Gamification as a Tool to Improve the Effectiveness of First Aid Training

The Problem of a Formal Approach to Mandatory Training

First aid training in the workplace is often perceived by employees as a mandatory but formal procedure. According to regulatory requirements, the basic program takes 8 hours and is conducted once every three years. Such a long interval between sessions and the standard presentation of material lead to employees losing concentration, and the acquired skills are quickly forgotten. In a critical situation, where every minute counts, the lack of confident practice can cost a person's life.

In her presentation, Olga Nemtsova, Leading HSE Specialist at JSC UEC-Klimov, explains how to transform the standard educational process into an interactive environment. Using her enterprise as an example, the speaker shows how the implementation of a practice-oriented approach and gamification methods helps not just to "clock the hours," but to form a sustainable safety mindset and readiness to act among employees.

Practice-Oriented Approach: From Theory to Action

To increase personnel engagement in the training process, two key methods were introduced that allow workers to transition from passive listeners to active participants in a rescue operation.

Group Discussions Based on Real Incidents

The first method is based on the use of internal incident reports — so-called "lessons and flashes." Instead of a dry reading of the injury circumstances, the group analyzes the incident in detail from the perspective of an eyewitness.

Employees are asked to simulate a situation: an accident has just occurred right now, at their workplace. Together, a clear algorithm of actions is built: from notifying management and calling an ambulance to providing first aid, taking into account the specifics of a particular workshop. This makes it possible to tie abstract knowledge to a real production environment and get feedback from employees about potential risks at their workstations.

Solving Situational Tasks in Teams

The second method involves modeling complex scenarios involving multiple victims or additional hazards (for example, an exposed wire). The group is divided into teams of 3 – 5 people who need to quickly assign roles, prioritize aid, and perform the necessary actions.

Special evaluation sheets are used to monitor skill acquisition. The instructor awards points for each correct step of the algorithm. The competitive element stimulates interest, and the subsequent analysis of mistakes helps to consolidate the correct sequence of actions without risk to real victims.

Overcoming Communication Barriers

The introduction of new formats inevitably faces resistance. The speaker examines in detail the problem of the psychological barrier: many workers, especially after a hard shift, are shy about approaching training mannequins and practicing skills in front of their colleagues.

To solve this problem, a comprehensive approach is applied. First, respectful communication is established — addressing each employee by their first name and patronymic, regardless of their position. Second, instructors actively use the personal experience of the trainees. If an employee recalls a real-life incident (for example, an injury at a summer house), the instructor suggests immediately simulating this situation on a mannequin. Such a shift in focus from an "exam" to solving an understandable life problem relieves tension and engages even the most inactive participants in the process.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to use internal incident reports to conduct effective practical classes?
• What criteria should be used to evaluate the correctness of a team's actions when solving situational tasks?
• How to overcome employee shyness and motivate them to practice skills on training mannequins?
• Which technical devices and mannequins are most effective for practicing rescue algorithms?
• How to organize the training process using internal specialists without involving third-party training centers?