An industrial accident requires prompt and responsible action to help employees who are injured. Suppose there is an accident here at the plant and a person is bleeding badly. To help, a knowledge of simple first aid rules is necessary. The important thing is to stop the bleeding immediately. Have the victim lie quietly, then apply direct pressure right on top of the wound with a sterile pad, or the cleanest piece of cloth you can find. (Here the speaker may want to demonstrate using a cloth pressed on a “wound” on the arm.)
Don’t hesitate to place your hand on the wound and press until a suitable cloth can be found. If a cloth becomes saturated with blood, just keep adding more pads of cloth, and secure them with a bandage.
If the wound is in an arm or leg and the blood flow is particularly hard to stop, you can try pressing on the brachial or femoral arteries to reduce the flow. (Speaker makes a muscle on the upper arm and presses fingers in the center of the bulge on the inner arm.) For a leg wound, press here on the femoral artery. (Speaker presses heel of hand on the mid-groin against the underlying pelvic bones.)
Never use a tourniquet unless you are willing to risk the loss of a limb to save a life. Here, it is best to apply the aforementioned procedures and wait for someone in authority to arrive, who can then decide whether or not to apply a tourniquet. If one is used, don’t remove it. Leave that to the doctor who treats the victim.
Minor wounds such as cuts and scratches should always be treated, too. If someone should happen to get a harmful chemical into eyes, it is important to act quickly. The first thing you must do is dilute the chemical by pouring water into eyes. Have the victim lie with the head to one side, then have someone hold the eyes open while you pour water into them. Pour at least a quart of water into the corner of the eye so that it runs over the surface and flows out the other side.
Don’t try to remove a foreign particle embedded in the eye’s surface. Instead, have the victim lie flat, place a sterile pad over the eye, bandage it in place, and get medical help immediately. If you must move a victim on a stretcher, make sure the person is flat on the back to avoid movement which could drive the particle deeper into the eye.
If the particle is under the eyelid or floating on the surface of the eyeball, you can try removing it with the corner of a clean piece of cloth. Never rub the eye to get it out.
An accident can bring on a condition we know as shock. A person suffering from shock may seem weak and confused. The victim may have cold, pale, clammy skin, feel nauseated, and the eyes may appear vacant with dilated pupils. If an accident victim has any or none of these symptoms, the person should be flat on the back. Normally, the feet should be elevated slightly, but if the victim has head and chest injuries or has difficulty breathing, the head and shoulders should be raised with pillows. Place blankets over and under the body to conserve heat. Don’t overheat, however. Don’t give the person any fluids unless expert medical help is delayed for at least a half-hour. Then, unless the person is unconscious, has a penetrating abdominal wound, or probably faces early surgery, you can give one-half glass of plain water, neither hot nor cold, every 15 minutes, starting with a few sips. However, discontinue the administration of fluids if the victim becomes nauseated.
Let’s review the more important first aid procedures:
- Get first aid for all wounds, even minor ones.
- Stop severe bleeding with direct pressure on the wound, preferably with a sterile pad or clean cloth.
- Irrigate eyes that have been splashed with dangerous chemicals and remove foreign particles with a clean bit of cloth.
- To treat for shock, have the victim lie down, cover and elevate the feet slightly. Raise the head and shoulders on pillows if there are head or chest injuries, or if the victim has difficulty breathing.
- If you can remember these few rules, you will be able to act in a mature, responsible way during an emergency.