Workplace-Specific First Aid

What types of eye injuries require immediate medical attention?

• ATired, dry eyes after a long day at a computer screen
• BA small speck of dust that washes out with clean water
• CRedness, watering and mild irritation after dust exposure
• DEmbedded objects, severe pain, vision loss, chemical splash, and penetrating injuries✓

Answer: Serious eye injuries include embedded objects, severe pain, vision loss or blurring, chemical splash, blood in the eye, or penetrating injuries.

What should you do for a chemical splash to the eye?

• ARub the eye firmly so that the tears spread across it and wash the chemical away naturally
• BClose the eye tightly and keep it shut
• CApply eye drops, cover the eye and seek medical advice
• DFlush continuously with clean water for 15-20 minutes, then seek medical help✓

Answer: Flush the eye continuously with clean water (room temperature) for at least 15-20 minutes to dilute and remove the chemical. Call 999 or seek urgent medical help.

What is the appropriate first aid for an embedded object in the eye?

• AFlush the eye with plenty of clean running water until the object is washed out from under the lid
• BRemove the object immediately using clean tweezers, then cover the eye with a sterile pad
• CApply firm pressure around the embedded object
• DDo not remove it; cover both eyes, stabilise the object, and seek urgent medical help✓

Answer: Never remove an embedded object from the eye. Cover both eyes to prevent movement, stabilise the object with a protective shield, and seek urgent medical care.

What is the appropriate first aid for a particle in the eye?

• ABlink several times, then gently flush with water or saline if needed✓
• BApply an antibiotic ointment to the eye and cover it with a pad for the rest of the day
• CForce the eye open, hold the lids apart and lift the particle out with tweezers
• DRub the closed eye vigorously until the particle is dislodged from the surface of the eyeball

Answer: Encourage blinking to flush out small particles. If not removed, gently flush with clean water or saline solution. Do not rub the eye as this can scratch the cornea.

What precautions should be taken when handling chemical exposure?

• ACheck the Safety Data Sheet (SDS), remove contaminated clothing, flush with water, and call 999 if serious✓
• BApply heat to the area, then wash it with soap and warm water
• CApply a neutralising agent to the skin
• DPrecautions are unnecessary when handling any of these chemicals at all

Answer: Make sure you are safe first (gloves, avoid contaminating yourself), check the SDS for guidance, remove contaminated clothing, flush the affected area with plenty of cool running water, and call 999 for serious exposure. Do not apply heat or try to neutralise the chemical on the skin: neutralising reactions can generate heat and deepen the burn.

What is the appropriate action for skin contact with a chemical substance?

• AApply an ointment or a barrier cream straight away to stop the chemical soaking any further into the skin, then cover it
• BFlush with cool running water for 20 minutes, remove contaminated clothing, and get medical help✓
• CApply ice
• DLeave it to air dry

Answer: Flush the skin with cool running water for at least 20 minutes, removing contaminated clothing carefully as you do. A chemical burn needs medical help, so call 999 or go to A&E.

What is a crush injury in a workplace context?

• ADamage caused by a heavy object compressing a body part✓
• BAn emotional injury caused by the stress of witnessing a workplace accident
• CA minor injury that needs no treatment
• DAn injury that cannot occur in workplaces, because lifting equipment is always fully guarded

Answer: A crush injury occurs when a heavy object compresses a body part, causing tissue damage, bleeding, and potentially shock and organ failure.

What is the appropriate first aid for a crush injury?

• ARemove the crushing object immediately, however heavy it is and however long the casualty has been trapped underneath it
• BElevate the crushed limb immediately and apply a tourniquet above it
• CAssess safety, do not remove the object unless there is immediate danger, control bleeding, immobilise, and call 999✓
• DApply firm pressure and a heat pack to the crushed area to restore the circulation, then massage the limb until the colour returns

Answer: Do not remove the object unless there is immediate danger. Control any bleeding with direct pressure, immobilise, keep the casualty warm, and call 999.

What complication can occur after a crush injury is released?

• ACrush syndrome - toxins released from damaged tissue cause shock and organ failure✓
• BOnly pain, which then settles within a fairly short time
• CComplications do not occur
• DImmediate recovery

Answer: Crush syndrome can occur when pressure is released. Damaged muscle releases myoglobin and potassium, causing shock, kidney failure, and cardiac arrhythmias.

What is the appropriate first aid for someone injured in a confined space?

• AEnter immediately to help, holding your breath while you drag the casualty clear
• BDo not enter; ensure safety, call 999, and await specialist rescue teams✓
• CWait to see if they respond
• DLeave them

Answer: Do not enter a confined space without proper equipment and training. Call 999 immediately and let specialist rescue teams handle the situation.

What is RIDDOR?

• AA first aid technique for severe bleeding, using direct pressure and elevation
• BA type of crush injury caused by machinery, reported to the HSE on the same day
• CA voluntary reporting scheme for workplaces with fewer than five members of staff
• DThe Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations✓

Answer: RIDDOR is the legal requirement to report certain workplace incidents to the HSE. It covers injuries, illnesses, and dangerous occurrences.

What incidents must be reported under RIDDOR?

• AReporting to the HSE is unnecessary, because the accident book is kept purely for the employer's own internal records
• BDeaths and minor cuts treated by the first aider
• CProperty damage and vehicle accidents on public roads
• DDeaths, serious injuries, over-7-day incapacity, dangerous occurrences, and certain occupational diseases✓

Answer: RIDDOR requires reporting of deaths, serious injuries (specified injuries), incapacity lasting more than 7 days, dangerous occurrences, and certain occupational illnesses.

What is a 'specified injury' under RIDDOR?

• AA term that RIDDOR leaves undefined
• BFractures (except to fingers, thumbs or toes), amputations, serious burns, and loss of consciousness from head injury or asphyxia✓
• CMinor injuries, such as small cuts and bruises, that are treated at work by a first aider
• DAn injury that keeps a worker off work for three days or fewer

Answer: RIDDOR 2013 (regulation 4(1)) lists the specified injuries: fractures other than to fingers, thumbs and toes; amputations; injuries likely to cause permanent loss or reduction of sight; crush injuries to the head or torso that damage the brain or internal organs; burns covering more than 10% of the body or damaging the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs; scalping needing hospital treatment; loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia; and certain enclosed-space injuries. A fractured rib is reportable, and dislocations are no longer on the list.

What information should be recorded in an accident report?

• AA brief note of the date is sufficient
• BDate, time, location, person involved, witnesses, nature of injury, treatment given, and equipment involved✓
• CThe cost of the treatment given, the value of the working time lost, and the damage caused to equipment on the day
• DThe injured person's name and their manager's opinion of who was at fault

Answer: Record the date, time, location, person(s) involved, witnesses, detailed description of what happened, injuries sustained, first aid given, and contributing factors.

Who should be notified of a serious workplace incident?

• AThe first aid team, because incident details are confidential to those who treated the casualty
• BThe local police station, which then forwards the details to the HSE and the insurer
• CManagement, the injured person, witnesses, and potentially the HSE (under RIDDOR)✓
• DThe Environment Agency, which is the body that investigates workplace injuries in England

Answer: Management must be informed immediately. For serious incidents, the HSE must be notified under RIDDOR. Keep records and inform all relevant parties.

What should be done with a first aid record after an incident?

• AKeep it confidential, secure, and available for review by management and authorities as needed✓
• BDestroy it as soon as the casualty has returned to work, so that no personal information is kept on file
• CSend it to the local police station, since the police hold the official record of all workplace injuries
• DDisplay it publicly on the workplace notice board

Answer: Keep first aid and accident records confidential and secure, because they hold personal health information. RIDDOR records must be kept for at least three years from the date they were made.

What is the 'Incident Book' or 'Accident Register'?

• AA report form posted to HSE after each minor injury
• BAn optional company document
• CA book containing fictional case studies
• DA formal record of accidents and injuries at work✓

Answer: The accident book is a formal record of accidents and injuries at work. Employers who must keep one do so under social security law, and HSE says it can also hold RIDDOR injury records. It is not itself a report to HSE.

What should be considered when reviewing first aid arrangements after an incident?

• AWhich employee was to blame, so that disciplinary action can be taken quickly
• BWas the response adequate? Were first aiders present? Should procedures be updated?✓
• CWhether the accident book was countersigned by the HSE on the day of the incident
• DThe cost of the first aid equipment used, so that it can be recharged to the casualty

Answer: After an incident, review the response, assess if first aid provision was adequate, and consider updates to procedures, training, or equipment based on lessons learned.

What are workplace hazards that might affect first aid provision?

• AWorkplace hazards do not affect first aid provision, because provision is set purely by the number of employees on site
• BChemical exposure, electrical hazards, working at height, machinery, confined spaces, and environmental conditions✓
• CThe company's annual turnover and the size of its marketing budget
• DWorkplaces contain no such hazards once risk assessments are complete

Answer: Workplace hazards include chemical, biological, physical, and environmental risks. The First Aid Needs Assessment must consider these to ensure appropriate provision.

What communication should occur when handing over to emergency services at a workplace?

• ALocation details, nature of injury, casualty condition, treatment given, and any workplace hazards that might affect paramedics✓
• BCommunication is unnecessary
• COnly the address
• DPersonal details about the casualty only, such as their full name, home address, date of birth and the name of their next of kin, with no clinical information

Answer: Provide a clear handover including the exact location, what happened, the casualty's condition, first aid given, any medical history known, and potential workplace hazards.