First aid for domestic and everyday hazards

Posted by admin on November 5, 2008

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I think living is risking not only dying but also many hazards in our immediate environment.

This is why every human being must never be ignorant about first aid; you could save a life of your beloved family, friends, strangers and it is a good feeling.

In this article, I want to explore and expound the various hazards in our homes and our surroundings and how you can help salvage a life before the doctors lay their hands on them.

I have seen many parents loosing their children in the care of a house help who due to her ignorance, allowed them to die or get permanent disability out of a minor hazard.

The various hazards I will concentrate on includes: electrocution, gunshots wounds, scalds and burns, fainting, poisons and snake bites.

Let’s start with your sensitivity and assertiveness to hazards

Most of us modern parents are busy with careers, businesses that we are never home to be with our children and take care of our homes.

We may be assertive and sensitive to possible hazards that may come up and make our children susceptible but do our domestic workers know this?

The other day my neighbor hired a house help to help her with her two small babies as she resumed work.

I do not think she inquired more about her whereabouts and if she does have a medical problem.

During the very second day in work, she just got a seizure and fell down with a thunder; she was biting her tongue and a gush of foam flowing from her mouth.

As she was to learn later, this young woman is epileptic and therefore not fit for a nanny job.

As you hire a house keeper, make sure that he or she is in good health, is conversant with first aid in case of abrupt hazards, and then show them around.

Poisons

Both adults and children have been perfect victims of poisons. A child may pick carelessly kept drugs, chemicals, sprays, paints and swallow them without the nannies knowledge.

Adults who are tired of living have take poison intentionally. Moreover, your enemy may want to assassinate you and poison becomes a perfect method. In case this happens in your presence, do this to determine.

If swallowed, you could check his mouth for traces of the poison he could have taken or the chemical corrosion on his or her lips.

Carry samples of the vomit to the doctor if there is, but all in all, the very first thing to find out is if the casualty is conscious or not.

You could give them some water or milk to ease or reduce swelling for corrosive chemical but never induce vomiting.

Snake bites

If you live on the countryside like in the farms, then you know that it is possible to share part of your surroundings with crawling living things like snakes.

While some snakes are non-poisonous, others are definitely what you should avoid like plague.

You can not be with your child all the times, not even his or her caretaker, at times they will run after their balls to the long grass or bushes, and there lies a snake bite hazard.

Do not try to suck blood from the cut; calm the victim so as to reduce pulse to ensure that less blood is being pumped.

Lay the person down and wash the area with soap and plenty of water. Do not tie above the area where the bite occurred, this may lead to depletion of blood around the bite or the lower part of the bite.

Instead take a bandage, fold it narrow and press the skin downwards towards the snake bite, to expel the poisoned blood so that it does not flow up to the heart.

Fainting

Fainting is said to occur after the blood temporarily fail to circulate in your brain in the correct amounts.

The causes of this are said to be fright, fatigue, debilitating illness, and injury to some part of the body.

These are the signs of a person who is about to faint: unsteadiness, droplets of sweat on the face, neck and the neck, crowded conscience and he or she may yawn.

Lay the casualty down with legs raised to ensure that blood flows to the brain and at the same time, ensure free air circulation.

It is even better to place him under the shade and loosen his garments at the neck, chest and waist.

Do the cadial pulmonary resuscitation, which is the virtual respiration or the kiss of life by opening the airways for about five times in a row.

Burns and scalds

These are the most common around the homes and mostly happen to little children.

A few days ago my friend’s child lifted an electric kettle full of boiling water and because it is obviously heavy, the poor boy ended up pouring the hot stuff all over his tiny body.

Scalds are caused by moist heat while burns are caused by extreme temperatures.

Did you know very cold objects like metals could burn you too? Yes this is commonly refereed to as the cold burns.

First aid will initially include cooling the area to reduce the pain using very cold water, some use cold milk as well.

Cover the area, give sips of water to the casualty but never remove his or her clothing, if you have to, just cut them and never try opening the blisters.

Also avoid applying oils or creams and for chemical burns, wash away the chemical from the affected parts and take the victim to the hospital.

Electrocution

Electricity is very essential to our homes, but if mishandled, it can result to the most memorable hazards you have ever seen.

If you see a person get into contact with a live wire, do not panic, instead grab any dry or insulating material obtainable such as blankets, sheets, wool and use them to hold the casualty so you can free him or her.

You should step on an insulator yourself so do not get electrocuted. Should this happen in the high voltage, then you are allowed to watch the casualty helplessly or risk getting in the same trouble.

Stand far from the incident and inform the power authorities and the police to come and rectify the problem

Gunshot wounds

The crime rate is high in the entire planet and in some neighborhoods, sound of gunshots are part of daily life.

Should you find a person who is shot, do not start asking if he or she is dead or is a thief, help him by saving his dear life!

Apply direct pressure for wounds with trivial bleeding, but with clean hands if possible. If the wound is dirty, you could rinse it with running water if obtainable until it is clean.

Use a sterile swab to temporarily protect the wound and vigilantly clean the surrounding parts with soap if available. Do not wipe away any blood clots.

Apply direct pressure if you still can not control the bleeding, use adhesive dressing to dress the small wounds.

For large wounds, use sterilized dressings and bandages as well firmly in position.

Catch more of this first aid information on this site and thanks for reading and understanding.