Deliveroo launches first aid program to equip drivers with life-saving skills in Australia
Not only can Deliveroo drivers rescue you from hunger pains, they could also save your life under a new program revealed today.
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Exclusive: Deliveroo has launched a campaign to equip its riders with lifesaving first aid skills in a bid to protect the community.
The scheme, unveiled today, will be on offer to couriers in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with the intention to expand training availability to the 6500 riders across Australia.
It comes off the back off research commissioned by the British Red Cross last year that found only five per cent of adults have the skills and confidence to provide first aid in emergency situations.
Riders could find themselves responding to incidents at partner restaurants, or on the road.
Deliveroo Country Manager Levi Aron told News Corp Australia the company first offered the training to its British food couriers last year.
Mr Aron said the training wasn’t compulsory, but had found popularity among riders who were eager to learn the lifesaving skills.
He said although the program was only new to Australia, uptake among the Deliveroo community was strong.
“We consistently hear that riders want to give back to the local areas that they operate in and they do see accidents and emergencies while out on the road from time to time,” Mr Aron said.
“This is not about riders helping other riders, but about helping members of the public who are in trouble.
The initiative became apparent when Deliveroo started to hear stories of riders rescuing customers from spiders, or assisting those who required help while running deliveries, Mr Aron said.
He explained he could envisage drivers responding to anything from falls, to instances of fainting and accidents.
But he said there was no plan to roll a ‘request assistance’ function into the Deliveroo app.
The free training will be provided through the Australian Red Cross.
Red Cross senior first aid trainer, Craig King, told News Corp the training would help riders understand what to do while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
“We all know that providing first aid can save lives, but without training, not everyone feels confident to act in serious situations,” Mr King said.
“In the same way that everyone knows to call triple-0 when someone is unresponsive or seriously hurt, we need to make sure that people know what to do until the ambulance arrives. “Australian Red Cross believes everyone should know these simple, yet vital first aid skills. Working with Deliveroo to train some of its riders in first aid will not only raise further awareness about the importance of first aid but could potentially help save lives.”
A spokeswoman from competitor Menulog said it did not have a formal first aid training scheme.
“Formal first-aid training is not provided to couriers or restaurant partners,” she said.
“The Menulog Delivery Service has detailed, user-friendly Health and Safety Guidelines to ensure all couriers operating on the Menulog network conduct delivery services in a manner to ensure the safety of all participants in the Menulog system.
“Where deliveries are managed directly by restaurant partners, Menulog provides educational resources for its restaurant partners, however restaurants are responsible for the management of the drivers they engage to make these deliveries.”
Tim, a Deliveroo rider for eight months, said: “We’re on the streets a lot and you never know
what you might come across and I want to be equipped to help if something were to go
wrong in community I’m working in.”
Deliveroo operates in 13 cities across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Geelong, Wollongong, Penrith, Newcastle, Cairns and Hobart.
Couriers can deliver food on a bicycle, motorcycle or with a car.