You may have seen our volunteers at events, our Non-Emergency Patient Transport vehicles on the roads, been to a first aid training class or have one of our kits at work or in your car. During many times in your life, St John will pop up when you least expect to help you out of a dangerous or even life-threatening situation.

Everyone agrees employees should go to work knowing they are in a safe and healthy environment, free from physical and psychological harm. No employee should ever go to work thinking they are unsafe, at serious risk of death or injury or unsupported.

For Shocktober, we’re doing something special to drive awareness of your nearest defibrillator locations and provide more defibrillators in the Victorian community – hopefully one near you!

Until it happens to us or someone we love, most of us don’t know the difference between a heart attack and a sudden cardiac arrest. You’re definitely not the first to assume a heart attack and sudden cardiac are interchangeable terms.

On 29 September each year, Blue Ribbon Day provides the opportunity for the community to say thank you to those who protect and serve our community and ensure that those who have fallen are never forgotten.

The human eye is one of the most delicate and complex organs in the body. The location and sensitivity leave the eyes vulnerable to irritation and injury so it’s important that extreme caution is taken to avoid contact with any possible hazards.

The majority are already aware of the physical dangers on and around the worksite, but how aware are we of the considerable psychological risks? The statistics around mental health for tradies and other blue-collar workers are alarming, with recent studies showing Australian construction workers are 70% more likely to take their own lives than employees in other industries.

This week is Wound Awareness Week, a time aimed to get people talking about the rising issue of wounds. In addition, Wound Awareness Week is to reach out to all, to help us spread awareness of what wounds are, who’s at risk and what someone should do if they have a wound that won’t heal.

A whopping one-third of all Australia’s workforce are tradies. That’s an impressive number, especially when you consider that many of them are running one of two million small businesses across the country. Sadly, they also represent 58% of workplace injuries and 190 serious claims each day, a figure much higher than it should be. Worksites are no doubt a dangerous place to be employed.