Two Midlands organisations have won coveted Workplace Awards for their industry at the inaugural St John Ambulance First Aid Awards, showing they are leading the way in protecting their staff and customers within their sector.

Leicestershire's Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete UK has won the Workplace Award for Construction, and Burton and South Derbyshire College has won the Workplace Award for the Public Sector. They were honoured by the first aid charity at an awards ceremony in London on Wednesday 30 November, hosted by BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth, who has herself benefitted from first aid.

The evening recognised many inspirational first aid success stories of individuals, businesses and communities across the UK. The awards received the support of a number of well-known faces including presenter Matthew Wright who would have choked to death without first aid, and wilderness survival expert Ray Mears, who gave first aid to a fellow crew member when he was involved in a helicopter accident during filming. HRH The Countess of Wessex, the charity's patron, was also in attendance.

Leicestershire-based Lafarge Aggregates has invested in training its own staff as first aiders, far beyond the number legally required, and it stages practice scenarios during a designated 'safety month' in June. One in six employees is a first aider, with some also trained as first responders or in the use of the on-site defibrillator (AED). Among the other finalists in the Construction category were Arcadis UK, Chalcroft Ltd, Frank Haslam Milan Yorkshire & East Midlands, and Wessex Drainage Solutions. 

With 600 staff and more than 20,000 students and visitors, Burton and South Derbyshire College appointed a new health and safety manager in March 2011. It now has 70 staff with first aid at work qualifications, identified by a first aid card attached to their ID lanyard. There is now a dedicated 555 first aid phone line, and refresher courses and AED training have also been introduced. Among the other finalists in the Public Sector category were South Derbyshire District Council, The University of Northampton and Torbay Council.

Up to 150,000 people die each year in situations where first aid could have given them a chance to live, with some of these deaths occurring in the workplace. A minimum number of trained first aiders is a legal requirement, but companies going the extra mile not only further help ensure the safety of their employees and customers but their communities as well since first aid skills learnt in the workplace are often used elsewhere to save lives.

Sue Killen, CEO of St John Ambulance, said: 'We were proud and delighted to be able to recognise so many outstanding organisations with the St John Ambulance First Aid Awards. Lafarge Aggregates and Burton and South Derbyshire College were deserving of the title of Workplace of the Year for Construction and Public Sector respectively. I hope they enjoyed the evening and continue their commitment to being the difference between a life lost and a life saved.'