Simple first aid in the workshop

Dressings, bandages and slings

Dressings:

Dressing is a covering for a wound. The aim is to stop bleeding and to prevent infection.

Dressing should be sterile and put directly over the wound.

Dressing should be absorbent so that it can absorb blood.

Dressing should not stick to the wound.

Do not use dirty dressing as this will introduce germs into the wound causing infection in the wound.

•We use adhesive dressing for small wounds with light bleeding. For example,
Elastoplast is an adhesive dressing. It has an outer edge which is adhesive,
with a dressing pad in the middle.  It sticks to the skin around the wound so
it does not need bandage.

•We use pressure dressings to control severe bleeding.

•We use gauze dressings, which are kept in place with a bandage.

Bandages:

A bandage is any kind of material that holds a dressing in place.

A bandage also keeps pressure on a wound to help stop bleeding.

A bandage can support a part of the body and keep a part of the body from
moving.

You can make a useful bandage by cutting a square piece of cloth (1 meter by
1 meter) diagonally from corner to corner to form a triangle.

This bandage can be used to support an injured arm, to immobilise a part of
the body or as a broad or narrow bandage.

An arm sling:

An arm sling give support and protection for an injured arm and keeps the arm

elevated.

How to make an arm sling:
1. Support the arm across the injured person’s chest. Keep the wrist and
hand slightly higher than the elbow. Keep the arm slightly away from the
chest
2. Put the triangular bandage between the forearm and the chest.
3. Move the top end of the bandage over the person’s shoulder and
around to the injured side.
4. Support the person’s injured arm. Bring the lower end of the bandage
over the hand and forearm, and tie at the top.
5. Bring the point of the bandage in front of the elbow and fasten it with
a safety pin.
6. Make sure the person’s fingertips stick out of the bandage so you can
check for any signs of loss of circulation. Fingers turning blue is a good
sign for loss of circulation.

First aid for deep wounds:
A deep wound is deeper and larger than a minor wound. Follow these
steps for a deep wound.
1. Wash your hands and put on a pair of gloves. Remember to hurry because
you must stop the bleeding as soon as possible.
2. Stop the bleeding by putting pressure on the wound. Use your hands or
dressing.
3. If the dressing becomes full of blood, do not remove it. Just add another
dressing on top.
4. Raise the body part where the wound is.
5. Arrange for the patient to be taken to hospital as soon as possible. 

FIRST AID FOR FRACTURES, DISLOCATIONS AND SPRAINS:

Preparing an ice pack:

An ice pack helps to relieve pain and swelling.

To make an ice pack, fill a plastic bag two thirds with crushed ice. Press the

air out of the rest of the bag and close the bag to make it watertight. Wrap

the bag in a towel. Do not put the ice pack directly on the injured persons skin

as the cold can cause more damage to the skin.

A bag of frozen peas or corn kernels works very well as an ice pack because it

can form around the leg or arm. To make such a n ice pack take the bag out of

the freezer and wrap it in a towel.

Checking circulation:

To check circulation it is very important to check the colour of an injured

person, especially his finger nails in case of an arm injury, or his toe nails in

case of a leg injury.

Do this by gently pressing the nail until the colour no the nail is faded. If the

colour come back quickly when you let go of the nail, the circulation is still

good. If the nail stay white or bluish, or if the colour takes a long time to

come back, then the circulation is probably been restricted.

If the fingers and/or the toes are colder than the rest of the body, the

circulation is probably restricted.

If you think the circulation is restricted, loosen the bandages and check the

circulation again. If the circulation is still restricted get medical help as soon

as possible.

BURN

A burn is more serious if the person is older or sick or if the burn is close to\

internal organs.

•  Deep burns, when the outer layers of the skin has been destroyed.

•  Superficial burns, when only the outer layer of the skin has been damaged.

First aid for burns:

1.  Take the person away from the cause of the burn.

2.  Switch off any electrical current or brush away any chemical substances

that can cause further burning. Remember to protect your hands from chemical

substances.

3.  Put cold water or towels soaked in cold water on the burn. For chemical

burn, keep on pouring cold water over the burned area for at least 15 minutes.

4.  Remove the persons clothes because of chemical substances that may still

be on the clothes. This is no time to be modest rather be seen naked than

burn further with chemicals.

5.  Help the injured person to take a cold shower.

6.  You can also help by giving the person small sips of water.

7.  Make the person comfortable by removing tight clothing, jewellery, belts

and shoes.

8.  If any piece of clothing sticks to the burn, do not pull it away. Leave it as

is.

9.  Most important, get the person to a doctor as soon as possible.

Dressing for burns:

•  Do not put creams or ointments on burns until a medical professional has

looked at the burns. Creams and ointments can damage the skin and make

the injury worse.

•  Do not break blisters!  This will cause pain and lead to infection.

•  Do not put cotton wool or fluffy stuff on the burn. This will stick to the

wound and the skin will came away with the cotton wool or fluffy stuff.

•  Lightly cover the area with sterile dressing to keep the burned area clean.

•  Do not touch the area of the dressing that will touch the wound as this may

transfer germs into the wound.

First aid for eye injuries

Your eyes are the softest part of your body and must be protected at all

times. Wear eye protection.

In case of an eye injury you must act quickly to prevent the person from losing

his/her sight.

Particles in the eye.

Any small foreign object in the eye can make the eyeball inflamed. Usually

tears from the injured person will wash away the particle but sometimes it can

get stuck. If you can see the particle then you can remove it.

You must remove it by using the corner of a moist tissue or clean moist cloth.

If you can not see the object it might be stuck to the underside of the top

eyelid.

To look there follow the following steps:

•  Person sits in chair facing the light. Stand slightly behind him and to the

side.

•  Tilt the persons head back and ask him to look down.

•  Hold the lashes of the upper eyelid between your thumb and forefinger and

lift the eyelid over a matchstick so you can inspect the inside of the eyelid. 

Objects in the eye.

If an bigger object get into the eye, especially a piece of glass, do not try to

remove it. Ask the person to lie down and place dressing around the eye. Put

the bottom of a paper cup over the eye to prevent any further pressure on the

eye and take the person to a doctor.

Cuts on the eye.

Cuts on the eye are very painful and dangerous. Do not put any pressure on

the cut eye. It will not stop the bleeding and probably injure the eye even

more. Give the following first aid:

•  Help the injured person to lie down. He or she will not be able to see and

must be kept very quiet.

•  Close the injured eyelid. Cover the eye and the areas around the eye with

soft padding You can keep the padding in place with adhesive strips. This will

stop movement and protect the eye.

•  Prevent movement of the head and spine as this will increase bleeding.

•  Keep the persons head as still as possible and take him to a doctor as soon

as possible.

Chemical burns to the eye.

If someone has a chemical burn in the eye, you must first remove the

chemicals. If it is dry chemicals brush it out of the eye with a soft brush

protecting your hands at all times. If the chemicals are in liquid form rinse the

eye under running water for at least 15 minutes. Keep the eye open with your

fingers while you do this. Cover the eye and take person to a doctor as soon

as possible.

Burns to the eye from intense bright light.

Bright sunlight, flash from a welding machine or infrared lights can

permanently damage the eyesight. Sometimes pain is only felt 4 or 5 hours

after the incident. If a person has been burned by bright light in the eyes,

cover the eyes and get the person to a doctor as soon as possible.

First aid for breathing

If someone has stopped breathing, first make sure there are no blockages in

the airways then start CPR immediately. (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation) CPR

means to breathe into someone’s mouth and press on his/het chest in order to

make the person start breathing on his own again.

Every first aid kit should have a plastic mouth piece to form a barrier between

the mouth of the patient and the person giving CPR.

Follow these steps to do CPR:

1.  Using gloved hands put the mouth piece in the patient’s mouth. Use one

hand and put your thumb over the persons lower teeth, gums and tongue,

with your fingers under his chin and open his mouth gently. Use your other

hand to place the bite block of the mouth piece between the person’s teeth.

2.  Place your gloved hands under the plastic, In contact with the skin: the

palm of one hand on the forehead, and two fingers under his chin.

3.  Lift the head and tilt the chin by pushing down on the forehead and lifting

the chin up, to open the person’s air passages.

4.  Place your mouth over the patient’s mouth with the plastic in between.

5.  Close the patient’s nose under the plastic sheet with the hand on the

forehead. This will prevent air escaping through his nose.

6.   Blow into his lungs until you see his chest rise. Give two breaths each

lasting for one second.

7.  If the person dose not breathe or start moving, chest compressions must

be started. This means pushing down on the chest, in the middle of where the

nipples are supposed to be. Push with the palm of your hand, one hand on top

of the other. For thirty pushes. About one second per push. 30 pushes should

take 30 seconds.

8.  Stop and check if the person has started to breath or moving yet. If not,

start again at number 4.

9.  Repeat this process until the patient start to breath or move on his own or

until paramedics or a doctor arrive.