One never knows in this fast-paced frenetic world when we will be in a position to assist during an injury or emergency situation. 

GOLDEN RULES OF FIRST AID

1. Do not waste time asking unnecessary questions
2. Find out the cause of injury.
3. Do first things first quickly, quietly and without fuss or panic.
4. Give artificial respiration if breathing has stopped-every second counts.
5. Stop any bleeding.
6. Guard against or treat for shock by moving the casualty as little as possible and handling him gently.
7. Do not attempt too much-do the minimum that is essential to save life and prevent the condition from worsening.
8. Reassure the casualty and those around and so help to lessen anxiety.
9. Do not allow people to crowd around as fresh air is essential.
10. Do not remove clothes unnecessarily.
11. Arrange for the removal of the casualty to the care of a Doctor or hospital as soon as possible.

FIRST STEP – TEACHING METHODS/TRAINING PROGRAMS

• Help trainees develop “hands-on” skills using mannequins and partner practice.
• Have the right first-aid supplies and equipment available.
• Expose trainees to acute injury and illness situations and responses using visual aids.
• Include course resources for reference both during and after training.
• Allow enough time for emphasis on commonly occurring situations.
• Emphasize skills training and confidence-building through “hands-on” practice.
• Emphasize quick response to first aid situations through practice scenarios and drills.

SECOND STEP – PROCEDURAL

• Understand what is expected if you come upon an injured worker. (Discuss your company’s policies/procedures)
• Understand what actions you would need to take if you are injured yourself.
• Know who to call and how you can reach them in every type of emergency situation. (Radio/ phone/ voice, etc.)
• Ensure you know a secondary person to contact in case the primary contact is not around.
• Ensure you are able to explain your location when you call for help so assistance is not delayed.

WHEN INJURIES OCCUR

1. Know the Safety Basics

• Understand the hazards of your work and the injuries that are most likely to occur while completing the work.
• Call 911 immediately you notice someone has collapsed.
• Assess the scene.
• Proceed with care only if it’s safe to do so.

2. Know the signs

• Unconscious – they will not be responding to you talking to them or touching them.
• They have no pulse.
• You cannot feel their breath when you put your cheek near their mouth.

3. Not trained, but in the know

• Lay the person on his or her back.
• Carry out hands-only CPR.

• • Uninterrupted chest compressions of about 100 a minute until paramedics arrive.
  • Compressions are repeatedly pressing hard down on the lower middle of the person’s rib cage (the sternum or breastbone) and releasing.
  • This presses down on the heart to keep it pumping and also causes suction, so the person ‘breathes’ and gets some oxygen to the lungs and blood

4. Trained and ready to go

• Start CPR with 30 chest compressions.
• Check airway for obstructions.
• If airway clear, start doing rescue breathing.
• If airway blocked, carry out mouth to nose rescue breathing.
• Now continue with 30 compressions to 1 rescue breath until the paramedics arrive.

5. Trained but rusty

• If you’ve previously received CPR training but you’re not confident in your abilities, then just do chest compressions at a rate of about 100 a minute.
• Continue until EMS personnel arrive.

6. Do not use this approach on newborns.

FINAL WORD

The best-case scenario is that you are never part of having to respond to an emergency or give assistance to an injured coworker. For many workers this unfortunately will not be the case. At some point it is very likely you will have to play a role in getting assistance for an injured coworker.