Injuries in construction are inevitable especially in hazardous work environments such as field works. However, knowing some of the basic first aid practices can help you tend to some wounds or accidents that you may experience. Knowing what to do can get you out of perilous situations especially when an ambulance is still some distance away.
Whether you like it or not, injuries cannot always be prevented. However, being knowledgeable about some safety practices on what to do can help you or your co-workers to be safe if worse comes to worst. In this article, we’ll tell you how to deal with minor injuries.
Bleeding
One thing to remember is never to panic. The sight of blood might make some people agitated and the one injured is probably already is. Depending on the severity of the injury, the last thing the patient needs will be a panicked attendant beside him/her.
Bleeding is one of the most common injuries in general and not just in construction. If ever you come across this type of injury, the first thing you have to inspect is how hard the bleeding is. This is probably one of the most obvious things you’ll notice. Here, a small guide on how to determine each of them.
- Bleeding in the capillaries will probably stop on its own. It’s not very severe and only small amounts of blood will gush out.
- If you notice a dark red color with rapid mild to severe bleeding, then you might have hit a vein.
- Now, you’ll notice if you’ve hit an artery if there is a huge amount of blood spurting from the wound. The type of blood we’re looking at is bright red since it carries more oxygen. If you come upon wounds like these, call an ambulance immediately. If it’s an arterial wound, bleeding would not likely stop.
Remember, bleeding can stop by applying proper pressure, but if it’s a severe case call emergency numbers as soon as possible.
Blisters
Also one of the common injuries in construction. Ultimately, the way we treat blisters is to put on some bandaid and run. However, in the field of construction, in which environment holds an important part, you would have to be more meticulous than that.
First air of curing blisters:
- Make sure that your hands are clean as you tend to the blister.
- Wash It with clean water only.
- Tend to the exposed skin. If there are any flaps, newly torned skin, or if it accumulated pus, clean them out gently.
- Apply medicine.
- Bandages the blister securely.
The key here is to be clean. Blisters might look like innocent small wounds, however, they are also prone to be a source of infection.
Burns
Yes, burns are a part of the injuries in construction that we mostly face depending on the nature of your task. However, to treat burns, you have to be knowledgeable about the degrees of burns first.
- First degree burn – This kind of burn only affects the surface level of your skin. With this kind of burn, redness and swelling will be present.
- Second degree burn – Two layers of skin are affected with a second-degree burn. This will cause your skin to blister, redness, and swelling. This is already considered as a “major burn” especially if it is three inches long and is situated at the face, hands, feet, genitals, buttocks, or over a major joint of a person.
- Third degree burn – The major and final stage of burns. This will cause your skin to be numb, to blacken, or to whiten. Moreover, this type of burn already affects deep part of your skin.
Once you experience major burns, call 911 immediately and let professionals handle the burning process. Also, it’s an important thing to remember not to experiment with putting anything on major burns such as ice, ointments, butter, or oily remedies.
Sprain
A sprain is damage to your connective tissues. Connective tissues hold together the bones, cartilage, and joints of a person. Additionally, sprains are usually caused by hard twisting or overstretching. We know what you’re thinking, is a sprain also connected to a broken bone? The answer is no. A sprain is a more minor fracture than an actual broken bone. Although, both parties do have the same symptoms to go with them.
What to do with suspected sprains:
- It is of utmost importance that you hold the injured limb steady. Do not do anything to move it. Immobilize it completely.
- Apply cold compress to the affected limb.
- If you can, elevate the limb slowly and safely. If you do not know how to do this. Don’t.
- Painkillers for the patient will also help them be more calm.
There you have it! Four things to keep in mind when treating injuries in construction. Here are some related links if you want to know more about construction: