Jones & Bartlett
Publishers: 10-Jan-02
January 2002
Welcome to Jones and
Bartlett's Emergency Care Electronic Newsletter. This monthly newsletter is
designed exclusively for our community of instructors. Please see the end of
this message for information on subscribing or unsubscribing.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. INTERESTING NEWS STORIES
2. MEDICAL JOURNAL REVIEWS
3. TEACHING TIP
4. ON-LINE SITES
5. FIRST AID DIGEST
6. WHAT'S NEW
1. INTERESTING NEWS STORIES
Juneau, AK -- A 52-year-old
deer hunter suffered severe head and shoulder wounds when he was mauled by a
brown bear on Admiralty Island. The victim said he was out walking when a sow
and a cub appeared 10 feet away. The sow bit him on the head and shoulder,
breaking his bones and leaving deep cuts.
Madison, WI -- A 44-year-old
male employee at a food plant was killed after he was exposed to deadly ammonia
fumes that leaked from a ruptured cooler tank. The victim was moving a tank of
ammonia in a loading dock when a line broke, spilling 50 gallons of ammonia and
contaminating the air.
Hope, AK -- An avalanche
killed a snowmobiler near the Kenai Peninsula town of Hope, Alaska. The
35-year-old victim was covered by 3 to 5 feet of snow. Although he was carrying
an emergency-locator beacon and his companions were able to dig him out within
20 to 30 minutes, attempts at resuscitation failed.
2. MEDICAL JOURNAL REVIEWS
Injuries in Professional
Hockey
The National Hockey League
(NHL) conducted an educational summit meeting to address hockey injuries in
Toronto. Hockey, particularly the professional game, has changed over the
years. Equipment is more protective and players are bigger, heavier, stronger,
and better. The NHL is constantly making rule changes and taking injury
prevention measures. Because of this, concussion rates have been stable over
the last 10 years.
Controversy over head
protection in the professional league has subsided because the older players
who opted to use less protective helmet styles are retiring. All current
helmets are certified to meet NHL protection standards. Also, differences exist
between professional and amateur injury patterns due to the difference in
helmets. For example, concussions are more of a problem in amateur hockey where
face masks are required. The mask protects the face, but it also makes the face
mask a target area for an inadvertent hit, thus causing injuries to the head.
The large number of amateur
hockey participants--about 65,000 coaches and 450,000 players--makes it
impractical to hold the joint meetings with coaches, referees, and players that
would be required to tighten up rule enforcement in amateur leagues. USA
Hockey, the governing board for amateur hockey, has instituted rule changes for
the 2001-2002 season. One is a penalty for checks to the head. Another is a
modification of a rule used to promote use of form-fitting mouth guards. Mouth
guards can now be worn without being tethered to the face mask. Hopefully,
these rule changes will help the amateur leagues become as safe as the
professional league.
Source: The Physician and Sportsmedicine, December
2001.
3. TEACHING TIP
Sources of Stories
(continued from the December 2001 newsletter)
There are many sources of
stories to spice up your presentation, such as the media and personal
experiences. There are several news shows that feature search-and-rescue incidents.
Also, the daily news is an excellent source for dramatic stories. Most first
aid instructors will have some personal experiences that can bring life into a
presentation. Personal stories also help students to feel as though they have
gotten to know their instructor better. However, if overused, stories may
appear as "bragging." It is better to ask for experiences that students may have had. Obviously stories
about altitude illness may not be common, but burns, poison ivy, and dog bites
are common enough that one or more students will have personal experiences to
share.
4. ON-LINE SITES
National Safety Council at
http://www.nsc.org/
Federal Emergency Management
Agency at http://www.fema.gov/
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration at http://www.osha.gov/
5. FIRST AID DIGEST
What is the Most Dangerous
Job? Alton Thygerson, EdD
What is the most dangerous
occupation in the United States? There are several factors that can be used to
compute the answer to that question. Due to the use of different factors, the
answers can vary widely. For example, when the number of fatalities is the sole
factor, truck driving is the most dangerous job in the United States. This
calculation does not take into account the large number of truck drivers on the
road, so it cannot be considered the final answer.
Fatality rates can also be
used as a factor. The rates are calculated by dividing the number of
job-related fatalities for a group of workers by the average number of workers.
When occupations are ranked by fatality rates, truck driving becomes the ninth
most dangerous occupation.
Nonfatal job-related
injuries and illnesses should be considered as factors as well. The U.S.
Department of Labor also includes the number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses
along with days away from work to recuperate when performing its own
calculations. The following is the U.S. Department of Labor's list of the top
ten dangerous jobs in terms of time lost due to injuries and illness. Advice on
how to avoid injuries and illness is also given.
1. Truck drivers. Use caution when loading and unloading trucks.
Take care to enter and exit your truck cab properly. Check for water or ice on
the truck steps and use the safety handles provided.
2. Nonconstruction laborers. Make sure to follow protocol and do not
allow safety to be compromised in favor of completing a project early. Because
there is high turnover in these jobs, new employees be made aware of required
safety precautions.
3. Nursing aides and orderlies. Use extreme caution on tile floors.
Proper lifting techniques are necessary when lifting, supporting, and carrying
patients to avoid shoulder strains and back injuries.
4. Janitors and professional cleaners. Pay attention to your
environment, as different locations have different stairs, lighting, or floor
surfaces that can contribute to falls and other injuries. Take time to learn
about the hazardous cleaning agents that can cause chemical burns or
irritation.
5. Assemblers. Take frequent breaks to avoid the most common injury
for this occupation: repetitive strain injuries, which are caused by performing
the same motions over and over and stressing the muscles, ligaments, and
tendons in a particular area.
6. Construction laborers. Always pay attention to your surroundings.
A constantly changing environment presents a new set of risks each day. Wear
recommended protective gear such as eyewear, hard hats, and steel-toed boots.
7. Carpenters. Take frequent breaks when working in odd positions,
such as in crawl spaces. Avoid repetitive strain injuries by changing tasks
often, especially when working with vibrating power tools.
8. Stock handlers and baggers. Avoid slip-and-fall accidents by
using care when walking on tiled floors. To avoid falls, take the time to find
and use a ladder when stocking items on high shelves instead of standing on
boxes or carts.
9. Cashiers. Take frequent breaks and consider using wrist braces to
avoid repetitive strain injuries of the hand and arm.
10. Cooks. Housekeeping is the key to avoiding
slip-and-fall accidents from wet floors. Take breaks when chopping, dicing, or
stirring. Use proper lifting techniques and enlist help when carrying large,
heavy items.
So what is the most
dangerous job? One occupation appears on both the fatal and nonfatal lists:
truck driving. This job can be made safer by following the advice listed above.
Remember, no matter what professional you are in, use common sense and stay
safe.
6. WHAT'S NEW
Jones and Bartlett
Publishers (J&B) and the National Safety Council (NSC) are pleased to bring
you:
Three new courses at
http://www.SafeyCampus.com/
www.SafetyCampus.com is the
source for all of your safety training needs!
Together, J&B and the NSC have developed a unique resource,
www.SafetyCampus.com that offers the most complete and thorough safety training
available.
Courses currently available
include:
- Adult CPR Online
- First Aid Online
- First Aid and CPR Online
- Adult and Pediatric CPR Online
- Professional Rescuer Online
Coming in January are:
- Lifeguarding Online
- AED Online
- Home and Community First Aid and CPR Online
To enroll in one of these
groundbreaking courses, simply:
- Log on to www.SafetyCampus.com
- Select the course you want to take from the Course Catalog
- Complete the knowledge component of the course online
- Proceed to the final exam
- After passing the final exam, complete your hands-on skills
- After passing the hands-on skills training, you will be eligible
to receive a Course Completion card from the NSC
For more information, please
visit www.SafetyCampus.com
Good Samaritan, Fourth
Edition ISBN: 0-7637-0236-6
Good Samaritan, Fourth
Edition, provides the basics of emergency care to individuals not taking a
formal course. This program covers recognizing an emergency, getting help, and
practical information of how to handle dozens of common emergencies.
CPR Review Manual, Fourth
Edition ISBN: 0-7637-1466-6
The CPR Review Manual,
Fourth Edition has been completely revised with the latest CPR guidelines. This book is an ideal tool to review
techniques for recertification. It includes additional information on Professional
Rescuer CPR, including one- and two-rescuer CPR procedures, as well as adult,
child, and infant basic life support. Also included are valuable proficiency
checklists to summarize key skills.
For a complete listing of
the National Safety Council programs available, please visit
http://nsc.jbpub.com/ or contact your EMS Specialist at
http://www.emtb.com/8e/findyoursalerep.cfm
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