2. Reasons for Accidents in the Home
Careless/forgetful people,
curious/active toddlers.
Faulty equipment or wiring
Badly constructed buildings
Careless storage of harmful
substances
By chance
3. Most Common Accidents in the Home
Burns/scalds
Falls
Cuts
Poisoning
Electrocution
Choking/suffocation
A fatal accident is where someone dies as a
result
4. Preventing Falls
Wipe up spills
Do not over-polish floors.
Rugs should have non-slip back
Avoid trailing flexes
Stairs – well lit
Keep stairs clear
Use stair gates with toddlers
Avoid cluttered floors
Use proper steps when reaching high shelves
5. Safety with Medicine
Store in original container
Keep in locked press out of reach of
children
Dispose of out of date medicine
Never use medicine prescribed for one
person for someone else.
7. Fire Safety
Use fire guards
Do not hang clothes near open fire
Do not move portable heaters when lit
Switch off and unplug electrical appliances at
night, do not leave on standby
Never put hot ashes in plastic bins
Never smoke in bed
Never leave chip pans unattended
8. Small Fire
Use fire blanket or extinguisher to put
out the fire.
Never use water on electrical fire or
oil/fat.
Call fire brigade if unable to extinguish
fire
9. Larger Fires
Raise the alarm
Get everyone out of the house closing
windows and doors if possible
Never re-enter burning building
Call fire brigade
10. Fire safety equipment for the
home
Smoke alarms
Fire guards
Fire blanket
Fire
extinguisher
11. First Aid
Aims of first aid:
To preserve life.
To prevent condition
from worsening
To reassure victim
To provide comfort
12. In the case of a serious accident
1.Stay calm, act quickly
2.Call or get someone to call for emergency services.
3.Check if patient is conscious.
4.If unconscious check for breathing and pulse, use
CPR if necessary.
13. In the case of a serious accident
1. If there is a pulse and breathing, check
for bleeding and apply pressure to stop
bleeding
2. Do not move the patient unless they are in
danger .
3. Do not give patient anything to eat or
drink.
4. Make patient comfortable, keep them
warm and talk to them until help arrives.
14.
15. First Aid for Burns and Scalds
A burn is cause by dry heat, a
scald is caused by moist heat
e.g. hot liquid or steam.
Minor
1. Submerge area in cool water
until pain eases.
1. Spray with burn spray if you
wish, do not apply lotion or
ointment
1. Cover with sterile dressing
Major burns/scalds
If clothing is on fire, pour water on
victim or wrap in blanket to
extinguish the fire.
Do not remove clothes that are stuck
to the wound but cover any
exposed areas with a clean dry
cloth to stop infection.
Treat for shock by raising victim’s
legs and loosening any tight
clothing.
Cover to protect from heat los
Get medical help
17. Cuts
If cut is deep with blood spurting from it, apply
pressure to the cut with a clean pad and get
medical help.
For less serious cuts:
Wash wound with warm water and antiseptic.
Ensure that there is nothing embedded in the
wound such as dirt or glass
Dry carefully and cover with clean dressing
If the wound is deep, it may need to be
stitched by a doctor.
18.
19. Nose Bleed
1. Lean forward
2.Squeeze the
nostrils
3.Avoid blowing
your nose for a
while
20. Choking
Caused by a blockage in the airways, victim
cannot breath.
First aid must be given quickly.
Children:
Place the child face down over your knees,
support head with one hand
Slap child 4 times between shoulder blades.
Adults:
Use Heimlich manoeuvre.
Stand behind victim, clasp hands under rib
cage, pull hands sharply in and upwards,
repeat as necessary.
21.
22. Falls
If victim is unable to move:
Do not move victim unless in danger.
Cover and send for medical help.
Strain or sprain
Apply cold compress to area for 30mins,
reduce swelling.
Dry and wrap in bandage, rest and elevate.
If in doubt treat as fracture
23.
24. Fainting
Anyone feeling faint should sit down and lean
forward so that their head is between their
knees.
If person has already fainted they should
remain lying down for 10 mins. before
standing again
If a person fails to regain consciousness
within 2minutes get medical help.
25.
26. Poisoning
1. If substance has been swallowed bring patient to
hospital immediately
2. Bring also the container of the substance was in.
3. If victim is unconscious, place him in recovery position
and call ambulance
4. If you are sure what the person has taken is not
corrosive, make the victim vomit and bring a sample of
the vomit to the hospital
5. If poison is corrosive, do not induce vomiting, give milk
to neutralise
28. First aid box
Well stocked
Conveniently
placed
Out of reach of
children
Clean and tidy
Antiseptic
Cotton wool
Scissors
Plasters
Sterile bandage
Sterile dressing
Burn-spray
Safety pins
Thermometer
Tweezers
Surgical gloves
