In light of changes introduced by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) to first aid guidelines, all workplace first aid procedures and OHS training programmes, both initial and periodic, must now be updated to reflect the new rules. This is intended to improve safety and the effectiveness of emergency response in the workplace.

Under the updated guidelines:

1. the role of the emergency dispatcher has been emphasised – contacting them is now recommended already at the stage of identifying a loss of consciousness, and not only after checking breathing or later;
2. the first aid section has been expanded – the ABC rule has been replaced with ABCDE: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure;
3. the Basic Life Support (BLS) algorithm has been unified for all age groups – the 30 compressions to 2 breaths ratio is now to be applied to children as well as adults;
4. guidance now explicitly permits administering certain medicines as part of first aid, e.g. for asthma, epilepsy, diabetes or anaphylactic shock.

Find more articles in PRO HR November 2025.