Contents

Introduction

Emergency planning

Fires

The fire triangle

Responding to a fire

Providing first aid

Assessing the situation

Calling for help

Check for responses

Reassure the casualty

Providing first aid

The ABC action plan

First aid facilities

Following up after an incident

Investigation

Incident notification

Register of injuries

Summary

Answers

Introduction

Accidents and incidents are unplanned and undesired events that may result in injury to people or damage to property.

After completing this section, you should be able to:

  • identify a range of workplace emergencies that pose a threat to health and safety and describe a suitable procedure for an emergency workplace evacuation
  • select and use an appropriate fire extinguisher for a given type of fire
  • identify a range of commonly used workplace safety signs

Emergency planning

Employers need to establish plans and procedures to cope with fire and other emergencies. Emergencies can result from events such as leaks or spills, fire or explosions, mechanical failures or other incidents.

There should be contingency plans in place to deal with the types of emergencies that might arise. Workers should be informed about these plans, including evacuation procedures.

The purpose of an emergency plan is to:

•provide written and clearly displayed procedures to be followed in the event of emergency evacuation

•give specific duties to individual staff members.

A plan should be widely displayed on noticeboards, clearly worded and include a floor plan of the building layout. All exit locations and meeting points should be included on the plan.

Look at the following office floor plan and note that it shows an employee the quickest and safest way to exit the building.

Figure 1: This plan shows an employee the quickest and safest way to exit the building

Fires

The fire triangle

Three factors are needed for a fire to start. These three factors are known as the fire triangle. Fire fighting is based upon eliminating one or more of these factors.

Note: these basic notes are for general knowledge only, and will not give you the skills to fight a fire. Leave the fire fighting to the experts!

Fuel

Every fire requires a fuel source. This can be any solid, liquid, or gas that can burn. Common examples are wood, coal dust, paper, petrol, natural gas and so on. Fires will burn at different rates depending upon the type of fuel and the surface area available to the fire front.

If a fire can be starved of fuel, it can be extinguished or reduced in intensity. Examples of this include back-burning and fire breaks for bush fires, or turning off a source of gas.

Oxygen

Most fires take oxygen directly from the air. Fires that are fed by enriched oxygen sources (such as liquid oxygen, or oxidising agents) are very intense and destructive.

Starving a fire of oxygen is an effective method to extinguish a small fire. Examples of this include:

  • If a fire occurs in an oven, saucepan, small room or other closable container, it can often be extinguished by simply closing the door.
  • Some types of fire extinguisher work primarily by excluding oxygen for long enough for the fire to be extinguished. Examples are carbon dioxide, foam and BCF extinguishers.

Heat

Initially, a source of heat is required as an ignition source. When combustion begins it will usually be self-sustaining, which simply means that the heat of combustion will continue to ignite the unburnt material.

Removing the heat from a fire helps to extinguish it, and this factor plays a major role in fire fighting with water, or water based extinguishers.

Responding to a fire

If you discover a fire, remember the six steps to safety:

  1. sound the alarm immediately
  2. tell everyone to get clear
  3. advise the fire brigade
  4. fight the fire—if you have been trained to do so
  5. evacuate the building
  6. do not re-enter the building until the all clear has been given by the fire brigade.

For electrical fires, remember to turn off the power.

Here’s what to do in case of a fire.


Figure 2a: Sound the alarm /
Figure 2b: Tell others

Figure 2c: Advise the fire brigade /
Figure 2d: Fight the fire if trained to do so

Figure 2e: Evacuate /
Figure 2f: Stay clear of the building

Fire extinguishers

Extinguishers are colour-coded so that you can easily identify them. Extinguishers that contain water, for example, are colour-coded red. This is important to know because you cannot use water to put out fires involving live electrical equipment. You could get electrocuted.

Remember that a fire extinguisher is only the first step in fire fighting. All small fires can quickly become big fires—and an extinguisher is no substitute for the fire brigade.

The table below lists the main types of extinguishers, their colour codes and their special uses.

Table 4: Main type of fire extinguishers

Extinguisher / Colour / Electrical / Paper / Fuel & oil / Gas / Toxic / Purpose
Water / red / No / Yes / No / No / No / cooling
Foam / blue / No / Yes / Yes / Yes / No / smother
CO2 / red with black band / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / No / smother
Halon/BCF* / yellow / Yes / Yes / Yes / No / Yes / smother
Dry chemical / red with white band / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / smother

*Were recalled in 1995 for disposal. They should be replaced with a CO2 or dry chemical extinguishers.

Remember: after a fire, don’t put the empty extinguisher back on its rack. This may cost someone his or her life at a later date. Arrange to have it refilled.

/ Activity 1 Emergency signs

Find an Australian web site with pictures of the standard safety signs, for example or Answer the following questions:

1Locate the emergency signs section, and list the types of sign represented there.

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2What colour are the emergency signs?

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3Locate the danger warning signs section. Describe the arrangement and colour of the danger warning signs.

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4List some of the danger sign types.

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5Locate the dangerous goods warning signs, and list at least five types.

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6Locate the signs for fire extinguishers. Why is it important to display the type of each fire extinguisher?

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Check your answers with those given at the end of this section.

Providing first aid

In this section we outline some of the basics of first aid, where a person has been injured, and we must help them. These brief notes do not qualify you to give first aid – for that, you will need course such as the St John’s Ambulance first aid course.

First aid is the initial care of the sick or injured. First aid management is a set of established procedures and aims to:

  • help promote recovery
  • prevent the injury or sickness from becoming worse
  • provide comfort
  • preserve life.

It is important to follow these basic first aid steps:

  • do not panic
  • assess the situation quickly
  • make sure the area is safe to approach
  • identify the injury or sickness
  • call for help
  • stay with the casualty
  • manage the casualty
  • monitor the casualty, as their situation could change suddenly.

Here is an example:

You hear a bang in the storeroom. You stop what you are doing and quickly walk to the storeroom. You see Bob, the maintenance officer, lying on the ground with a stepladder lying beside him. You determine that Bob has fallen off the stepladder, and decide that it is safe to approach him. You call for help as well as a first aid kit, while carefully moving the ladder aside to prevent further injury. You determine that Bob is conscious because he is holding his ankle and moaning. A qualified first aider arrives with a first aid kit and together you manage injuries and reassure Bob.

Assessing the situation

When an accident occurs and someone is injured, your first consideration should be whether there is any chance of further injury to that person. You should also consider whether there is any chance of injury to the rescuer or to bystanders. That is, is there any danger?

It is important that the whole process of responding to the casualty occurs quickly so that assessment and management of the situation may be carried out effectively.

How do you know that somebody is in need of first aid in the first place? What are the signs that make you suddenly stop what you are doing and become more alert to an incident or situation? If something raises your suspicions, you must attend to your senses:

  • What do you hear? Perhaps you heard shouting, screaming, a call for help, a crash, or moaning.
  • What do you see? Did you see a person on the ground, strange behaviour, an upturned chair? Do you see blood ?
  • What do you smell? Did you smell ozone, gas, petrol, fumes or burning? Do you smell vomit or urine?

Don’t become the next casualty

You must take a moment to look carefully at the situation, and quickly spot the hazards of the situation. Do not approach the casualty is it is unsafe to do so. Here is an example.

A worker has descended, alone, into a confined space (say a flue). You look down from the entrance, and see him unconscious. In this case, you would NOT go down into the confined space, because there is a high likelihood that you would be the next casualty. Without more information, you must assume that the atmosphere is toxic. In this case, you must quickly move away from the entrance, raise the alarm, and initiate appropriate rescue operations.

Similar comments apply if a casualty is in a live electrical situation. If it can be done quickly, turn off the power before approaching the casualty.

Calling for help

You should always call for help when you find a casualty. You can normally raise assistance by loudly shouting ‘HELP!’, without leaving the casualty. Do this as your first action, as soon as you recognise a first aid situation. Continue shouting for help frequently while you assess the situation, and the casualty, as best you can.

If you need to phone for an ambulance make sure you know exactly where you are! You should provide the following:

  • the street address, suburb and state
  • the nearest cross street
  • the building level you are on
  • the best way for the ambulance to gain access to the casualty
  • the type of injuries that are involved.


/ Activity 2: Monitoring and responding to a casualty’s condition

Answer the following as either true or false.

1It is appropriate to leave the casualty to look for help?

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2Make sure the area is safe prior to approaching the casualty?

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3Do you need to know where first aid kits are located, or is that the first aider’s job?

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Check your answers with those given at the end of this section.


/ Activity 3: Case study

You are part of a work team when a co-worker trips and gashes his head badly.

1How will you respond to this situation?

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2The first aider asks you to quickly get the first aid kit. How would you know where it is located?

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3How could this situation have been prevented?

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Check your answers with those given at the end of this section.

Check for responses

When the victim is clear of danger, you should then find out whether the victim responds to voice and touch. Any response means that the victim is not unconscious; the rescuer can reassure the casualty, and look for bleeding or any other external sign of injury.

If there is no response from the victim, then you should move on to the ABC action plan.

Reassure the casualty

Imagine you are hurt in a workplace accident. You can see blood on your leg and you think you’ve broken your arm. You’ve twisted your ankle and you’re also in considerable pain and feeling a bit dizzy. You will probably be feeling frightened and panicked or confused.

Feeling frightened and panicked could make things worse because it will increase your blood pressure and pulse, causing more pain and more bleeding. This will in turn cause more anxiety and panic. It becomes a vicious circle.

Reassuring the casualty makes them feel better, but also lowers the blood pressure and pulse rate and so lowers the amount of bleeding and pain.

There are definite dos and don’ts regarding ways in which you can reassure the casualty.

DO / DON’T
Be as honest as possible. / Don’t tell them bad news eg ‘Emma is dead.’ If the casualty asks about another casualty who is dead or critical, just say ‘Everything is being done for them.’
Let the casualty know that help is on its way. / Don’t react to the situation ie don’t shout ‘Oh my goodness, look at Bob.’ or ‘Gee, look at all that blood.’
If an ambulance has been called, let the casualty know this.
Stay with the casualty. / Do not leave the casualty.
Try to make them comfortable with minimal movement eg blankets, icepack. / Don’t move the casualty unnecessarily.
Tell the casualty your name, find out theirs and use it eg ‘How are you doing, Bob?’ and ‘Help is on it’s way, Bob.’ / Don’t tell the casualty to look at the wounds.
Act confidently, instilling trust in the casualty. / Don’t fall apart (eg do not say ‘I don’t know what to do’).

/ Activity 4: Reassuring the casualty

Answer true or false to the following questions:

1Panic and stress can cause the pulse rate and blood pressure to increase thereby increasing pain and bleeding.

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2One way to reassure the casualty is to stay with them.

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3You could help in a first aid situation by driving an injured casualty to the hospital.

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Check your answers with those given at the end of this section.


/ Activity 5: Reassuring casualty (case study)

Read the scenario below and answer the questions that follow.

You are in the lunchroom in your workplace. Suddenly you hear a thump. You quickly go outside to see that a co-worker has fallen off a ladder, hitting his head. He is fully conscious and breathing. You notice he is bleeding from his right ear. You immediately call for help.

1Which resources would you expect your supervisor to ask you to get?

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2While your supervisor is placing the casualty onto his right side, you offer to phone for an ambulance. Would this be good management?

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3How could you reassure the casualty?

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Check your answers with those given at the end of this section.

Providing first aid

You may on occasions be asked to assist with first aid management guided by a qualified first aider. Remember, the sooner you call for help, the sooner help will arrive. Help could mean a first aider attending the casualty and help could also mean calling for an ambulance. Here are some dos and donts for first aid.

Dos

  • call for help, including medical help if required
  • if the casualty is unconscious, determine breathing and circulation
  • call the casualty’s name, and touch them to check for any response
  • reassure the casualty
  • position the casualty in a comfortable and suitable position
  • work within workplace procedures and practices
  • stay with the casualty
  • wear gloves if you might come into direct contact with body fluids.

Donts

  • Never give food or fluid to the casualty unless the qualified first aider gives permission to do so.
  • Never move the casualty unless the qualified first aider gives permission to do so.
  • Never initiate first aid measures (other than CPR where required) unless the qualified first aider gives permission to do so.
  • Never come into direct contact with body fluids such as blood, burns, vomit or saliva. Wear gloves when attending the casualty to prevent transmission of possible infection.
  • Never administer medication to the casualty yourself. Monitoring and responding to casualty’s condition.
  • If the person is conscious but can’t move or feel their arms or legs, DON’T move them. They may have a spinal injury.

The ABC action plan

If the patient is unconscious, you must proceed with the ABC action plan, and then if necessary to expired air resuscitation (EAR), or cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Again, these brief notes are merely a reminder of the basics.

  1. First, make certain the airway is clear (A of ABC). A quick way is to tilt the patient’s head back, which will open the airway to the lungs. (Do consider, however, whether the patient’s neck may be broken!)
  2. Next, see if the patient is breathing (B of ABC). Look, listen and feel for breathing for ten seconds.If the patient is breathing, leave them on their side and check for other injuries. .If the patient is not breathing then expired air resuscitation (EAR) must be commenced.
  3. Finally, check for circulation (C of ABC). If there is no carotid pulse then external cardiac compression (ECC) must be commenced. The combination of EAR and ECC is called cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Another quick check that can be made is to lift the patient’s eyelid and look at their pupil. If it is dilated, there is every chance the circulation has stopped. If no pulse is felt and the pupils are dilated then CPR must be commenced.

Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation

Give two (2) initial breaths if not breathing properly.