SAFETY IN OUR ENVIRONMENT

SAFETY IN OUR ENVIRONMENT

FIRST AID AND SAFETY

First aid is an immediate assistance care given to a sick or injured person before getting professional medical help.

IMPORTANCE OF FIRST AID

• It helps to save life.
• It helps to prevent the victim’s condition from becoming worse.
• It also promotes recovery.
• It helps reduce pain and suffering.
• It helps to reassure the victim/ to restore confidence to the victim.

THE FIRST AID KIT

The first aid kit is the small box which contains items that are for providing first aid. This box should be clearly labeled “first aid” and stored in a safe and easily accessible place for instance on a shelf, on the wall in a laboratory or in a staff room.

COMPONENTS OF FIRST AID KIT AND THEIR USES

SN	ITEM	USE
1	Plaster or adhesive bandage	Covering small wounds
2	Sterile gauze	Covering wounds to protect them from dirty and germs
3	Antiseptic	Cleaning wounds to kill germs
4	Soap	Washing hands/ wounds and equipment
5	pain killers	Relieving pain Note: they should be placed regularly
6	scissor and razor blade	Cutting dressing materials
7	safety pins	Securing bandage
8	Bandages	Keeping dressing in place and immobilizing injured limbs
9	cotton wool	Cleaning and drying wounds
10	Thermometer	Taking body temperature
11	Disposable sterile gloves	Preventing direct contact with victim’s body fluids
12	petroleum jelly	Smoothing  chapped skin
13	Torch	As a source of light
14	Whistle	Blown to call for help
15	Spirits	To kill germs in wound

 The following are First Aid procedures that can help people in various situations;

Bee sting

Treatment

When a person is stung by a bee sting remains on the skin.

Remove the sting by scraping gently using a blunt object such as a plastic card

• Do not use your fingers or sharp object because this makes Bee sting to release more venom into the body.
• Wash the sting area with soap and water.
• Apply baking soda paste or salt water on the bee sting.
• The sting acidic baking soda/salt is base and it neutralizes the acid.
• Apply a cold compress to relieve pain and swelling

Note:

If a victim develops allergic reaction, take the person to hospital immediately.

Electric shock

This is a sudden painful feeling that somebody gets when electricity passes through the body. Electric shock is caused by touching or stepping an exposed  naked electricity live cable

Treatment

Remove the patient from the source of the danger.

1. Switching off the electricity current
2. Protecting yourself with a dry insulation materials such as rubber gloves or wrap your hand in dry clothing
3. Loosen any light clothing around the neck, chest and waist
4. Start artificial respiration immediately if the victim is unconscious
5. Take the patient to the hospital immediately

Shock

This is the sudden violent disturbance of the mind or emotions.

Causes of Shock

• Bad news
• A frightening traumatic scene
• Severe illness
• Dehydration
• Severe allergic reaction
• Heavy bleeding inside the body

Treatment

1. Have the person lie down with his feet higher than his head. However if he/she has a severe head injury put him/her a half sitting position.
2. Stop any bleeding
3. If the person feels cold, cover him with a blanket.
4. If he/she is conscious and able to drink, give him/her sips of water or other soft drinks.
5. Keep calm and rescue the person

Note:

If the person is conscious, lay he/she on his/her side with head low lifted back and to one side. If they seem to be shocked pull his/her tongue forward with your finger. Do not give him/her anything by the mouth until become conscious.

Wounds

Treatment

1. First wash your hand with soap and water, then wash the abrasions gently and dry it
2. Apply some gentian violet solution (GV) to keep it clean and dry more quickly
3. When cleaning the wound be careful to clean all the dirty lift up and clean under any flaps of skin
4. After the wound has been cleaned, place a piece of clean gauze or cloth over the top

Bleeding

a) Nose bleeding

     Nose bleeding may occur as a result of

1. Blowing the nose too hard as a result of dried mucus
2. A punch direct to the nose from another person
3. High blood pressure
4. Air pressure changes

Treatment

• Sit quietly
• Blow the nose firmly for 10 minutes or until bleed stops. It is advised to breathe through mouth.
• If this does not control bleeding, pack the nostril a wrap of cotton. Leaving part of outside the nose if possible. First wet the cotton with hydrogen.

Vomiting

To vomit is to remove food from the stomach through the mouth. It can be caused by food poisoning, contaminated water, fever or excessive eating.

Treatment

The person should get adequate rest. Give lots of fluids make a  re-hydration drink by mixing 1 liter of clean water, 1.5 spoon of salt and 4 to 5 spoon of sugar.

Muscle cramps and sprains

1. Sprains

It’s possible to know whether a hand or foot is bruised, sprained or broken, it helps to have an x- ray. To release pain and swelling, keep the sprained part raised high. Put the ice, wrapped in a cloth or plastic bag or cold wet cloth over the swollen joint for 20 to 30 minutes. Once even hour (when the swelling is no longer getting worse, soak the sprain in hot water several times a day.

Muscle cramps

         Muscle cramp is sudden, involuntary and painful contraction of a single muscle or group of muscle. The cause of muscle cramps include

1. Poor coordination of the muscle during exercise
2. Cold
3. Excessive loss of salt and body fluids due to too much sweating ,severe diarrhea or persistent vomiting  (Dehydration)

Treatment foot muscle cramps

• Help the victim to stand
• When the first contraction is over, let the victim sit down.
• Straight on the victim knee and draw his or her foot firmly and steadily upward towards the shin
• Massage the muscle
• Get the medical help if the cramps do not stop

POISONING

A poison is any substance that causes harm if it’s swallowed, inhaled or absorbed into the body. If the poison has been breathed in, move the person outside where there is plenty of fresh air, if the victim is not breathing start mouth breathing to move resuscitation.

If the poison has been swallowed, give a glass of milk or water or both. This helps to dilute and neutralize the poison, don’t introduce vomiting if the poison is a corrosive. Introduce vomiting if the poison is none corrosive substances. Vomiting can be induced by putting your finger in the victim’s throat or by making the victims gargle soap water or raw egg yolk, take the person to hospital immediately.

EXERCISE

WRITE TRUE OR FALSE

1. You should induce vomiting, if a person has swallowed kerosene TRUE.
2. First aid helps to rescue the victim TRUE.
3. You should remove bee stings, using a needle FALSE.
4. Before taking a snake bite victim to hospital you must first capture the snake TRUE.
5. It is important to reduce the rate at which poison spread in the body TRUE.
6. You should move a victim of electric shock using a metal object FALSE.
7. A person who is nose bleeding should lie down TRUE.
8. We can use clean water, salt and sugar to make a re-hydration drink for person who has vomited TRUE.

SAFETY AT HOME AND SCHOOL

Many accidents occur in our schools as well as at home, children handicapped are more to get accidents. The common accidents at home and school including drowning poisoning, choking, cuts and scratches, falls, bites and electric shock.

                                 Common accidents and how to prevent them

Accident	Preventing and safety and how to prevent them
Fire burns and scalds	Switch off Bunsen burners and cookers which not in use
Drowning	-          Don’t go swimming alone -          Use a bridge when crossing rivers and streamsEXERCISE WRITE TRUE OR FALSE You should induce vomiting, if a person has swallowed kerosene TRUE.

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