Hello there
It is almost the end of the first half of the year, and I believe you have been going for your goals actively. It is a great time to have an appraisal on yourself to assess your set goals and plans. Well, even if you have not done that, it is not too late to sit done and have a self-assessment session. If you have been following our articles, we have been discussing ISO standards and if you have missed out on any of our articles, kindly scroll down to catch up by clicking whichever interests you.
I read a thread on a social media platform today and that post inspired my article. A young man passed in his organization yesterday following his boss’ expression of displeasure about his late arrival at work the previous day. He tried to explain to her that he had some health challenges, but she cared less for any of it; he eventually came to work the next day to please his boss at the detriment of his health and his eventual death. The part of the post that caught my attention was how a simple first aid could have saved his life, but none of his colleagues possessed the basic know-how of a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and on getting him to the hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival. Wow! What a sight that would be.
First Aid in the workplace is defined as the necessary temporary assistance provided to an injured or ill person until professional medical care can be provided. This is just basic care provided in the face of an emergency to stabilize a person and limit the chances of the emergency deteriorating. First aid in the workplace can be basic skills like:
- Performing CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR for short is the most known and important first aid skill. It is a simple process to resuscitate a person who is short on breath and save a life. A simple CPR is done by; giving 30 compressions on the chest of the unconscious person and giving two quick rescue breaths. This helps provide artificial ventilation that can preserve brain function, blood circulation, and breathing in a person.
- Heimlich Maneuver: If someone is choking, the Heimlich can dislodge whatever it is that is blocking their airways to save their life or prevent potential brain damage. Typically, a person who has had their airways blocked has about five minutes before brain damage occurs.
- Stopping the Bleeding: Apply pressure on the cut with a cloth, gauze or tissue till bleeding stops and even if the material in question soaked, do not remove just add more material and continue to apply pressure until bleeding stops.
- Treating Burns: Apply cool water on the affected area (not cold). Remove all tight items such as ring or clothing around the area and avoid bursting blisters. Also, apply a moisturizing lotion such as aloe vera and not oil or ointment and loosely bandage. Get an over-the-counter pain reliever as soon as you can.
- Support a Sprain: Sprains are common injuries. The sprained joint should be wrapped with an ace bandage and elevated until a doctor can take a look at it. Usually, the best treatment for sprains is R.I.C.E.—rest, ice, compression, elevation. If a sprain is not properly taken care of it can cause long-term cartilage and tissue damage.
Safety in the workplace cannot be over emphasized but when accidents occur, staff should be able to offer simple health care procedures before a professional arrives to prevent the emergency from degenerating into something grave. Remember to always have a First Aid Kit that contains common pain relievers and other first aid medication. Have it at the back of your mind always that; safety is everybody’s business.
Having a first aid kit is also a requirement of the ISO 45001:2018 and being ISO satisfied gives both your employees and customers the peace that they need to do business with you. Kindly send us an email today to get a quote on any ISO standard that you need.
Until I come your way again, stay safe and work smart and not just hard.
Love,
Lizzy.