Workplace burns common injuries that need prompt and proper attention, especially when the burn is serious. Are your employees trained in first aid for burns?
Workplace burn injuries range from minor to life threatening. Employees should know basic first aid for burns so that they can respond quickly and effectively when someone is burned on the job.
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns are the least serious type of burn. The affected area of skin will likely turn red and there will probably be some pain. First aid for first degree burns is simple and involves:
- Applying cool water or wrapped ice
- Covering with a clean cloth or dressing
- Taking aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve pain
Second-Degree Burns
Second-degree burns are more serious, since the burn goes deeper. Following a second-degree burn, the skin will be red and blistered. First aid for second-degree burns involves:
- Removing clothing covering the burned area, unless it’s stuck to the burned skin
- Applying cool water or wrapped ice packs
- Leaving blisters alone and not breaking them
- Getting quick medical attention if the burn covers a large area or on is the face, hands, or genitals
Failure to properly and promptly treat second-degree burns can result in infection and lost workdays.
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Third-Degree Burns
Third-degree burns are the most severe type of burn and may be life threatening. An employee with third-degree burns requires emergency medical treatment. With third-degree burns, the affected area of skin appears white or charred. You may even be able to see exposed bones and tendons.
Employees should not try to treat or cool third-degree burns or remove clothing that is stuck to the burned area. Instead, they should:
- Cover the burned area lightly with a clean cloth
- Elevate burned limbs
- Call for emergency medical assistance
- Watch for shock and administer appropriate first aid for this condition if necessary
Chemical Burns
Chemical burns are a special category of burn and need different first-aid treatment. In addition to checking the chemical’s MSDS for first-aid instructions, employees providing first aid should:
- Remove contaminated clothing
- Flush burned skin or eyes with water for 15 minutes
- Cover the burned area with a clean cloth
- Get medical attention
Can you picture safety training in effective, 7-minute sessions? Get the details.
Don’t Get Burned on Training
To help train employees in a broad range of safety and health topics, savvy safety professionals have for years relied on the BLR 7-Minute Safety Trainer. This essential training resource allows you to provide concise, memorable training easily and effectively in just a few minutes. Materials are ready-to-use, and each session supplies a detailed trainer’s outline as well as a handout, quiz, and quiz answers to get your points across quickly—and cost-effectively.
All told, this “trainer’s bible” contains 50 prewritten meetings covering almost every aspect of safety you’d want or need to train on, in a format designed to be taught in as little as 7 minutes. Major topics include:
- Confined spaces
- Electrical safety
- Fire safety and emergency response
- HazCom
- Machine guarding and lockout/tagout
- Material handling
- PPE use and care
- Housekeeping/slips, trips, and falls
- and dozens more
Just make as many copies as you need of the included handouts and quizzes, and you’re ready to train.
Equally important is that the program ships new meetings every quarter to respond to new and changed regulations. This service is included in the program price, which averages just over $1 a working day. In fact, this is one of BLR’s most popular safety programs.
If you’d like to personally evaluate 7-Minute Safety Trainer and see how it can build safety awareness, we’ll be happy to send it to you for 30 days on a no-cost, no-obligation trial basis. Just let us know, and we’ll arrange it.
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