Basic First-Aid Actions
1. PIA METHOD
HOW and WHEN to act in the case of an accident must be perfectly well structured and prepared.
A behavioural method called PIA has been developed to know how and when to act in the case of an accident.
PIA are the initial letters of the words Protect, Inform and Aid, which correspond to the three roles (in that order) that any person who acts in the case of an accident is to assume.
- PROTECT
- INFORM
- AID
Let us see each of the roles that make up this method in more detail:
1º. PROTECT: This means preventing the accident from becoming more serious for those already affected, as well as avoiding the possibility of the harm spreading to others.
2º. INFORM: This means establishing the pertinent Contacts: calling the company doctor, ambulance, police, fire brigade, etc., depending on the type of accident that has taken place. The speed at which this information is transmitted will significantly condition the outcome of the accident.
To facilitate this step, it is essential for the telephone numbers listed at the switchboard or on site to be up-to-date and visible to all workers in the company. Said list must possess the information specified below:
The telephone numbers of the:
- Company medical service and its office hours
- Casualty department and ambulance services
- Contact person at the Mutual Insurance Society
- Nearest healthcare centres
- Police
- Fire Brigade
- Others
Likewise, when the warning message is given and the casualty department, medical service, etc., number is called, care must be taken with respect to the quality of the message.
- Remember that EVERY DETAIL IS IMPORTANT.
In this respect, the following aspects have to be transmitted when reporting an accident:
- Type of accident (automobile, fall, blow, etc.)
- Place where it occurred
- Persons involved and their apparent state, as well as the state of others affected by the accident, if any
- Position and symptoms of the injured person
- Treatment and/or methods employed
- If someone is trapped, the type of entrapment and materials involved
- Evident pollutants on the scene
It is also fundamental:
- That if there is any doubt regarding the correct reception of the message, to repeat the information to the person receiving it so that when help arrives they have at their disposal all they need to act rapidly and effectively.
- To have an up-to-date first-aid box, with drugs that are not past their expiry date and which are appropriate for the hazards inherent to the firm.
3º. AID: This means to give first aid to those affected by the accident while waiting for qualified medical care to get to the scene. It should be highlighted that only those persons trained to do so should give first aid.
Whenever first aid has to be given to an injured person, the following details must be taken into account:
- The injured person MUST NOT BE MOVED without first ascertaining the injuries he has suffered. The general tendency is to put the injured person into a car and take him to a medical centre. This is a SERIOUS MISTAKE that may have very important consequences.
- DO NOT GIVE THE INJURED PERSON ANY WATER TO DRINK. When the person suffers injuries to the head, neck, thorax and abdomen, this is contraindicated because the liquid may follow non-natural channels and/or provoke aspirations if the injured person vomits when unconscious.
