Port of Milford Haven invests in new lifesaving training and equipment

27 March 2018

Seventy employees who work on or near the water at the Port of Milford Haven have undertaken first aid training based on an intuitive check card system.

Paul Savage of Saviour Medical Ltd. developed check card training programmes initially for the RNLI during his tenure as their Clinical Lead from 2005 to 2014, and was awarded an OBE in 2013 for this intuitive work before setting up his own company. The Maritime Immediate Emergency Care Course, developed in conjunction with the United Kingdom Maritime Pilots Association (UKMPA), is designed specifically for maritime boat crews and dock personnel and uses professional lifesaving equipment that can mean the difference between life and death in the first minutes after a serious trauma or illness.

Seventy staff members from teams across the Port including pilot launch crew, marina operatives, ferry terminal operatives and pilots have already completed the course and another thirteen are due to undertake the training later in the spring. To complement the training the Port has invested over £20,000 in new equipment including additional automated defibrillators, Saviour Stretchers, treatment equipment packs and the treatment check cards developed by Paul Savage which give step-by-step instructions that can provide valuable assistance in an emergency.

Wayne Evans, Health, Safety and Security Manager at the Port of Milford Haven, who arranged the training, said “The decision to invest in new equipment and training was made following the lessons learned from a tragic incident at the Port of London last year. A large proportion of our workforce work on or near the water so it’s vital that they have access to the latest first aid advice in case they ever need to draw upon those skills. Safety is the number one priority at the Port and we will always strive to offer the most up to date training to ensure our staff are prepared for whatever they may encounter.”

Commenting on the training, Paul Savage OBE, said “By using a check card training system the memory test is removed from the rescuer and confidence ensues. Couple this with additional effective equipment that is not usually found in standard first aid kits, but matches the responding emergency services where appropriate, and you can create a seamless approach to care. All of this combined can only help to save salvageable life, and enhance the care that maritime workers can offer when required to do so. It worked incredibly well for the RNLI, so spreading it to other maritime professionals was the next obvious step.”

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