Workplace-Specific First Aid

What types of eye injuries require immediate medical attention?

• AOnly minor scratches
• BEye injuries can always wait
• COnly redness
• 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
• CApply eye drops
• 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 pressure around it
• 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 and hold the lids apart while you look for the particle
• 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
• CUse neutralising agents only
• DPrecautions are unnecessary

Answer: Check the SDS for guidance, remove contaminated clothing, flush the affected area with water, and call 999 for serious exposure. Ensure your own safety first.

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 water for 10-15 minutes, remove contaminated clothing, and seek advice if irritation continues✓
• CApply ice
• DLeave it to air dry

Answer: Flush with water immediately for at least 10-15 minutes, remove contaminated clothing carefully, and seek medical advice for persistent irritation or if serious.

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
• 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 immediately
• 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
• 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 used to control severe bleeding from a wound on a limb
• BA type of injury caused by machinery which must always be reported to the HSE
• CA voluntary reporting scheme that never applies to workplaces with fewer than five 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
• BOnly deaths
• COnly property damage
• 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 is left undefined
• BFractures (except to fingers/toes), dislocations, amputation, loss of consciousness, and significant chemical/thermal burns✓
• COnly minor injuries
• DAny injury

Answer: Specified injuries include fractures (excluding fingers/toes/ribs), dislocations, amputations, loss of consciousness, penetrating eye injuries, and severe burns.

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✓
• COnly the cost of the treatment given, the value of the working time lost, and any damage caused to equipment on the day
• DOnly the injured person's name

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?

• AOnly the first aid team, because incident details are confidential to those who treated the casualty
• BOnly the injured person, who can then decide for themselves whether to tell anyone else
• CManagement, the injured person, witnesses, and potentially the HSE (under RIDDOR)✓
• DOnly senior management, who will then decide whether anybody else needs to be informed

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

Answer: Keep incident records confidential, secure, and for at least 3-7 years for potential legal and HSE purposes. They should be accessible to relevant authorities if needed.

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

• AOnly for large companies
• BAn optional company document
• CA fiction book
• DA formal record of all workplace incidents and near-misses✓

Answer: The Accident Register is a formal record of all workplace incidents, injuries, and near-misses. It is required by HSE regulations and helps identify patterns and improve safety.

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

• AReview is unnecessary: first aid arrangements are set when the business opens and never change
• BWas the response adequate? Were first aiders present? Should procedures be updated?✓
• COnly whether the accident book was filled in correctly and countersigned on the day itself
• DThe cost only

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 never 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✓
• COnly physical hazards such as slips, trips and falls, because chemical and electrical risks are covered by separate arrangements
• DWorkplaces contain no such hazards

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.