BHV – Emergency Response Worker

Description

All employers in the Netherlands are required to organize an emergency service at their workplace. Emergency services consist of individuals who are certified in BHV (emergency response) and EHBO (pre-medical first aid). These services are intended to protect employees, customers, and other people on the work site. The number of BHV emergency response personnel required depends on the degree of risk present at a given workplace. The more dangerous the risks, the more employees should be BHV-certified. The emergency response team must be present at the workplace at all times. For example, if a company operates on a single shift, there should be at least one BHV emergency response worker on site. Appropriate BHV (Bedrijfshulpverlening) training prepares employees to respond actively in emergency situations, especially life-threatening ones.

The BHV course covers four main areas:

• Providing first aid in non-life-threatening situations, such as dressing wounds, treating eye injuries, treating sprains and fractures, and treating burns; 2) Properly equipping a first aid kit;
• It also covers management of life-threatening situations, including taking a history according to the SAMPLE model, properly notifying emergency services, recognizing cardiac arrest, performing CPR, using a defibrillator, placing someone in the safe position, managing airways, treating choking, controlling hemorrhages, recognizing strokes, treating epilepsy, addressing head injuries and concussions, and responding to heart attacks and traumatic amputations.
• Fire Management: Fire formation and spread, fire identification, specific fire hazards, fire extinguishing agents, incipient firefighting, and fire protection equipment.
• The fourth area is evacuation procedures, which includes evacuation routes and exits, marking and lighting of evacuation routes, assembly points, evacuation equipment, efficient evacuations, Rautek grabs, evacuating disabled and unconscious people, and proper notification and communication with emergency services.

The BHV course prepares emergency response personnel to proactively respond to emergency situations. This enables you to properly assess the situation and take appropriate action until emergency services arrive. If first aid is required, you will know how to administer it.

Combining the skills you gain from a BHV course with those from a Basic VCA or VOL VCA course will definitely increase your chances of finding a well-paying job.

Emergency response workers must continually train, which is why BHV licenses are issued for one year.