Dealing with embedded objects in the workplace …

There are certain people who just seem to know what to do in an emergency situation and are never ruffled by the sight of blood or symptoms of illness. This is not because they are aliens or cold-hearted individuals, but it is more probably that they are trained volunteers who spend their free time a little differently from the rest of us.

St John Brigade is an organisation that enables people to freely give some of their time to the community on special occasions such as sports events, private functions and mass gatherings to assist those in need of emergency assistance. Let’s take a typical scenario: A worker is walking through the building site he is currently working at, and slips at the rig where the last new set of reinforcement was installed two weeks ago before the rain. He falls onto a piece of steel that is rusty and it pierces his foot.

It is important to know what steps to follow in treating this injury on duty, as well as possible complications that may result from this injury. It is also important not to forget other points to consider, such as breathing effectiveness as the person will be panicking and may be breathing rapidly. This might have an influence on the blood circulation as the heart and the lungs have a close working relationship and therefore the person could go into medical shock. The wound might become septic, which would also have an impact on the person’s condition.

Other considerations would include other underlining medical conditions such as diabetes. Maybe the injured person had not eaten and became dizzy and that is why he fell. So it is important to investigate all these possibilities to prevent any other complications. Your examination of the incident should range wider; for example, although the injured person is mainly referring to the injured foot, consider that it might not be the only affected area as the person has fallen and might well have sustained other injuries as well. By knowing the right steps to follow and having the right tools you will be able to assist with confidence and competency in an emergency.