L2 Business Practice Topic 2 Module 8 hlayiso.com

MODULE 8 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES IN THE WORKPLACE Downloaded from hlayiso.com

 Know how to deal with emergencies at a work place  Learn about procedures fro evacuation and how to plan evacuation routes  Learn about common emergency signs found at workplace  Be introduced to actions to assist injured or sick people  Learn about precautions fro dealing with HIV/Aids infected people in a workplace Downloaded from hlayiso.com

Accident and emergencies Accidents include any incident involving or resulting to injury to staff or customers. Emergencies in the workplace are not only inconvenient for the employee, but also upset the other employees and must be avoided at all costs. Although emergencies takes place when you at least expect them, it is important to be prepared and have a plan of action. Handling emergency.  Remain clam at all times so that you can think clearly and act in a methodical way.  Make sure you are safe before giving help to someone else.  Check type of injury and treat accordingly.  Get help from expects by contacting emergency experts. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

Using emergency numbers Make a list of emergency numbers and fix it near the telephone where it will be visible at all times so that in case of emergency you can access the numbers easily. You should keep the following emergency numbers on a list:  Ambulance services  Fire brigade  Electricity supply  Water  Company security Downloaded from hlayiso.com

Emergency numbers Downloaded from hlayiso.com

When calling the emergency service and the operator answers you should have the following information ready:  Say which service is required  Give your telephone number  Give address where the emergency has occurred  Provide any further information you may be asked for. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

TYPES OF EMERGENCIES AT A WORKPLACE BOMB THREATS Action to be taken in the case of the bomb threat:  If the threat is given by telephone, remain calm, keep talking as long as possible.  Take note of the caller’s voice – male or female, accent, child or adult, language used, type of voice.  Write down everything the person says as well as possible background noise such as train, traffic, aeroplanes, etc.  Ask the person questions, for example, what the bomb look like, what type of bomb it is, what time it will go off, etc.  When the caller hangs up, phone the police immediately.  Evacuate the building immediately.  Try to limit panic and crowding  Never try to find the bomb yourself and never touch strange objects – leave this to the police. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

TYPES OF EMERGENCIES AT A WORKPLACE FIRE Steps to take care of fire are:  Sound the alarm.  Shout for help, summon aid.  Activate the fire alarm.  Do not attempt to fight the fire until the building evacuation has started.  Determine the cause of fire and what is available to fight it. If it is an electrical fire, it is important to first turn off electricity, if possible. Never fight a fire:  If the fire is spreading beyond the spot where it started  If you can’t fight the fire with your back to an escape exit  If you don’t have adequate fire-fighting equipment. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

If you are unable to fight the fire:  Evacuate quickly, closing doors and windows, if possible, and ensuring that no one remains inside.  Give information to and cooperate with the fire brigade when they arrive. If the person is on fire, remember – STOP, DROP AND ROLL. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

VIOLENCE AND ROBBERY STEPS TO TAKE ARE:  Remain calm, especially when the are other people in the room as well.  Do not make any sudden moves or suspicious movements because it can lead to violence.  If the is and alarm button, it must be pressed without anyone noticing.  If the is video camera that records everything on video-tape, try something so that the robbers will look in that direction.  Do not make robbers to be aware of the camera – they ma be armed and shoot at the camera.  Try to memorise as much as you can about the robbers – their clothes, their ages, their scar, their language, etc.  Do as you are told – your life is more valuable than many amount of money or articles.  Don’t touch places where the attackers might have left fingerprints.  After they left, contact the police immediately, if it is not done already. Write done the details so that you don’t forget anything.  Get the names and addresses of witnesses  Help injured persons.  Treat people for shock. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

Evacuation: is the process of moving away from a place of danger to a place of safety. EVACUATION PROCEDURES When evacuating the building these are the things to remember:  Think ahead what the route will look like-smoke may block your view.  Do not take the lifts or elevators – use the stairs.  Do not stop to collect personal belongings.  Assist any customers or colleagues who may be in difficulty.  Cover yourself with a non-synthetic blanket, coat or other cloth, preferably wet.  Before opening doors, feel the door for heat. There may be fire on the other side that will flare when the door is opened.  Avoid routes that are exposed to falling objects.  Stay low and move quickly as possible. It may be necessary to crawl to avoid smoke and heat  Jumping from more than two stories can be fatal and should only be a last resort. If unable to exit a tall building, make your own way to the roof.  If in a burning building, it is important that evacuation is not delayed for any reason. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

If unable to exit, prepare to remain in the building by doing the following:  Go to a room with an outside window and mark it clearly to summon assistance. Stay in that room.  Close all the doors to the room.  Place blankets and clothes at the base of the doors to keep the smoke out. If possible, use wet cloth to make a better seal.  If possible, keep wet non-synthetic blankets, coat and other clothes for possible use later.  Stay low near open window and continue signalling for help.  If fire spread to the room, get under two or more layers of blankets or clothes with the outer layers wet, if possible Downloaded from hlayiso.com

Emergency signage Downloaded from hlayiso.com

FIRST AID First aid advice:  Check to see if the person is breathing.  A person who has injured his neck, should not be moved.  Keep the air way open to prevent suffocation.  When the person is bleeding from the mouth or nose, the head must be turned slightly to the side to prevent suffocation.  Stop the bleeding – in the case of bleeding from an artery or wound, pressure may be applied with the fingers or with a pressure bandage.  Prevent shock – person who are seriously injured must lie down and be kept warm.  A seriously injured person must only be moved if it is absolutely necessary.  Do not cause unnecessary injury or pain by unnecessary handling.  Call an ambulance to transport the seriously injured person to the hospital.  Do not leave an injured person alone because his or her condition could change for the worse quickly. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

INJURIES In the case of injury, take the following steps: Try and find out how serious the injury is.  Are there any broken bones?  Is there any bleeding?  How severe is the bleeding?  Does the person feel faint?  How severe is the pain? Downloaded from hlayiso.com

In the case of injury, take the following steps: If the injury is not too serious:  Help the person yourself.  Get the first aid box – see what you can use to help. Remember that some people may not be able to take certain medication. Check with the person first before giving him or her any medication.  If the person is feeling a little shaky, let him or her sit quietly for a while.  Watch the person – if his or her condition seems to get worse, call for help immediately. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

In the case of injury, take the following steps: If the injury is serious:  Call the emergency service immediately.  If you have first aid and/or a security department in your organisation, call them for help. They are trained in first aid procedures and will take care of the person until the emergency service arrive.  Look after the seriously injured person until the emergency service arrive.  Don’t move anyone who may have broken bones or who has been struck severely on the head.  Keep the person calm by talking softly to them. Reassure them that everything will be okay.  If the person is bleeding severely, make him or her lie down.  You can stop bleeding by applying pressure to the area. Press a thick, clean pad on top of ti and keep pressing on it. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

What is HIV/Aids? AIDS stand for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that breaks down the body’s resistance to illness, so that the sufferer eventually dies of illness against which they have no immune system to protect themselves. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

Precautions against HIV-infection in treatment of emergencies Whether you know the person’s HIV status or not, make sure you do the following:  Wear gloves  Cover wound at all times.  Wash hands immediately after contact with possibly infected fluids and after every health care procedure.  Do not put needles back in their original holder. They should be disposed of in a special sealed container.  Instruments or surfaces soiled with blood or other body fluids should be disinfected immediately.  Dispose of contaminated materials, like bandages, in a sealed package. Downloaded from hlayiso.com

ACTIVITIES • Assessment 8.3 • Assessment 8.4 Downloaded from hlayiso.com