Get your First Aid Skills up to Date
With the holiday season fast approaching, your business is probably ramping up production and there can be more accidents with the increased demand on employees. Is your company prepared with the tools to prevent accidents and if one does occur do you know that proper first aid techniques to help out that injured person? Here is a quick refresher for skills you can use in the office, warehouse, and even at home.
Bruises
If an employee trips or gets whacked in the leg while walking through the warehouse they should apply ice to the area of impact immediately. This will help constrict the blood vessels and reduce the bruise that may come in the near future. If possible for the first 48 hours apply ice for 20 minutes every hour and then elevate the body part above the heart (if possible) to reduce swelling.
Burns
If an employee is burned while handling hot equipment the first reaction should always to be to place the burned skin under cool running water. You should not apply vitamin E, Aloe Vera or butter to the burn. You can also follow our instructions for identifying and courses of action in our Burn Treatment Guide.
Nosebleeds
Nosebleeds are no fun at all, well no injury is really fun, but it is so easy to get a nosebleed for some. In order to treat a nosebleed you should grab some paper towels (no do not shove them up your nose) and then apply compression to stop the bleeding. If you tilt your head back, like your mom may have told you back in elementary school you will redirect the blood from going out of your nose to going down your throat and into your stomach. If you swallow too much blood, it may cause vomiting. Then you will have a nosebleed, and be throwing up. An ugly cry combination if you ask us.
Sprains and Strains
According to the NSC’s infographic Workplace Injuries by the Numbers (read our post on this topic here) this is one of the most common types of injuries in the office that keep workers out of work. The best thing to do is to apply ice and elevate the injured area right away. The last thing that you would want to do would be to apply heat right away. This will only increase inflammation on the sprain or strain.
If your office is lacking in the first aid supplies area, take a look at our first aid product line that includes burn cream, antibiotic ointments, sprays, and pain relievers. Want to distribute the Safetec brand of products that are made only in America? Fill out our become a distributor form now!
Sources: https://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2016-08-03/are-your-first-aid-skills-up-to-date