TOPIC TWO: SAFETY IN OUR ENVIRONMENT

 SAFETY IN OUR ENVIRONMENT

FIRST AID AND SAFETY

First aid is an immediate assistance care given to a sick or injured person before getting professional medical help.

IMPORTANCE OF FIRST AID

• It helps to save life.

• It helps to prevent the victim’s condition from becoming worse.

• It also promotes recovery.

• It helps reduce pain and suffering.

• It helps to reassure the victim/ to restore confidence to the victim.

 

THE FIRST AID KIT

The first aid kit is the small box which contains items that are for providing first aid. This box should be clearly labeled “first aid” and stored in a safe and easily accessible place for instance on a shelf, on the wall in a laboratory or in a staff room.

 

 

                     

  COMPONENTS OF FIRST AID KIT AND THEIR USES

SN	ITEM	USE
1	Plaster or adhesive bandage	Covering small wounds
2	Sterile gauze	Covering wounds to protect them from dirty and germs
3	Antiseptic	Cleaning wounds to kill germs
4	Soap	Washing hands/ wounds and equipment
5	pain killers	Relieving pain Note: they should be placed regularly
6	scissor and razor blade	Cutting dressing materials
7	safety pins	Securing bandage
8	Bandages	Keeping dressing in place and immobilizing injured limbs
9	cotton wool	Cleaning and drying wounds
10	Thermometer	Taking body temperature
11	Disposable sterile gloves	Preventing direct contact with victim’s body fluids
12	petroleum jelly	Smoothing  chapped skin
13	Torch	As a source of light
14	Whistle	Blown to call for help
15	Spirits	To kill germs in wound

 The following are First Aid procedures that can help people in various situations;

Bee sting

Treatment

When a person is stung by a bee sting remains on the skin.

Remove the sting by scraping gently using a blunt object such as a plastic card

• Do not use your fingers or sharp object because this makes Bee sting to release more venom into the body.
• Wash the sting area with soap and water.
• Apply baking soda paste or salt water on the bee sting.
• The sting acidic baking soda/salt is base and it neutralizes the acid.
• Apply a cold compress to relieve pain and swelling

 

Note:

If a victim develops allergic reaction, take the person to hospital immediately.

 

Electric shock

This is a sudden painful feeling that somebody gets when electricity passes through the body. Electric shock is caused by touching or stepping an exposed  naked electricity live cable

Treatment

Remove the patient from the source of the danger.

1. Switching off the electricity current
2. Protecting yourself with a dry insulation materials such as rubber gloves or wrap your hand in dry clothing
3. Loosen any light clothing around the neck, chest and waist
4. Start artificial respiration immediately if the victim is unconscious
5. Take the patient to the hospital immediately

 

Shock

This is the sudden violent disturbance of the mind or emotions.

Causes of Shock

• Bad news
• A frightening traumatic scene
• Severe illness
• Dehydration
• Severe allergic reaction
• Heavy bleeding inside the body

Treatment

1. Have the person lie down with his feet higher than his head. However if he/she has a severe head injury put him/her a half sitting position.
2. Stop any bleeding
3. If the person feels cold, cover him with a blanket.
4. If he/she is conscious and able to drink, give him/her sips of water or other soft drinks.
5. Keep calm and rescue the person

Note:

If the person is conscious, lay he/she on his/her side with head low lifted back and to one side. If they seem to be shocked pull his/her tongue forward with your finger. Do not give him/her anything by the mouth until become conscious.

Wounds

Treatment

1. First wash your hand with soap and water, then wash the abrasions gently and dry it
2. Apply some gentian violet solution (GV) to keep it clean and dry more quickly
3. When cleaning the wound be careful to clean all the dirty lift up and clean under any flaps of skin
4. After the wound has been cleaned, place a piece of clean gauze or cloth over the top

 

Bleeding

a) Nose bleeding

     Nose bleeding may occur as a result of

1. Blowing the nose too hard as a result of dried mucus
2. A punch direct to the nose from another person
3. High blood pressure
4. Air pressure changes

Treatment

• Sit quietly
• Blow the nose firmly for 10 minutes or until bleed stops. It is advised to breathe through mouth.
• If this does not control bleeding, pack the nostril a wrap of cotton. Leaving part of outside the nose if possible. First wet the cotton with hydrogen.

 

Vomiting

To vomit is to remove food from the stomach through the mouth. It can be caused by food poisoning, contaminated water, fever or excessive eating.

Treatment

The person should get adequate rest. Give lots of fluids make a  re-hydration drink by mixing 1 liter of clean water, 1.5 spoon of salt and 4 to 5 spoon of sugar.

Muscle cramps and sprains

1. Sprains

It’s possible to know whether a hand or foot is bruised, sprained or broken, it helps to have an x- ray. To release pain and swelling, keep the sprained part raised high. Put the ice, wrapped in a cloth or plastic bag or cold wet cloth over the swollen joint for 20 to 30 minutes. Once even hour (when the swelling is no longer getting worse, soak the sprain in hot water several times a day.

Muscle cramps

         Muscle cramp is sudden, involuntary and painful contraction of a single muscle or group of muscle. The cause of muscle cramps include

1. Poor coordination of the muscle during exercise
2. Cold
3. Excessive loss of salt and body fluids due to too much sweating ,severe diarrhea or persistent vomiting  (Dehydration)

Treatment foot muscle cramps

• Help the victim to stand
• When the first contraction is over, let the victim sit down.
• Straight on the victim knee and draw his or her foot firmly and steadily upward towards the shin
• Massage the muscle
• Get the medical help if the cramps do not stop

 

POISONING

A poison is any substance that causes harm if it’s swallowed, inhaled or absorbed into the body. If the poison has been breathed in, move the person outside where there is plenty of fresh air, if the victim is not breathing start mouth breathing to move resuscitation.

If the poison has been swallowed, give a glass of milk or water or both. This helps to dilute and neutralize the poison, don’t introduce vomiting if the poison is a corrosive. Introduce vomiting if the poison is none corrosive substances. Vomiting can be induced by putting your finger in the victim’s throat or by making the victims gargle soap water or raw egg yolk, take the person to hospital immediately.

SAFETY AT HOME AND SCHOOL

Many accidents occur in our schools as well as at home, children handicapped are more to get accidents. The common accidents at home and school including drowning poisoning, choking, cuts and scratches, falls, bites and electric shock.

Common accidents and how to prevent them

Accident	Preventing and safety and how to prevent them
Fire burns and scalds	Switch off Bunsen burners and cookers which not in use
Drowning	-          Don’t go swimming alone -          Use a bridge when crossing rivers and streams -          Avoid going near water bodies when its dark -          Don’t allow children to play near the water bodies -          Cover or fence all pools of water in the home or school
Falls	-          always walk careful -          avoid playing dangerous games like climbing trees and walls -          put up signs to indicate where there stairs or steps -          do not run unnecessarily -          wipe spilled liquids on the floor immediately -          do not leave fruits and vegetable peels on the floor
Poisoning	-          label all containers clearly -          store all poisonous substances in a safe lockable place when not in            use
Choking	-          do not talk while eating -          sit up right when eating or drinking -          eat slowly and do not take part in eating competition -          do not give children small objects to play with as they could put                  them in the mouth
Bites and stings	-          don’t irritate animals -          stay away from beehives and wasp net -          cut bushes and fall grasses that could have dangerous animals
Cuts and stretches	-          store sharp tools in the safe place -          property dispose of broken glass and empty tins -          do not walk bare foot outside -          do not plant thorny bushes very near -          do not give children sharp objects to play with
Electric shock	-          switch off electrical appliance that are being used -          do not touch electrical equipments with your hands -          ensure all electrical appliances are properly installed -          do not push sharp object in to electric switch

 

WASTE DISPOSAL

Waste: Refers to materials which are not needed.

Waste disposal: is way in which get rid of waste materials

TYPES OF WASTE

We can classify waste according to its state

1. Solid waste
2. Liquid waste
3. Gaseous waste
4. Sludge waste

Solid waste

Is a hard waste material e.g. House hold, garbage, mining waste, plastic, paper, glass, scrap metal, waste, used tires, empty cans and construction waste.

Liquid waste

Liquid waste include urine, water from bathrooms, water from kitchen after washing utensils, liquid also come from industries e.g. chemical liquid waste.

Gaseous waste

This is waste in gaseous form for example ammonia, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide gases from materials and lead from petrol in motor vehicle. Gaseous waste is a major risk factor for both acute and chronic respiratory diseases.

Sludge waste

This is a thick soft and wet waste material usually a viscous material (flowing material) e.g. human waste, industrial waste which contain between 300/0 to 700/0 water. Waste from living things is biodegradable. They can be decomposed by bacteria and other living organisms. E.g. food remain, paper and cotton clothes waste material such as plastics, glass, metal are non-biodegradable.

Waste disposal

Waste disposal refers to collection, transportation, processing, re-use and other activities that help us to get rid of waste. This helps to reduce adverse effects of waste on human health, animal’s health and environment.

Basic principle of waste disposal

The principles that can help us to better manage waste, these are:

1. Reducing amount of waste we produce, for example we do not have to buy plastic bags each time we go shop we can carry a woven basket instead.
2. Re- using items instead of throwing them away for instance we can use an empty margarine container to store sugar.
3. Recycling waste materials – some waste can be changed to other product for example, broken glass can be melt and use to make new glass bottles.

Importances of waste disposal

1. It helps to provide pleasing environment.
2. It eliminates or reduces bad air.
3. It minimizes the spread of infections and disease.
4. To prevent accident

Methods of waste disposal

1. Burning

Waste such as papers, plastic, carton – boxes, empty milk packet, bread wrappers, are burnt to ashes.

2. Burying

This is used to dispose inorganic refuse such as empty containers of insecticides, used torch batteries, broken bottles, pots, plates, cups and spoon.

Burying can take the following form

- Pit latrine

The sewage in pit is decayed by bacteria, when the pit is full it’s covered with soil and a new latrine is dug.

-Tipping and landfills 

When car [truck] come and collect waste and take it to dumping site we called it tipping

Damping can be in form of a dump or landfill.

A landfill is place where solid waste buried in the ground.

3. Animals feeds

Organic refuse such as vegetable, fruit, potato and banana peelings, cabbage, and spinach leaves are feed to goats, sheep, cattle, poultry and also pigs. Bones are dried and ground into powder which is dog food.

4. Compost manure

After separating inorganic refuse from organic. A place of one meter deep is dug where the organic refuse is dumped to decompose, to keep away flies reduce smell and other health hazards, a thin layer of wood ashes and sock is used to cover the refuse. After the refuse decomposes, it’s used by farmer as compost manure which adds soil fertile.
 
5. Recycling

To recycle is to turn waste materials into useful ones that can be used again. Plastic, glass, paper, metal and rubber are the items that can be recycled for example paper can be converted to tissue paper or news print paper, worn out tires can be retreated and re- used, plastic items old glass bottles can be crushed and made into new bottles.
 
6. Incinerating

To incinerate is to burn something until it is completely destroyed. This process is carried out in an incinerator. Incinerator is usually done for hazardous material such as clinical waste.

         7. Garbage collection in urban areas is done by local authorities, local authorities provide refuse bins which are commonly placed at strategic places in towns. Garbage disposal are through landfill and incineration.

 

THE EFFECTS OF POOR WASTE DISPOSAL

1. Provide breeding places for disease causing organisms. e.g. empty container after rain become breeding places e.g. mosquito, cockroaches.
2. Poor waste disposal causes air pollution result to respiratory diseases.
3. Can cause accident in home e.g. fresh peeling of fruits and vegetable, and potatoes on the floor can cause slippery and falls down breaking his/her leg, broken glass can cut people.
4. Organic wastes when decompose cause bad smell.
5. Causes epidemic diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
6. Can harm wildlife and domestic animals. E.g. when cow eat plastic bags, suffocate or block the digestive system and cause death.
7. Block of drainage system can cause flooding
8. Degrade the natural beauty of the environment.

 How to reduce waste product

1. Use cloth instead of paper to wipe surface e.g. window and furniture. It’s much cheaper in the long run and reduces the amount of waste paper in the environment.
2. Invest in a set of cloth or woven shopping bags.
3. Buy rechargeable batteries and a battery charger instead of disposable batteries.
4. Collect and use plastic container to store food.
5. Initiate awareness campaigns in your community on the proper ways of disposing waste.
6. Use plastic that can be recycled or re – used and buy products made from recycled materials

            

                             Symbol of recycled material

Why waste product is a problem

• People's bad habits for example dumping waste on foot paths, on the roadside and using excessive packaging for example wrapping a piece of candy to layers of plastic.
• Inadequate disposal facilities make waste disposal a problem.
• Failure by the local authorities to enforce effective punishment on those who failed to practice proper waste disposal.
• Poor infrastructure/ poor settlement planning render waste collection.                          

Why increase of waste output now today?

• Increase of population and new settlement.
• Increased consumption rate of more disposable packaging and foot waste.
• Technical advancement cause nuclear waste.