What Is First Aid?

PRINCIPLES OF PRIMARY EMERGENCY CARE

Outcome

Demonstrate the principles of primary emergency care in the workplace

Range: All health emergencies for people of all the ages

Learning outcomes

• The aims of primary emergency care are identified in the evidence
• Protection against further injury.
• Preservation of life.
• Promotion of recovery.
• Prevention of injuries for people at any age.
• Promotion of healthy lifestyles
• Personal protective devices and infectious disease prevention procedures (universal precautions), used during treatment of casualties, are identified and their purpose and application correctly described and demonstrated
• Personal protective equipment must include; surgical gloves, mouthpieces/respiration devices.
• Universal precaution procedures must cover the safe management of body fluid spills.
• The medico-legal implications of primary emergency care are explained in terms of existing relevant legislation
• Occupational health and safety legislation.
• Common law principles

Introduction

First aid is the aid that is given to an injured or sick patient on the seen, before more advanced help arrives. The first aider must make use of his own personal knowledge and logic as well as his/her ability to improvise.

People require first aid because of accidents illness, fire/flood and chemical contamination yearly that leads to a loss of working hours and income.

The total of injuries can be drastically reduced if everyone that is working:

• Work in a safe manner and doesn’t take chances.
• Make sure he/she is skilled in first aid.

Industrial accidents usually happen far away from medical facilities. Most injuries are minor, but even a minor injury can become infected if the workplace is dirty and therefore lead to death. The immediate covering of these injuries will decrease this possibility. The careless handling or transportation of an injured person can cause more damage to the injury and cause more pain and suffering.

First aid can fall into two main categories.

• treatment in a life-threatening situation awaiting medical help or
• treatment for minor injuries.

There is a variety of first aid equipment available and there are specific procedures to follow when dealing with people who are injured in the workplace. The purpose of this chapter is to describe and explain the different equipment to support the first aider in line with specific procedures he/she must follow to comply with policies and legislation requirements.

It is important to treat injuries whether minor or serious immediately and where the accident occurred through applying first aid methods. First aid can save limbs and lives. First aid training is readily available and only takes a little of your time. This course will teach you the correct way to render first aid to an injured person.

First Aid Aim

The 3 main aims of first aid, commonly referred to as the “3 P’s” are:

• Preserve life
• Prevent further injury
• Promote recovery

Additional to this, the following should also be aims of first aid:

• Prevention of injuries for people at any age.
• Promotion of healthy lifestyles

BE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH EMERGENCIES

Outcome

Sustain a basic level of preparedness for health emergencies in the workplace