Published: 2019-11-27T14:00:00Z
1. How would you treat a minor burn or scald?
2. How would you administer first aid to a casualty with a small splinter?
3. What are the legal requirements for mental health first aid cover in a workplace?
4. Nose bleeds, do you know what to do?
Answers below...
A minor burn is a common injury, such as a burn to the tip of a finger when cooking. The skin may be red and sore or, there could be a blister.
If a splinter is embedded deeply, see the note below.
Deeply embedded splinters
If a splinter is embedded deeply, difficult to remove or on a joint, leave it in place. Use sterile dressings and bandages to 'build up' around the object. This will apply pressure around the wound and support the object. Send the casualty to hospital to have the object removed.
Providing physical first aid support has been a requirement for all workplaces since introduction of the 1981 Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations. Physical first aid has become ingrained in our culture. However, with research suggesting that nearly half of us will experience a mental health issue in our current job, it’s easy to see why the public, employers and mental health campaigners have been calling for mental health first aid to be given equal legislative status in the workplace.
A campaign to ensure every workplace makes provision for mental health first aid – ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ – was backed by over 200,000 members of the public, as well as 50 leading employers, who wrote to the Prime Minister November 2018 to express their support.
The campaign went to the House of Commons early 2019, with MPs from across the five largest parties supporting a preliminary motion to bring our outdated health and safety legislation up to speed. The campaign has begun its journey in Parliament. Setting a baseline for mental health support would make a huge difference to so many people’s lives.
For more information read our article: Mental health first aid for the workplace
Weakened or dried out blood vessels in the nose can rupture as a result of a bang to the nose, picking or blowing it. More serious causes of a nosebleed could be high blood pressure or a fractured skull.