SEMINAR REPORT

SAFETY AND SECURITY

FIRST AID AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

SUBMITTED BY: Amrutha Simon 3rd Sem MBA(T.T) Roll No: 03

First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care past the first aid intervention. It generally consists of a series of simple and in some cases, potentially life-saving techniques that an individual can be trained to perform with minimal equipment.While first aid can also be performed on all animals, the term generally refers to care of human patients.

Aims
The key aims of first aid can be summarized in three key points: Preserve life: the overriding aim of all medical care, including first aid, is to save lives Prevent further harm: also sometimes called Prevent the condition from worsening, or danger of further injury, this covers both external factors, such as moving a patient away from any cause of harm, and applying first aid techniques to prevent worsening of the condition, such as applying pressure to stop a bleed becoming dangerous. Promote recovery: first aid also involves trying to start the recovery process from the illness or injury, and in some cases might involve completing a treatment, such as in the case of applying a plaster to a small wound First aid training also involves the prevention of initial injury and responder safety, and the treatment phases.

Certain skills are considered essential to the provision of first aid and are taught ubiquitously. Particularly the "ABC"s of first aid, which focus on critical life-saving intervention, must be rendered before treatment of less serious injuries. ABC stands for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. The same mnemonic is used by all emergency health professionals. Attention must first be brought to the airway to ensure it is clear. Obstruction (choking) is a life-

threatening emergency. Following evaluation of the airway, a first aid attendant would determine adequacy of breathing and provide rescue breathing if necessary. Assessment of circulation is now not usually carried out for patients who are not breathing, with first aiders now trained to go straight to chest compressions (and thus providing artificial circulation) but pulse checks may be done on less patients. Some organizations add a fourth step of "D" for Deadly bleeding or Defibrillation, while others consider this as part of the Circulation step. Variations on techniques to evaluate and maintain the ABCs depend on the skill level of the first aider. Once the ABCs are secured, first aiders can begin additional treatments, as required. Some organizations teach the same order of priority using the "3Bs": Breathing, Bleeding, and Bones (or "4Bs": Breathing, Bleeding, Brain, and Bones). While the ABCs and 3Bs are taught to be performed sequentially, certain conditions may require the consideration of two steps simultaneously. This includes the provision of both artificial respiration and chest compressions to someone who is not breathing and has no pulse, and the consideration of cervical spine injuries when ensuring an open airway. Preserving life In order to stay alive, all persons need to have an open airwaya clear passage where air can move in through the mouth or nose through the pharynx and down in to the lungs, without obstruction. Conscious people will maintain their own airway automatically, but those who are unconscious (with a GCS of less than 8) may be unable to maintain a patent airway, as the part of the brain which automatically controls breathing in normal situations may not be functioning. If the patient was breathing, a first aider would normally then place them in the recovery position, with the patient leant over on their side, which also has the effect of clearing the tongue from the pharynx. It also avoids a common cause of death in unconscious patients, which is choking on regurgitated stomach contents. The airway can also become blocked through a foreign object becoming lodged in the pharynx or larynx, commonly called choking. The first aider will be taught to deal with this through a combination of back slaps and abdominal thrusts. Once the airway has been opened, the first aider would assess to see if the patient is breathing. If there is no breathing, or the patient is not breathing

normally, such as agonal breathing, the first aider would undertake what is probably the most recognized first aid procedurecardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, which involves breathing for the patient, and manually massaging the heart to promote blood flow around the body. Promoting recovery The first aider is also likely to be trained in dealing with injuries such as cuts, grazes or bone fracture. They may be able to deal with the situation in its entirety (a small adhesive bandage on a paper cut), or may be required to maintain the condition of something like a broken bone, until the next stage of definitive care (usually an ambulance) arrives.

Specific disciplines There are several types of first aid (and first aider) which require specific additional training. These are usually undertaken to fulfill the demands of the work or activity undertaken. Aquatic/Marine first aid is usually practiced by professionals such as lifeguards, professional mariners or in diver rescue, and covers the specific problems which may be faced after water-based rescue and/or delayed MedEvac. Battlefield first aid takes into account the specific needs of treating wounded combatants and non-combatants during armed conflict. Hyperbaric first aid may be practiced by SCUBA diving professionals, who need to treat conditions such as the bends. Oxygen first aid is the providing of oxygen to casualties who suffer from conditions resulting in hypoxia. Wilderness first aid is the provision of first aid under conditions where the arrival of emergency responders or the evacuation of an injured person may be delayed due to constraints of terrain, weather, and available persons or equipment. It may be necessary to care for an injured person for several hours or days. Hydrofluoric Acid first aid is taught to first aiders in the chemical industry where hydrofluoric acid may be used. Instructs the first aider how to initially treat (with calcium gluconate) any skin that has been splashed with the acid. Mental health first aid is taught independently of physical first aid. How to support someone experiencing a mental health problem or in a crisis

situation. Also how to identify the first signs of someone developing mental ill health and guide people towards appropriate help.

Conditions that often require first aid Also see medical emergency. Altitude sickness, which can begin in susceptible people at altitudes as low as 5,000 feet, can cause potentially fatal swelling of the brain or lungs. Anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition in which the airway can become constricted and the patient may go into shock. The reaction can be caused by a systemic allergic reaction to allergens such as insect bites or peanuts. Anaphylaxis is initially treated with injection of epinephrine. Battlefield first aidThis protocol refers to treating shrapnel, gunshot wounds, burns, bone fractures, etc. as seen either in the traditional battlefield setting or in an area subject to damage by large scale weaponry, such as a bomb blast. Bone fracture, a break in a bone initially treated by stabilizing the fracture with a splint. Burns, which can result in damage to tissues and loss of body fluids through the burn site. Cardiac Arrest, which will lead to death unless CPR preferably combined with an AED is started within minutes. There is often no time to wait for the emergency services to arrive as 92 percent of people suffering a sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching hospital according to the American Heart Association. Choking, blockage of the airway which can quickly result in death due to lack of oxygen if the patients trachea is not cleared, for example by the Heimlich Maneuver. Childbirth. Cramps in muscles due to lactic acid build up caused either by inadequate oxygenation of muscle or lack of water or salt. Diving disorders, drowning or asphyxiation. Gender-specific conditions, such as dysmenorrhea and testicular torsion. Heart attack, or inadequate blood flow to the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle.

Heat stroke, also known as sunstroke or hyperthermia, which tends to occur during heavy exercise in high humidity, or with inadequate water, though it may occur spontaneously in some chronically ill persons. Sunstroke, especially when the victim has been unconscious, often causes major damage to body systems such as brain, kidney, liver, gastric tract. Unconsciousness for more than two hours usually leads to permanent disability. Emergency treatment involves rapid cooling of the patient. Hair tourniquet a condition where a hair or other thread becomes tied around a toe or finger tightly enough to cut off blood flow. Heat syncope, another stage in the same process as heat stroke, occurs under similar conditions as heat stroke and is not distinguished from the latter by some authorities. Heavy bleeding, treated by applying pressure (manually and later with a pressure bandage) to the wound site and elevating the limb if possible. Hyperglycemia (diabetic coma) and Hypoglycemia (insulin shock). Hypothermia, or Exposure, occurs when a persons core body temperature falls below 33.7C (92.6F). First aid for a mildly hypothermic patient includes rewarming, but rewarming a severely hypothermic person could result in a fatal arrhythmia, an irregular heart rhythm. Insect and animal bites and stings. Joint dislocation. Poisoning, which can occur by injection, inhalation, absorption, or ingestion. Seizures, or a malfunction in the electrical activity in the brain. Three types of seizures include a grand mal (which usually features convulsions as well as temporary respiratory abnormalities, change in skin complexion, etc.) and petit mal (which usually features twitching, rapid blinking, and/or fidgeting as well as altered consciousness and temporary respiratory abnormalities). Muscle strains and Sprains, a temporary dislocation of a joint that immediately reduces automatically but may result in ligament damage.

EMERGENCY SERVICES

Emergency services and rescue services are organizations which ensure public safety and health by addressing different emergencies. Some of these agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies whilst others deal with ad hoc emergencies as part of their normal responsibilities. Many of these agencies engage in community awareness and prevention programs to help the public avoid, detect, and report emergencies effectively. The availability of emergency services depends very heavily on location, and may in some cases also rely on the recipient giving payment or holding suitable insurance or other surety for receiving the service.

There are three main emergency service functions:

Police providing community safety and acting to reduce crime against persons and property Fire department (fire and rescue service) providing firefighters to deal with fire and rescue operations, and may also deal with some secondary emergency service duties Emergency medical service providing ambulances and staff to deal with medical emergencies

In some countries these three functions are performed by three separate organisations in a given area. However there are also many countries where fire, rescue and ambulance functions are all performed by a single organisation. Emergency services have one or more dedicated emergency telephone numbers reserved for critical emergency calls. In some countries, one number is used for all the emergency services . In some countries, each emergency service has its own emergency number.

Other emergency services

Military to provide specialist services, such as bomb disposal or to supplement emergency services at times of major disaster, civil dispute or high demand. Coastguard Provide coastal patrols with a security function at sea, as well as involvement in search and rescue operations Lifeboat Dedicated providers of rescue lifeboat services, usually at sea (such as by the RNLI in the United Kingdom). Mountain rescue to provide search and rescue in mountainous areas, and sometimes in other wilderness environments. Cave rescue to rescue people injured, trapped, or lost during caving explorations. Mine rescue specially trained and equipped to rescue miners trapped by fires, explosions, cave-ins, toxic gas, flooding, etc. Technical rescue other types of technical or heavy rescue, but usually specific to a discipline (such as swift water). Search and rescue can be discipline-specific, such as urban, wildland, maritime, etc. Wildland fire suppression to suppress, detect and control fires in forests and other wildland areas. Bomb disposal to render safe hazardous explosive ordnance, such as terrorist devices or unexploded wartime bombs. Blood/organ transplant supply to provide organs or blood on an emergency basis, such as the National Blood Service of the United Kingdom. Emergency management to provide and coordinate resources during large-scale emergencies.