Inexorable statistics
In the construction industry, 2018 brought clear-cut statistics in terms of workplace safety. Among those injured: 34 fatalities, 48 serious injuries, and 3,407 other injuries. Beyond human tragedies and health issues, this also translates into operational problems for companies. Each casualty accounts for over 42 days of absence from work.
The most common causes of accidents
A construction site is often like a battlefield, so you need to keep your wits about you. Accidents most frequently occur as a result of slipping, tripping, being struck by an object falling from above – such as building materials being transported, installed or discarded – as well as being hit by vehicles. Scaffolding and formwork components,
dismantled building structures, etc.
, also pose a risk.
First aid guidelines
When an accident at work occurs, a great deal depends on the swift and correct response of others. Will we be able to save the health or even the lives of our colleagues?
It is worth recalling the most important rules:
1. Ensure that the casualty and all witnesses to the incident are safe.
2. Check the casualty’s response.
3. If they are unresponsive, call for help on the emergency number 999 or 112.
4. Proceed to administer first aid:
- for a conscious person, dress the wounds,
- for an unconscious person: → check for signs of breathing – by sight, sound or touch; if the casualty is not breathing or their breathing is irregular, ask someone else to call for help and fetch an automated external defibrillator (AED). Remember – calling for help is the most important thing. Your actions may not have the desired effect if they are not taken over by professional paramedics. If you are alone at the scene of the incident, start by calling the emergency services.
→ proceed to clear the airway (if the obstruction is caused by a collapsed tongue, tilt the casualty’s head back; if the cause is a foreign object, e.g. blood or a broken denture, remove it),
→ once breathing has been restored, place the casualty in the recovery position, call for help and regularly check their breathing,
→ if the unconscious person is still not breathing, then after clearing the airway, proceed to chest compressions,
→ interlock the fingers of both hands and ensure that you do not apply pressure to the victim’s ribs, upper abdomen or the lower end of the sternum,
→ lean over the victim, position your straight arms perpendicular to the sternum and compress to a depth of 4–5 cm,
→ after performing 30 chest compressions, clear the airway and slowly blow air into the casualty’s mouth for about 1 second,
→ continue chest compressions and rescue breaths at a ratio of 30:2 until qualified medical services arrive and take over.
Knowing these rules is essential for safety in our workplace.
