Celebrity chef Andrew Turner partners with St John Ambulance

26th January 2012, 12:10pm

Celebrity chef Andrew Turner has teamed up with first aid charity St John Ambulance to help encourage the hospitality sector to make first aid a priority.

Turner is also working with the charity to show the industry how simple and effective it is to encourage large numbers of people to learn first aid, so they can be the difference between life and death.

He commented: "I believe that first aid training should be something that is offered to all employees, whether they are in the kitchen, front of house or departments within the establishment .

"With these workers coming into contact with thousands of people every day, from customers and colleagues, to suppliers and contractors, it is vital for them to know how to respond in an emergency. It's also important to recognise that it's a skill that you may need to use on members of your family, friends or community so it doesn't just benefit the work environment."

Turner first realised the importance of first aid when someone suffered a heart attack while he was chef at Pennyhill Park restaurant in Surrey five years ago: "The whole experience was a shocking reminder of how important it is to have basic first aid training. 

"Knowledge of first aid can be the difference between life and death, but it is also essential to make sure staff and customers are protected and able to receive the best possible treatment for an injury or health problem, such as allergic reactions, or trips and falls."

Following the experience, Turner has gone onto do a HSE approved  First Aid at Work course and a first aid refresher course to make sure that he feels confident in first aid. This also goes for his staff, who are actively encouraged to learn first aid and take regular refresher courses. He is encouraging other businesses to take the same approach.

Sue Killen, CEO St John Ambulance added: "We are delighted to have Andrew on board as an advocate for the importance of first aid in the hospitality industry. Too many people die needlessly every year when first aid could have given them the chance to live. With Andrew's help we hope to encourage restaurants, hotels and bars to put first aid higher on their health and safety agendas."

Related Articles:

• 28 Jun 2007 - First aid training specifically for restaurants

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James Chandler

27 January 2012 at 6:35am

Well done Andrew! Many people do their first aid course out of necessity but few follow up on their own volition to remain certified once their qualification runs out! All customer service personnel should obtain and maintain a First Aid qualification. And St John Ambulance is one of the best at providing the training people require! Andrew's endorsement is an obvious recipe for success for St John - more power to him!

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