First-aid-box and components of the box - Week Four

WEEK FOUR (ONE HOUR)

DATE: 8^TH JUNE

TOPIC: The concept of First Aid Box

Objective: At the end of this class students should be able to know:

The definition of first-aid-box

The identification of some components of the box

Recommended book:

ILO (2017) Safety-Health and Working Conditions – Retrieved from http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_protect/@protrav/@safework/documents/instructionalmaterial/wcms_175900.pdf

4.1 General Introduction

In the last class, you learnt about the basics of safety and why it is paramount to be safety-conscious in the laboratory. The first-aid-box is a rectangular object which contain. In every laboratory, there is need to have a first-aid-box. Likewise, you were given an assignment on the types of maintenance.  

4.1.1    First aid

First aid equipment and material should be readily available for treating industrial injuries or sickness at all workplaces. Such equipment includes a first aid kit and a stretcher with blankets. A person with first aid training should always be on the premises.

In the event of an accident, you should act in the following way:

􀀍 prevent more people from being injured

􀀍 call the instructor or supervisor, or the person responsible for first aid treatment. Call an ambulance if necessary.

􀀍 aid the injured person.

In the case of a serious accident, you should observe the following procedures in giving first aid to an injured person:

The task of the workplace “first aider” is to attend to the victim of an accident, or to help when someone suddenly falls ill. Action taken in the first minutes is often crucial when saving life and limiting the extent of the injury. Everybody at the workplace must know who the trained first aiders are and where they can be found. He/she is also responsible for making sure that the first aid box is complete and contains the right equipment.

1. Check breathing

Check quickly that air is passing in and out through the nose or mouth of the injured person. If a person is unconscious and lying on his back, he can suffocate because the tongue can slip back into the throat and block the respiratory tract (ILO, 2017)

2. Respiratory failure –  artificial respiration

If the person has simply collapsed, support the back of the neck with one hand, and place the other hand on the forehead. Bend the injured person’s head as far back as you can. Pinch his (her) nose and start blowing air in through his (her) mouth.

3. Stemming heavy bleeding

If the injured person is bleeding, try to stop the

bleeding by using direct pressure on the wound and by placing the injured limb in a raised position. In most cases this is all that is required to stem the flow of blood.  The injured person should lie with his/her feet up, except in cases of head or chest injury or difficulty in breathing.

4. Preventing shock

In the case of serious accidents, e.g. deep wounds accompanied by heavy loss of blood, bad jamming accidents, injuries to the chest or stomach leading to internal bleeding and severe burns, etc., there is always a high risk that the injury will lead to shock.  Severe accident shock can be fatal. But it can also be prevented!

First check that the victim is breathing without help. Next, prevent shock by laying the injured person face down on one side. Loosen any tight clothing. Place a blanket under the injured person and cover him/her up. Protect the injured person from direct sunlight. Do not give him/ her anything to drink unless on a doctor’s orders. Moisten the injured person’s lips and tongue if asked to.

Examples of measures to prevent shock:

􀀍 free respiration: always place an unconscious person on his/her side in a slightly forward leaning position. Care should be taken to protect an injured neck.

􀀍 stop bleeding: direct pressure on the wound with the injured limb in a raised position.

􀀍 rest: the injured person should lie with the feet and legs raised above the level of the head. Warmth helps, so cover him with a blanket. It is important to maintain body temperature.

5. Wounds, cuts, abrasions

The most common injury resulting from an accident is a cut or abrasion. If cuts and abrasions are superficial, first stem the bleeding then clean them carefully and thoroughly with soap and water. After cleaning, cover them with a bandage.  

6. Burns

If a person’s clothing has caught fire, the best way of quenching the flame is to roll the person on the floor or in a blanket. After extinguishing the flames make sure the person is breathing, cool the burn with water, cover the burn, and make sure that the victim gets to a hospital as quickly as possible.  

7. Injuries from working with corrosives

If anyone spills acid or alkali on the skin, you should rinse it off as quickly as possible with water unless otherwise indicated. The injuries should then be treated in the same way as burns. Injuries from corrosive liquids are often much worse than they appear. For this reason the injuries, no matter how insignificant they may appear, should be treated by a doctor.

8. Eye injuries

The greatest possible care should be taken in the case of injuries to the eye or the area surrounding it.

“Dirt in the eye” is one of the most common eye complaints.

9. Injuries from electricity

Electric shocks affects the heart and can rapidly be fatal. Additional injuries could occur if the victim, when shocked, should fall from a scaffolding, ladder or any elevated place.   If the injured person is still touching an electric device, the current should be cut off immediately by switching it off at the source. If the current cannot be cut off, use something that is long, dry, clean, and non-conductive to move the person away from the source or the source away from the person.

10. Broken limbs, sprains, dislocations

In cases where a fractured limb is suspected, the injured person should have his limb immobilised to prevent the break from getting worse and to alleviate the pain. Use a splint, a couple of sticks or even a rolled up newspaper, place the support on the outside of the clothing and secure it with a bandage. The splint or support should be long enough to cover the joints above and below the break in the bone. To avoid unnecessary pressure on the break, wadding can be inserted between the splint and the limb.

When there is an open wound on the broken limb, use a dressing to cover the wound before applying the splint.

11. Injuries to the skull and spine

Blows to the skull can lead to unconsciousness (concussion) and spine injury.

If the person is breathing and conscious, do not allow him to move unless he needs to more to clear his air passages. In that case, taking care not to injure the spine, place him slightly on his/her side with the face down. In this position you can prevent blood running into the respiratory tract from any wounds in the mouth or throat. Never put wads in the nose of the injured person to prevent bleeding. When blood is running out of the ears, do not try to rinse it away. If an injured person has lost consciousness and is lying with his/her jaws locked tightly together, do not try to force them open.

Never try to give an unconscious person something to drink; it can run into the respiratory tract and lungs and cause suffocation.  When you suspect a break in the spine or pelvis, the injured person should only be moved by trained personnel. NB: In the case of a broken arm or leg, do not make the injury worse by trying to straighten the broken limb. This picture shows a suitable way of moving a person with a broken leg. The leg is supported with rolled-up blankets on both sides to minimize movement at the break. All workplaces and companies must have plans and organization for rapid transportation to a suitable hospital and treatment of all injuries that are likely to occur.

12. Injuries to the stomach

If an injury to the stomach is caused by a blow, being run over, or something falling on the person, etc., he or she should be taken to a hospital immediately.

Do not give the injured person anything to eat or drink.

Open wounds should be covered with a clean, wet bandage. Care must be taken in transporting the injured person to the hospital.

13. Lifting a person

When the injured person has to be carried to a

safe place while waiting for an ambulance, the most comfortable way of lifting him (her) is by using a stretcher or a big blanket.