Lisa Sharman, Head of Education and Commercial Training:
“As employers and HR leaders nurture inclusive workplaces, a concerning oversight remains, which could be costing women’s lives.
New research from St John Ambulance shows that while colleagues genuinely care for each other, from covering last-minute shifts to offering a listening ear, many struggle to step up when it matters most: saving their life in a crisis. And when every second counts in a medical emergency, this hesitation could be fatal.
Even if your workplace seems low-risk, like an office, medical incidents still happen – choking, slips, allergic reactions, or even cardiac arrest. And while we’re creating supportive, inclusive workplace cultures, many workers still worry that giving first aid could be seen as inappropriate.
Women are disproportionately at risk during a medical emergency at work. Almost two in five (38%) male employees say they would hesitate to give first aid to their female colleagues. 41% would only feel comfortable giving this life-saving care to another man and even more concerningly, a third (33%) admit that they would not give first aid to a female colleague at all.
This isn’t a hypothetical scenario – it’s happening in workplaces across the nation. Nearly half (49%) of male employees have found themselves being the only first aider on site. But if the only person with the skills to give life-saving care feels unable or unwilling to help, what happens to a woman in a medical crisis?
Nearly two in five (39%) male employees would hesitate to give CPR to a woman in cardiac arrest because they are worried about touching breasts – a concern also shared by 18% of women – even though it could cost their colleague’s life.
This unconscious gender bias is worsened by a lack of confidence in giving life-saving care. 40% of men don’t know how to give CPR to a woman, and neither do nearly one in three (29%) female employees – even though there isn’t a different CPR technique for women. Hesitation in a crisis could cost lives so employees of all genders need the confidence to act.
While we invest in wellbeing programmes and inclusivity initiatives, ensuring the safety of staff, regardless of their gender, cannot be overlooked. Even in the most diverse workplaces, gender imbalances could cost lives.
Inclusive first aid training, which focuses on all genders, empowers employees to act quickly and confidently in a crisis, regardless of who is in need. By not just tackling the practical skills needed to treat emergencies like choking, cardiac arrest, and severe bleeding, but also helping colleagues to feel confident to step in in the first place.
These vital skills were put into action in one workplace, where HR director Danny was holding the door open for his HR colleague Suzanne, when she suddenly turned grey and collapsed in front of him. She was unresponsive and struggling to breathe. Having taken a workplace first aid training just six weeks earlier, Danny was able to spring into action and began chest compressions while another colleague called for an ambulance and waited with the defibrillators. Thanks to Danny’s quickness to act, Suzanne’s condition remained stable when the paramedics arrived and took over. For Danny, while there was some anxiety about giving CPR to a woman, the first aid training empowered him to overcome this taboo and intervene to save his colleague’s life.
There are countless Dannys and Suzannes across the country – colleagues who have been empowered to step in and give life-saving first aid at work. But we still have a long way to go to make sure that critical aid is being given more fairly, without hesitation or bias, so women aren’t left to pay the price. Through inclusive first aid training, HR leaders can reinforce equality and respect at the heart of their workplace culture.
For our annual Save a Life September campaign, we’re calling on employers and HR leaders to train up more workplace first aiders to save lives and keep communities safe. With more workers trained in first aid, we can give employees the skills and confidence to show up when it really matters.”
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