First Aid Kits
Most injury data is collected at Emergency Clinics, Hospitals, Multi-disciplinary Medical Clinics and Injury Centres at major sporting events. In these settings, data collection focuses on severe injury and/or those requiring medical attention. Little data is available on Minor Injuries, which do not require medical attention.
A 1999 Study in 100 Adelaide schools. 3,538 students took part, reporting on 3,191 injuries. Overall, 1 body part was injured for every 3 participations in sporting activities. Elevated risk of injury occurred in team sports. Minor injuries constituted 86.5% of all injury presentations.
Frequency of Injuries - the majority of reported injuries were not serious. Injuries to the Knee and Ankle were the most frequent, accounting for 27% of injuries. Nature of Injuries - Aches & Pains, Bruising and Muscle Strain accounted for 49% of injuries.
The incidence of serious injury to Motorcycle riders, is approximately 41 times higher than for Car occupants, on a per distance travelled basis. Motorcyles account for 4.5% of passenger vehicle registrations and 0.9% of vehicle kilometers travelled, but account for 15% of all road crash deaths (Source:Dep’t Transport report “Fatal & Serious Road Crashes Involving Motorcyclists”).
Based on more than 6,000 recorded pre-hospital motorcycle-related incidents, Beauregard Motorcyclist first aid kits have been designed for the treatment of common injuries incurred by Motorcyclists.
In April 2011, the Victorian Department of Education issued suggested contents for School Excursion First Aid Kits - Procedure No. DEE EHU 27–5-2 of April 2011.
Schools need to assess whether the item quantities meet the needs of their particular excursion requirements – remoteness of access to professional medical services, potential types of injuries, risk of injuries, number of students.
Beauregard has developed a handy Backpack with a separate front pocket and adjustable straps, containing first aid components that comply with the Dep't of Education regulations.
To support the Model Work Health and Safety Act, Safe Work Australia, released draft model Work Health and Safety Codes of Practice and an Issues Paper for public comment. Responses were due by 18th. November '11. The Beauregard contribution was 17 pages of comment and recommendations. “All care, but no certainty of outcome,” is a reasonable deduction of the Regulations and Risk Management approach prepared by Safe Work Australia in its documents. Apart from the Act and Regulations, there are 15 different Codes of Practice which provide “guidance” to industry.
Whilst well written, with good examples, there is little specific assistance that offers “assurance of compliance” to industry, particularly for small and medium businesses. Whilst Codes of Practice cannot be expected to cover all hazards or risks that may arise, there are certainly some areas where “prescribed regulations” would be worthwhile.
The time to defibrillation is a key factor that influences survival. For every minute defibrillation is delayed, there is approximately 10% reduction in survival if the victim is in cardiac arrest due to Ventricular Fibrillation.
Defibrillator use should not be restricted to trained personnel. Allowing the use of Defibrillators by individuals without prior formal training can be beneficial and may be life saving. Since even brief training improves performance, (e.g. speed of use, correct pad placement) it is recommended that training in the use of Defibrillators be provided. (Source – Australian Resuscitation Council Guideline 7 Aug. 2011.)
Philips HeartStart Defibrillator - Unsurpassed Ease of Use for Better Rescue Success
For a lay-responder, helping save the life of a victim of cardiac arrest depends on performing a number of complex “Chain of Survival” tasks effectively and efficiently under stress. Success requires: • Summoning Emergency Services. • Using an AED correctly (particularly pad placement and the delivery of a shock with minimal delay) • Performing CPR The best chance for successful resuscitation depends on effectively performing all of these tasks. The goal, then, is to competently and consistently complete all the steps of the chain of survival, not just fast first shock delivery. Yet in an unexpected and stressful emergency, an inexperienced lay responder’s ability to reason, recall training, make decisions, and perform can be impaired. Laypeople may hesitate to respond for fear of making mistakes. Published studies show that the human factors designed into an AED can either help or hinder a stressed responder in performing the above success-determining tasks. What does the data show? The results of several studies indicate that the Philips HeartStart Defibrillator is best-in-class at helping lay-responders perform all of the above tasks, enabling a consistently successful rescue effort. This may lead to improved survival.
Beauregard First Aid has replacement supplies, such as Batteries and Defibrillator Pads, for Laerdal HeartStart Defibrillators. Contact us regarding any products not listed, which we can source for you.
For companies with defibrillators, periodic “hands-on” training is important to maintaining operator skills. Regular training also provides added confidence in using a Defibrillator. Beauregard First Aid can also supply Defibrillator Trainer devices.
In victims who need resuscitation, bystander CPR dramatically increases the chance of survival. CPR is the technique of chest compressions combined with rescue breathing. The purpose of CPR is to temporarily maintain a circulation sufficient to preserve brain function until specialised treatment is available. Rescuers should start CPR if the victim is unresponsive and not breathing normally. Even if the victim takes occasional gasps, rescuers should start CPR.
Current consensus is that a universal compression-ventilation ratio of 30:2 (30 compressions followed by 2 ventilations) is recommended for all ages regardless of the numbers of rescuers present. Compressions must be paused to allow for ventilations. If rescuers are unwilling or unable to do rescue breathing, they should do chest compressions only at a rate of approximately 100/min.
It is important that First Aid Supplies are replaced immediately after use. Product Use-By Dates need to be checked to ensure that first aid supplies are suitable for use.
First aid kits include numerous product items, some of which are required to have designated Expiry or Use-By dates. The dates will differ and their date of manufacture will differ, making it impossible to have a single “use-by date” for a complete first aid kit. All products with expiry dates, have the date stamped or printed on the packaging, but can be difficult to read on small items.
The Pressure Immobilisation Technique (PIT) is the recommended first aid treatment of Snake Bite in the field. Do not wash the venom off, cut or excise the bitten area, or apply an arterial tourniquet (cuts off blood circulation). Keep the victim and bitten area still.
If bitten on a limb, apply a pressure Bandage over the bite as soon as possible. If Bandages are not available, clothing or other material should be used. The bandage should be firm and tight. You should be unable to easily slide a finger between the bandage and the skin. If additional bandages are available, apply to the fingers or toes and extend up the limb as far as possible, over the bite site.
First Aid Risk Assessment The term Risk Management is commonly used within the OHS industry and many companies specialise in this area. However, for small businesses, the task of undertaking this type of assessment can be daunting. Following are two approaches that small-medium companies may find helpful :
Moderate Risk is where the balance of Injury Likelihood and Impact/Consequences, is Moderate.
Further “Guidance” – this indicative reference of risk may also be a helpful reference :
Low Risk – 0% to 33%, Moderate Risk – 34% to 66%, High Risk – 67% to 100%.
Another more definitive approach is …….
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
