Page 50 - The City and Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1 for the Level 3 Apprenticeship (9189), Level 2 Technical Certificate (8202) and Level 2 Diploma (6035)

The City & Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1

● If the person is not breathing, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
immediately if you are trained to do so, and continue it until the person is
breathing or help arrives.
● Send someone to fetch help as quickly as possible.

Dealing with serious injury at work

In this section we will examine the best way of dealing with those injuries that
are more serious, such as:

● fractures
● unconscious co-workers
● electric shock.

Fractures and breaks

A fracture is a break or crack in the bone. There are two types of fracture:
1 a simple fracture, where the skin is intact and there is no wound present;
there may be a swelling around the area of the fracture
2 a compound fracture, where the bone causes a wound or the breaking of the
skin; the bone may or may not be visible with this kind of injury.
You cannot always tell if the bone is broken, but if you are in any doubt always
assume that it is. There are some signs to help you and a few rules to observe to
ensure that the injured person is kept comfortable until the emergency services
arrive:

● Check for deformity of the limb by comparing it with the opposite side of the
body, i.e. left arm, right arm.
● Look for an open wound, which may indicate a hidden fracture.
● Check for pain. The injured person will be able to tell you where the pain is, if
they have any. Check by gently feeling along the area. The person will almost
certainly complain of discomfort.
● Check for swelling.

In a few cases there may be no pain associated with the fracture and the person
may be able to move the injured limb. In most cases, however, the person will be
in great pain and any movement will cause severe pain.

Talk to the person. Ask them questions. They might have heard the bone snap at
the time of the injury. Overall, the best approach for limited treatment is as follows.

1 It is recommended that you check and monitor the person’s airway,
breathing and circulation.
2 Treat the person for shock, if necessary.
3 Ask questions to try to find out how the accident happened. This will be vital
information when the emergency services arrive.
4 Examine around the area for wounds and cuts. Feel along the area carefully
for tenderness, swelling and deformities.

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