Most people leave a first aid course hoping they’ll never need to use what they’ve learned. For two PTSG colleagues, it took less than a week.
Just 24 hours after completing the Group’s first in-house Qualsafe-accredited First Aid at Work course, Lewis Maryniak saved the life of a colleague who was choking in the office. Days later, fellow delegate Kyle Greaves stopped on a motorway to rescue three people from a burning car after no one else pulled over.
It’s an extraordinary outcome from the first accredited first aid programme designed and delivered entirely in-house by Premier Technical Services Group (PTSG), led by Group Trainer Paul Campbell.
Lewis, Team Manager at UK Safety Management (UKSM), was in the Leeds office when colleague Joel Denham began choking during lunch. Recognising the signs immediately, Lewis remained calm and used the techniques he had learned just one day earlier to clear Joel’s airway before calling the emergency services to ensure he received further medical assessment. Joel made a full recovery.
Lewis said: “I don’t see myself as a hero. I simply did what I’d been trained to do. The course gave me the confidence to recognise what was happening and respond quickly. I’m just incredibly relieved that Joel is OK.”
Less than a week later, Kyle Greaves a Manager at UK Sprinklers, part of PTSG Fire Solutions, was driving home near Manchester when he noticed flames coming from a vehicle travelling ahead of him on the motorway.
Kyle signalled for the driver to stop before helping the driver and two passengers, one of whom was severely disabled, out of the vehicle and to safety. Moments later, the car became fully engulfed in flames.
After calling the fire service, Kyle stayed with the occupants, helping to keep the driver calm until emergency crews arrived before driving the passengers home in his PTSG van.
Kyle said: “I didn’t really think about it at the time. You just do what needs doing.”
“Looking back, I think the training gives you confidence. It’s not only about treating injuries, it’s about staying calm, taking control of the situation and helping other people stay calm too. It didn’t feel like I’d done anything special. I got home, sat down and carried on with my evening.”
Paul Campbell, Group Trainer at PTSG, who designed and delivered the new course, said: “You always hope the people you train never have to use these skills, but if they ever do, you want them to have the confidence to step forward without hesitation.”
“To see someone use techniques they learned on our in-house course just 24 hours later and help save a colleague’s life is incredibly rewarding. Then, only days later, another delegate from exactly the same course put those skills into practice in completely different circumstances. It shows the real value of investing in high-quality training.”
Greg Ward, Chief Executive Officer of PTSG, said: “These are two remarkable examples of colleagues stepping forward when it mattered most. They didn’t hesitate, they acted. Technical training is at the heart of what we do, but these stories show that investing in our people goes far beyond developing careers. Sometimes the skills learned in the classroom become the skills that save a life. We couldn’t be prouder of Lewis and Kyle.”
The Qualsafe-accredited First Aid at Work programme forms part of PTSG’s wider investment in colleague development through its new Centre of Excellence, which officially opens this week. The facility will provide technical, professional and practical training for colleagues from across the Group, helping ensure they have the knowledge and confidence to keep people safe every day.
