
we feel Dr Boffard's call should be acted on with urgency. He is
right in saying truck drivers can play a role. They are out there
24-hours of the day - in urban and rural areas - and with traing,
could become the modern Highway Nightingales of South Africa. Let
this booklet be the catalyst to a new in our industry towards training
drivers to save lives out there on the road. Patrick O'Leary |
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