First Aid for Common Workplace Emergencies

Joe’s experiencing shortness of breath; his skin is ashen; he’s perspiring; and he feels severe pain down his left arm. What should his co-workers do?

• 
  Call 911. Joe is probably having a heart attack.
• Help him to a comfortable sitting position and keep him from moving about.
• Loosen his clothing at the waist and neck.
• Give heart medication if called for, but don’t give any stimulants.
• Begin CPR if his heart stops beating.

Anna is choking on something she just ate. What should her co-workers do?

• 
  Stand behind her, and put arms around her waist.
• Place fist, thumb-side in, against her stomach between the navel and ribs, and grab the fist with the other hand.
• Keep pulling in and up sharply until object is dislodged.

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Mick has just been splashed in the eyes with a hazardous chemical. What should his co-workers do?

• 
  Get him to an eyewash station immediately.
• Flush his eyes with water for at least 15 minutes.
• Get him to a doctor immediately after administering first aid.

Betty’s hand got caught in a conveyor. Her hand is mangled, and one of her fingers has been amputated. What should her co-workers do?

• 
  Call 911.
• Put on latex gloves from first-aid kit.
• Apply pressure with a clean bandage from the first-aid kit to stop bleeding.
• Place her amputated finger in a plastic bag, inside another plastic bag that is filled with ice and send it to the hospital with her.
• Treat her for shock, if necessary, by laying her down and covering her with a jacket, sweater, or blanket to keep her warm until the ambulance arrives.

Louis is in his 60s. While working, he develops a headache and starts to feel dizzy. He’s experiencing vision problems, and his face and limbs down one side of his body feel weak. What should his co-workers do?

• 
  Call 911. Lester may be having a stroke.
• Cover him with something warm like a jacket, sweater, or blanket.
• Offer no stimulants, food, or drink while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

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Ready-Made Checklists

BLR’s Safety Audit Checklists provides a whole chapter on first aid. In this chapter, you’ll find information about regulatory requirements, management responsibilities, and training recommendations related to workplace first aid. You also get a compliance checklist highlighting the provisions of OSHA’s First Aid Standard (29 CFR 1910.151) and a second checklist with first-aid procedures for common workplace medical emergencies like the ones we just highlighted. This second checklist can be circulated to supervisors and posted for employees.

All told, this best-selling program provides you with more than 300 separate safety checklists keyed to three main criteria:

• 
  OSHA compliance checklists, built right from the government standards in such key areas as HazCom, lockout/tagout, electrical safety, and many more.
• "Plaintiff attorney" checklists, built around those non-OSHA issues that often attract lawsuits.
• Safety management checklists that monitor the administrative procedures you need to have for topics such as OSHA 300 Log maintenance, training program scheduling and recording, and OSHA-required employee notifications. 

Make as many copies as you need for all your supervisors and managers, and distribute. What’s more, the entire program is updated annually. And the cost averages only about $1 per checklist.

If this method of ensuring a safer, more OSHA-compliant workplace interests you, we’ll be happy to make Safety Audit Checklists available for a no-cost, no-obligation, 30-day evaluation in your office. Just let us know, and we’ll be pleased to arrange it.

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