Being prepared is better than being scared.  That’s the feedback from two Lab employees who took the Stop the Bleed course offered by the Lab’s Emergency Services team on Wednesday, March 12 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Martin Nietzel, Safety Manager for Materials and Chemical Sciences Divisions, is grateful he took the course even though he hasn’t had to use it. “When my child was one year old, he started choking.  His breathing was completely closed off.  I remembered my training and used the Heimlich maneuver to clear the blockage. I took the Stop the Bleed course to be prepared for any serious injury.  You never know when tragedy can strike and being prepared is the best way to turn a tragedy into a success story.” 

Esperanza Osorio, from the Security and Emergency Services Division agrees with being prepared. “I was taking care of one of my nieces when she was about five years old. She was riding her bike in the park, fell off, and scraped her elbow pretty badly.  I was more concerned with calming her down than stopping her elbow from bleeding.  I took her home, and her parents took her to the hospital.  It turned out she had broken glass in the cut. If I had known what to do and not panicked, I could have provided first aid. After attending this class, I am confident that I will be able to respond to life-threatening bleeding before professional help arrives.  We were given a Stop the Bleeding kit with the proper equipment that can save the life of someone or even yourself.” 

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