Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – Spreading knowledge of first aid procedures and fostering greater awareness in emergency management is the goal of Health & Safety Day 2026, a free initiative open to all citizens, promoted by Bayer in collaboration with the Italian Diagnostic Center (CDI), which took place at the Fondazione Triulza in the Milan Innovation District (MIND). The event, organized to coincide with World Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Day, celebrated today, October 16, included a theoretical and practical session dedicated to learning the main first aid techniques, with a particular focus on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and airway clearance.
The CDI nursing team, responsible for the medical aspects of the meeting, illustrated the procedures for the main lifesaving maneuvers and, in the second part of the day, accompanied the participants through practical exercises and simulations, answering their questions and, if necessary, correcting their movements during the rehearsals.
The initiative promoted by Bayer comes at a time when knowledge of emergency procedures is still limited.
Only 16% of Italians know how to provide proper first aid in the event of cardiac arrest, such as cardiac massage and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), according to a survey commissioned by the IRC (Italian Resuscitation Council) from the Opinion Leader 4 Future Observatory, Credem, and the Catholic University. "The percentage is a bit discouraging, but unfortunately it's true," says Simona Cavioni, director of the IRC-Nursing Project training center in Monza. "We are a very empathetic population, eager to help, but the main problem in Italy is a lack of knowledge.
Unfamiliar and unsure of what to do, people are afraid to intervene in various emergency situations for fear of making a mistake. This is one of our limitations, which unfortunately leads to very low success rates for certain events such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The report also revealed that "29% of Italians would simply call for help, 21% would offer support without intervening directly, 32% would only act if guided by instructions from an operator over the phone, and 2% would not intervene at all." Regarding knowledge, "13% of Italians are well-versed in cardiac arrest rescue procedures, 41% know them only 'in general', and 46% know them completely."
"Bayer is a life sciences company. This means that it has the health and safety in its DNA, not only of its employees and their families, but also of all citizens," emphasizes Annalisa Angeleri, head of health and safety at Bayer Italy. "Therefore," for the pharmaceutical company, "promoting these events is crucial, because the goal is to try to transform every ordinary citizen into a first responder, which means being an active part of what is called the chain of survival."
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