First Aid Safety Tips for
Managing an Emergency from St. John Ambulance
(NC) No one is ever completely out of risk of injury. Disaster
can strike anytime, anywhere. However, you can be prepared to
manage an emergency if you know what to do. St. John Ambulance,
Canada¹s leader in safety-orientedTM first-aid training, offers
courses to teach you what you need to know in an emergency and how
to render first aid that could save a life.
Reacting efficiently and effectively in an emergency can make all
the difference. In cases of serious injury, medical professionals
refer to the first hour after the incident as the golden hour, when the chances
of sustaining life are greatest. That's why it's imperative that
people who respond to an emergency are ready to take immediate action.
Follow these Steps to Effective Emergency Scene Management.
1. Call for help and acknowledge a response. If you¹re injured
while trying to help, you'll be in jeopardy if no one has been alerted.
2. Make sure you're safe. Emergency scenes can be dangerous and
you must ensure you don't put the casualty or yourself, at risk.
3. Take time to look for hazards and assess the risks of any
action you consider.
4. Watch out for an energy source that may have caused the
original injury. Is it still active and a threat? (live wires or running machinery
can have deadly consequences)
5. Look for secondary hazards, such as leaking fuel at a car
crash.
6. Assess yourself. Your first priority is to prevent injury to
everyone including yourself. Can you handle the scene? Are you able to help
the casualty?
7. Always be cautious. Avoid contact with blood or bodily fluids.
Wear surgical gloves if possible.
8. If you are trained in first aid, offer to help a conscious
casualty before approaching them. Be sensitive to the emotional state of
the person.
9. Keep onlookers away as much as possible. Try to ensure the
privacy of the casualty.
10. Leave the scene as you found it exactly. You may
unknowingly disturb evidence that would assist a police investigation.
If you have help at the emergency scene, and are awaiting first responders - ambulance, fire fighters, police etc.try to assign
tasks to keep the area safe.
Here's what bystanders can do:
-
Help make the area safe
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Find all casualties and assess for conscious response.
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Find a first aid kit.
-
Control onlookers or traffic.
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Call for medical help.
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Help give first aid, under the direction of a trained
individual.
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Gather and protect casualties' personal belongings.
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Take notes.
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Lead emergency personnel to the scene.
Emergency Response and the Law
In Canada (except Quebec) and most of the United States, you have
no legal obligation to help a person in need. However, governments want to
encourage people to help others, so they recognize Good Samaritan
Principles. These principles protect you if you choose to help someone in need. Keep
in mind that once you begin to give assistance, you are obligated to use
reasonable skill and care based on your personal knowledge or level of first
aid training. By law, you are considered a Good Samaritan if you give
help in good faith, without being paid. You should always get permission
to help a conscious casualty, regardless of your level of expertise. Never
abandon an injured individual.
With proper training and calm, rational thought, you can manage an
emergency scene. St. John Ambulance has been helping Canadians learn
essential life-saving first-aid skills for more than a century. For more
information on how you can make a difference, contact the office nearest you
or visit the St. John web site at www.sja.ca.
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