Accidents occur wherever there is human activity they are as old as mankind. Throughout the world accidents cause millions of deaths each year. But because of inadequate worldwide reporting methods, the exact number of critical injuries and deaths is unknown.
Fundamental accident causes are usually classifies into two categories:
(1) Unsaved behavior or human failure and
(2) Unsaved environment.
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Unsafe Behavior:
Human failure is considered by many persons to be the primary cause of accidents. The unsafe behavior terns that lead to accident producing events are observed in children, junior and senior high school youths as well as adults. Unsafe behavior may be the result of a single factor or may result from a series or a combination of tars such as, attitude, physical limitations, habits, skill knowledge.
Unsafe Environment:
More and more accidents are said to be products of an unsafe environment. Highways, school plants, indusial facilities, farm machinery and numerous pieces of equipment present a great many hazardous situations in today’s society.
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An accident is defined as “that occurrence in sequence of events which usually produces unintended Injury, death or property damage”. It is usually an unwanted, unplanned and undesirable occurrence.
“First aid is the immediate, temporary, treatment given in the case of accident or sudden illness before the services of a physician can be secured”. Basically this is the protection that a lay man can provide the injured to ease suffering or save a life. It is not considered as medical treatment.
“Safety is defined as “a condition or state of being resulting from the modification of human behavior and or designing of the physical environment to eliminate the possibility of hazards, thereby eliminating accident”. 1 his definition includes the two primary causes of accidents— unsafe behaviorism and unsafe environment.
Principles of First-Aid:
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By definition a principle may be thought of as a rule of conduct, especially of right conduct. There are a number of general principles for the first-aids to learn and use as basic guides when administering first aid. A person should
(i) Remember that he is a first-aider.
(ii) Send for medical help and if necessary an ambulance.
(iii) Keep him under control—calm if possible.
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(iv) Do first things first—protect the most seriously injured, then the others?
(v) Expect the worst—protect the condition.
(vi) Keep the victim quiet and comfortable.
(Vii) Check for bleeding, breathing poisoning, burns* fractures and dislocations.
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(viii) Keep victim warm.
(ix) Never give food or water to the unconscious.
(x) Give water, which is preferred for the injured over tea or coffee—never alcohol.
(xi) Keep onlookers away.
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xii) Loosen tight clothing
(xiii) Give splint in fractures and dislocations before moving
(xiv) Protect victim from vomits and other secretions by truing head, etc.
(xv) Not be in a hurry to move victim
(xxi) Reassure the victim—keep him cheerful.
(xvii) Not let victim see his injury, shock may result or his condition may become more severe.
(xviii) Not touch wounds with hands or mouth.
(xix) Inform parents or other near relatives
Accidents of a simple nature like cuts and bruises are common among children between five to fifteen years of age. It is a common occurrence in a school where different types of games are regularly practiced. But fracture, sprains and dislocations are the most serious form of accidents.
As children are the active being it is natural on their parts to be injured at times. Whatever may be the measures taken to lessen the risk of accidents, it is the teacher who should posses knowledge of these everyday accidents and render immediate first aid relief before actual medical treatment.
The necessary appliances such as bandages, lotions, knife or razor blade, splints, scissors etc. should be ready at hand and the teacher should be skilled in the use of them. Without practical experience and proper guidance from a proficient instructor such skill in practical surgery cannot be acquired.
Merely reading of books how to bind wound and to reduce dislocation will not help in any way. The teacher is the right person in the school to deal effectively with the injuries and can develop the habits of safety among children. The habit of safety will go a long way towards the prevention of the majority of accidents. So it is expected that in the school some teachers must have adequate knowledge regarding the First-Aid.