Undergoing first aid training is usually mandatory when starting a job, especially if it’s a hazardous one. But despite going through training, some people might not be quick enough to react when it’s time to apply the knowledge in real life.

Luckily, this redditor was. When he saw an injured worker, he volunteered his belt as a tourniquet and didn’t hesitate to call an ambulance. However, the injured person’s boss wasn’t too happy that he did.

Scroll down to find the full story below, where you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with Dr. Russell Johnson, an MSU Foundation Professor of Management in the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions on workplace safety.

Knowing how to provide first aid can save lives

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

This netizen was quick to react when he saw an injured worker nearby

Image credits: artursafronovvvv / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Vast-Combination4046

“Safety is a dimension of job performance that is often overlooked,” expert says

Discussing the importance of safety in the workplace, Professor of Management at Michigan State University, Dr. Russell Johnson noted that safety is a dimension of job performance that is often overlooked.

“If safety is an important objective at work, then it must be made central in the workplace and HR functions. Companies need to hire for safety (for example, selecting people based on attributes that contribute to safe behavior, such as conscientiousness, emotional stability, cognitive ability, risk aversion, and so on), train newcomers and job incumbents on proper safety conduct, and, most importantly, build safety in the performance management system so that safety goals are set, safety behaviors are rewarded, unsafe practices are reprimanded, and ideas for improving safety are encouraged.”

The expert continued to point out that supervisors and managers occupy visible roles in the company that others look up to, so “If a supervisor walks the talk in terms of emphasizing safety and acting accordingly, then it provides a crystal clear picture of the importance of safety to others that they will be more likely to conform to. If supervisors ignore or otherwise fail to provide help, that lack of concern and cooperation will trickle down throughout the workgroup.”

According to Prof. Johnson, leaders play two key roles. “First, they occupy a visible role that captures the attention of others in the workplace, thus role modeling appropriate and safe conduct is a critical part of their role. When leaders engage in safe behaviors, employees are much more likely to act in a similar manner.

“Second, leaders can play an important role by creating a strong situation that emphasizes safety. In ‘strong situations,’ there are clear cues and signs as to what the appropriate norms and values are. Leaders can create a strong situation for safety by (a) using language that emphasizes safety, (b) providing informal social praise and acknowledgement when employees behave in a safe manner, (c) creating formal reward and punishment systems for safety behavior, and (d) soliciting ideas and voice from employees regarding how to improve safety within the workgroup. All of these actions, among others, create a strong signal regarding the importance of safety and well-being at work.”

During the interview with Bored Panda, Prof. Johnson also emphasized that a lack of safety measures or attention to them can be detrimental not only to the employees but to the company, too. “There are psychological and financial costs associated with leaders overlooking or ignoring safety,” he said.

“On the psychological side, it signals to employees that they are not valued as individuals; instead, they are just cogs in the machine and replaceable. A lack of support and care from leaders poisons the well at work, and can cause employees who were otherwise intrinsically motivated and satisfied with their jobs to switch over to lacking commitment and engagement. People leave supervisors, not companies.

“On the financial side, organizations incur a great deal of costs when an employee is injured or quits their job. Replacing a worker requires time and money to recruit, hire, onboard, and train, and meanwhile, the coworkers of those who are unable to work or quit have to pick up the slack, which hurts the morale of workers who remain,” Dr. Johnson explained.

Taking action immediately when a person needs help is crucial

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

No person is immune to an accident or health issues. That’s why it’s important to know exactly what to do when either happens in order to minimize the damage as much as possible. One of the best ways to prepare yourself for such scenarios is to familiarize yourself with first aid practices.

Entailing some relatively simple yet extremely important techniques and procedures (that can be performed with limited equipment), first aid is usually carried out until professional medical assistance arrives. Bearing in mind that time is of the essence in most cases, being able to react quickly and provide medical assistance during that crucial time can become a matter of life and death.

In cases of cardiac arrests, for instance, a person’s chance of survival decreases by 10% for every minute that immediate CPR [Cardiopulmonary resuscitation] and use of an AED [automated external defibrillator] is delayed, the American Red Cross notes. Immediate CPR can reportedly triple the person’s chance of survival.

It’s often complete strangers that might have to rely on the help of those around them

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

Be it CPR or other first aid techniques, you never know when they might be necessary to use; it can be a loved one at home, a co-worker at work, or even a stranger on the street who might find themselves relying on the help of those around them. Red Cross notes that, according to data from 2023, more than 41% of cardiac arrest patients received CPR from a bystander and close to 12% had a bystander apply AED, arguably saving their lives.

In order to help those in need of help in a public place, it might be necessary to be familiar with not only first aid practices, but signs of the so-called bystander effect, too. Referring to “the reduction in helping behavior in the presence of other people”, the bystander effect results in individuals refraining from providing assistance to those in need when there are other people around.

According to DefibsPlus, learning “how to recognise and counter the bystander effect within ourselves, we can react quickly and save a life rather than wasting precious time looking around and deliberating whether or not we are the right person to act.”

Luckily, the OP and other people in the workplace weren’t stopped by the bystander effect and took action immediately. They provided medical assistance and called an ambulance as soon as possible, which the injured worker was seemingly grateful for after he was taken care of. His boss, however, wasn’t too happy about it, but fellow netizens in the comments assured the redditor that he did the right thing.

The OP shared more details in the comments

Fellow netizens believed the man did the right thing

Some people went through similar situations themselves

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