It is important for every company to efficiently manage and promptly respond to critical incident/s in the workplace to ensure the welfare of its employees, minimize potential harm or damage, and restore normal work and business operations.

"Critical incidents" refer to any significant event or situation that poses a threat to the safety, security, or normal functioning of the work environment such as, accidents or injuries, acts of violence or threats, natural disasters, medical emergencies, and security breaches or unauthorized access.

Employees that are affected by these usually have common reactions and feelings like intense fear, helplessness, horror, shock, disbelief, numbness, confusion, or even disorientation.

When these incidents happen, the role of supervisors, managers, human resource personnel, and other members of the workforce are crucial. With appropriate and timely actions, they can help minimize the impact of highly stressful events on employees and facilitate their recovery and improve level of functions.

While there is no standard single response to every incident, handling it can be very challenging if the company lacks the ability to tailor fit responses and interventions for every circumstance.

It is for this reason that the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines is conducting an e-Learning on "Psychological First Aid in the Workplace" on June 30, 2022, 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM (GMT +8), via Zoom.

Psychological First Aid or PFA does not intend to substitute professional mental health care, but rather aims to serve as an initial response to mitigate immediate distress and ensure that every employee has equal access to appropriate resources if any incident may occur.

In the entire session, the participants, through comprehensive lectures, interactive discussions, and group activities, will be able to know and practice PFA interventions such as, active listening, offering reassurance, providing information, helping colleagues connect with support network, and assisting them in their basic needs.

Further, they will also learn to practice the necessary group processing skills and strategies, which will they can use to reflect and analyze interactions and dynamics. These include the following:

• Reflective thinking
• Constructive feedback
• Conflict resolution
• Problem-solving
• Decision-making
• Self-awareness
• Emotional intelligence
• Flexibility and adaptability

In a nutshell, the following topics will be covered:

• Nature of Critical Incidents
• Expectations from Employees Affected by Critical Incidents
• Role of Managers and Supervisors in Critical Incidents
• PFA and Critical Incidents
• Group Processing Skills in PFA

To optimize learning and ensure maximum participation, they will be encouraged to share their experiences and ideas throughout the training.