BUSINESSES will join in a campaign that educates people about how to deal with knife injuries.

St Helens Chamber will be working with Knifesavers, whose specialist bleeding control kits, education programme and free step-by-step app tell people what do if they are a victim of knife crime.

The partnership is aiming to educate and train businesses and young people across St Helens.

After being stabbed, a person can bleed to death in just three to five minutes and a rapid response ambulance takes on average seven minutes to arrive at the scene.

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KnifeSavers’ aim is for everyone to have the ability to control the bleeding from a knife wound and give medical staff the time they need to save someone’s life.

Rebecca Hitchen, young people’s development team leader at St Helens Chamber, said: “At the Chamber we think it’s really important for our young people to be educated about knife crime, so we build this into their training with us.

“The statistics for knife crimes are worrying but we hope that by partnering with KnifeSavers we can help young people to have a better education on the risks of knives and that they could step in and help should they see someone fall victim.”

KnifeSavers’ vital training will be available to local businesses through St Helens Chamber’s Shop and Pub Watch scheme, so that staff at local venues as well as retail staff have the knowledge to help save lives.

Marion Langshaw, business development adviser at St Helens Chamber, said: “I speak to plenty of businesses locally who agree they could definitely benefit from this training.

“Unfortunately, knife crime is high in our region and across the UK as a whole, but this education and training from KnifeSavers will ensure businesses are prepared for the worst and that they know exactly what steps to take to save a life.”

Rebecca added: “We’re bringing different departments of the Chamber together to ensure that we can get this essential training out to as many people as possible across all age ranges and backgrounds.

“Everyone should have knowledge on how to save a life in the event of a stabbing.

“We’ve purchased a bleeding control pack ourselves and are encouraging local businesses to do the same so that as a whole the St Helens community has the knowledge and tools to save lives.”

KnifeSavers was founded by trauma surgeons, doctors and nurses from the major trauma centre at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool, together with victims of knife trauma and their families. They provide training and bleeding control packs, which easy to use, and their training courses explain every component in detail so that users have the confidence to save a life.

Nikhil Misra, consultant trauma surgeon and director of the KnifeSavers campaign, said: “When it comes to helping someone with a knife wound, literally every second counts.

“Our team treats patients with knife injuries on a daily basis and we have the opportunity to pass on our experience and knowledge on how to control major bleeding via the KnifeSavers campaign.

“There are now a number of documented cases of the KnifeSavers training and bleeding control kits being successfully used to control major bleeding from knife wounds in the last few months around Merseyside, and save lives - we know this works.”

St Helens Chamber has purchased a bleeding control kit for St Helens town centre, for Shop and Pub Watch members to use.

To get your business involved in the life saving training, email marion.langshaw@sthelenschamber.com