Safe Speed Forums

I think it does go to the network per SIM first so as to try to trace the origin of the call. All emergency calls are logged and recorded. But they still get a lot of hoaxers and I'd chuck away the key for these lowest of low lifes. They use Pay As You Go and interchange SIM cards, and even call boxes to do this (per conversations with the crews) .

It can work without a SIM these days because "emergency is emergency"

Most dial "999" as foremost in minds though.

But please - I think I'd prefer anyone who has zero First Aid training to call ambulance as more harm than good can be done. For example, had Emma, the Commonwealth Games heroine been unlucky - and not happened to have been helped by a passing trained first aider - her career and life would have been ruined by a hit and run driver. If a head, back or neck injury - reassure the patient, but urge them to keep still until the right help arrives. Your best effort? Keep the patient warm and awake by talking to them calmly and in a warm friendly voice. Don't remove any helmets unless patient has obvious trouble breathing - and do this as gently as possible without causing any "sudden" friction or movement in the neck/head areas.

I would also suggest that all enrol on any First Aid course offered as evening class or at work. We can save a lot more lives just through people being that bit more informed in this area.

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

Back to the original scanned cards (sorry - been away, just catching up):

I question one piece of advice from this excellent selection and seek comment from those on here more learned than me.

Eyes: Advice is irrigation regardless of contaminant. These cards are aimed at motorists. I suggest therefore that the most likely contaminat into the eye would be petrol. A specific case for that should be made I think - and water is the last thing you need isn't it? Milk or dry occlusion would be better wouldn't it?

So that's why the Mad Cats always have a supply of milk in the car at all times.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

OK - back to First Aid Training.

As the Mad Doc posted - important to know the basics and the best one is the "Public First Aid Course" - 20 session, short exam at the end which tests theory and skills. Ideal for home, work and social - but by all menas seek out the short evening classes for a taster.

Details of the courses can be obtained from

British Red Cross (see local phone book)

St John Ambulance
National Headquarters
1 Gorsvenor Crescent
London SW1X 7EF

St Andrews Ambulance Association
St Andrews House
48 Milton Street
Glasgow G4 OHR

They do have websites

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

If you're being serious, it's more likely there to give orally for cases of petrol ingestion - but I'm fairly confident it would work intraocularly too. It's certainly what I'd try.

They seem prepared for any eventuality. Never seen a First Aid Kit like that one..

Mine has cotton wool, surgical tape, sterile dressings, assorted plasters, lint, triangular bandages, crepe bandages, finger bandages, wipes, scissors, tweezers, absorbent dressings, EYE pads, water,calomine, savlon, germolene, disposable gloves, notepad, pencil, whistle, blankets, survival bag and a handbook.

He has stuff to cater for heart attacks as well and emergency to deal with diabetics he may come across... "just in case" He does have a pal who suffers from Type 1 and think more for his benefit. and got caught out once by a heart attack victim in town once. Apparently guy died on him. He does feel his fails!


Why do you think they (and now myself) might carry cling film and clean plastic bags?

Flask of iced water?

Quicky quiz

What types of wound are there? There are six main ones which can relate to cause and treatment. Just see how many you already know of.

Do you know which kind of dressing to choose for a wound?

What do you understand by "dressing hygiene"? in addition to washing hands" and on the topic of washing hands -

[i] do you really KNOW HOW to wash them? Mad Doc showed me how.. and I have to admit I learned something that day. So how does he wash his hands?

Perhaps BC might tell us these answers - will give him a change of topic

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Are you saying that washing with water is a bad thing to do after getting a face full of petrol? I have no idea what dry occlusion is, but I'm pretty sure I don't have any in my car - or milk come to that. I've never been hit in the face by petrol, but it's always a possibility when you're fiddling with cars. What *is* the right treatment, if not water?

_________________
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)

Important to wash out asap. If petrol and possible - water with and so reason to add a little milk to soothe.

1, Important to tilt the head so that injured eye is downward, This prevents the chemical running to other parts of the eye or area around the eye.

2. Keep the eye open gently with fingers and rinse with cold running water or an "eye bath" with water and maybe a drop of milk.

3. Rinse for at least 15 minutes - can take that long to wash out the chemical.

4. Close the eye and cover with a clean, dry eye pad and seek professional help at once.


Please also be aware that prolinged exposure to glare from a bright surface - such as snow, waters, a welding torch can damage the surface of the eye. Symptom such as watrering, sensitivity to light may not appear for some time.

Quicky Quiz!

What is the First Aid procedure for this? Do you know?

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Do you know how to examine a casualty?

Quiz to see how much you might know...

1. Where do you start? Head or foot?

2. Why are your own five senses important? What might you be trying to establish (trying not to give answer here )

3. What is the golden ABC rule of First Aid?

4. What is the "Glasgow Coma Scale" and what would you trying to establish in your attempt to offer some help to the person?

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Much posted all over this site about HEAD injuries.

So

DO folks know the difference between concussion, compresion and a fractured skull?

Most importantly - would they know what they should do whilst waiting for an ambulance to help that person's chances of making it?

Which of the above is the most serious condition?

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Shock

Probably the real killer even though death certificates record the disorder or injury which caused the shock in the first place.

Symptoms are varied and person in shock can have internal bleeding, external bleeding, burns (loss of plasma), heart attack and severe fear and pain.

Look out for rapid shallow breath, rapid and weak pulse, clammy skin, fainting...

Pirincipal aim fo first aid is to maintain adequate blood supplies to brain, heart, lings and kdineys whilst waiting for the paramedics and doctors to treat properly. And whilst wating - gentle calm reassuring does help. Wildy does clearly recall the chap who helped her that morning. This act alone can really help save that life.


1. So - if you dress the external bleeding - do so.

2. Be very careful if you suspect a fracture but do see if you can get the head turned to prevent choking on any vomit. If no fracture - try to place in "recover position"

3. Gently loosen tight clothing

4. Cover with coats and blankets to keep up body warmth.

5. If person is thirsty - moisten lips only with a little water (you don;t know if they may need an general anaaesthetic)

6. Check pulse and responsiveness every 10 minutes

7. Reassure the patient constantly

8. If person stops breathing and hear stops - begin CPR if you can.

9. Do not move the person unnecessarily

10. Do not offer hot water bottle or electric blanket as these can cause burns

11. NIL BY MOUTH (may need anaesthetic)

12, Do not let the person smoke.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

We had this discussion in the office a few years ago. I need to speak with my learned colleagues again. I'll be back. Meanwhile, from memory - and this is all a bit lost in time hence my asking for more knowledgeable folk to answer:

Water does not dissolve petrol and ingress can make the eye so uncomfortable that rubbing may involuntarily result, also it can easily wash the mixture/byproducts to the back of the eye where it might just damage the mechanism of sight irreprably. Milk does dissolve it and renders it benign if used as an adequate irrigation medium.

Occlusion - keeping the air out - a clean hankie will do fairly well. The idea I think is to prevent/slow down the reaction (which needs oxygen from the air) and , at the same time encouraging migration of eye fluids into the cloth. These are replenished with new fluids from the eye tear glands.

It's the same principle of not inducing vomiting if petrol is swallowed - don't want it in the sensitive part of the system - gut lining.

I hope so

Head. check for consciousness and see if you can ask what's happened - or get any sensible info from the casualty.


Sight: see if you can see damage - injuries that need plugging or lifting, any wires attached that prevent you from going near casualty without risk of electrucution etc
Sound: Can you hear him breathing - or petrol dripping? or a pulse on the chest?
Smell: breath if present - alcohol smell? acetone smell (diabetic coma)? Petrol smell?
Taste: Hmm... not sure about that one yet....
Touch: Pulse, airway obstruction....


Airway (clear - tongue or foreign body)
Breathing (listen/kiss of life)
Circulation (pulse/chest compression)


No idea at all - despite being in Glasgow yesterday and almost comatose at the airport

Roger - perfectly correct on the "milk/petrol" issue. Not why we carry milk in the car though.. we just like drinking the stuff!

Quite correct on IG's little quiz too

Obviously - better to go get the training and the addresses IG gives will give details of courses at various levels across the country. Bandaging can cause a dilemma - do you use a ""roller" and how do you apply one? Then there are triangular and tube bandages.. I learned about these and tehe improtnace of knots - especially Reef Knots when in Cubs and Scouts as a boy.

The "Glasgow Coma Scale" - just to provide some information... This determines whether the casualty can respond verbally and move their limbs. You note how long it takes for the injured person to respond - and how well they respond

Eyes

- Eyes open spontaneously - in response to sound (your voice)

- in response tpo pain (pinch the casually very gently)

- No response (we have a problem...medium to serious)

Casualty's speaking

- normal (not concussed apparently)

- in a connfused or rambling manner (shock to mild concussion setting in)

- Using inappropriate language .. words or phrases ( shock..internal and other injury - concussion and aftermath of concussion signs)

- making incomprehenible sounds .. conscious but sign that person is in a serious /concerning condition

- Not sound at all.. seriously injured ..we need urgent help here. Keep patient warm and keep checking pulse and other vital signs until ambulance arrives.

Movement

- Patient can move and obey spoken commands

- Patient moves if pinched very gently (you can do this in this sort of situation.. do not pinch bottoms though (not joking this time.) .. pinch hand, arm or leg)

- Patient can straighten and arm or leg

- Patient can flex a joint or muscle

- No movement.. again .. try to keep patient warm and even if you think he or she cannot hear you .. just keep talking at them.

As some may note.. for me and Wildy .. this ability to keep talking and reassuring is easy peasy!


.

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

Trouble is, some of the core guidlines keep changing depending upon which edition of the good book we're currently working to, 8,9,10?

Actions on discovering a casualty..

Carry out HRABC and AVPU

No, wait a sec, go and phone for help immediately if required, its better that way

No, changed again, assess casualty, give two 'rescue breathes' if required then go and phone for help

Er no, make that, assess casualty then go and get help, unless its a Monday....woah!

Thanks MM for the leaflet. Isn't it ironic that the very people who are whining about your leaflets and the advice from IG and WC, are those who don't even know that one can dial 999 from a mobile phone?

Hi wayneo... sure is.

Some odd folk around. My wife reckons it's partly because we again proved COAST is also upheld by the very people those opposed to anti-scam brigade as well

Prats admit that speed per se is a bit of a red herring by this token and T2K, vigilante cyclists ( who hold the Highway Code as "letter of law" for drivers .. but a "mere code for themselves") are full of vitriolic abuse when proved in the wrong. Fact is .. the level of vicious abuse and sptie is indicative of knowing we trumped 'em

Use the little guys cos I know they loathe 'em

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.