Prepared by Charles
Schwab, extension safety specialist; Carolyn Sheridan,
registered nurse, Spencer Municipal Hospital; and Laura
Miller, extension communications.
Iowa State University Extension
Farming
is a dangerous occupation, not just in the number of deaths
but also the high rate of injuries that occur on the job.
Many injuries are the result of modern farm equipment that
is more powerful and specialized to handle specific tasks.
To deal with these dangers, farm workers must be prepared
to handle medical emergencies.
According
to the Iowa Department of Public Health, 2,433 farm-related
injuries received medical attention in 1994. Although farm-related
injuries vary according to season and type of operation, the
three most common causes are livestock, machinery, and slips
or falls. More than half of all farm injuries (54 percent)
in Iowa are caused by these hazards.
How you
respond to farm-related injuries is critical. Certain conditions
exist on a farm that can turn a minor injury into a life-threatening
situation before professional medical treatment is available.
Agricultural accidents often occur in remote locations and
go undetected for long periods of time. Being prepared for
medical emergencies and knowing the basics of first response
can help minimize the extent of injuries.
Preparation
includes having the right materials available. A farm emergency/first
aid kit should contain everything needed to handle a medical
crisis where you work. Keep in mind the following tips as
you put together your farm emergency/first aid kit.
- Know
what's in the kit and how to use it. Don't rely on gut
instinct in a crisis situation. Get appropriate training
and renew periodically. Take refresher courses. Play "what
if" with family members. Set up scenarios and decide what
you would do.
- You'll
need more than one kit. Most farmers have several work
environments that change as seasons and conditions change.
Consider developing several kits specific to the hazards
and potential injury. For example, a first aid kit for the
dairy barn would contain different supplies than the kit
you keep on your tractor in the spring.
- Be
selective. A farm emergency kit should not be relied
upon for day-to-day or minor injuries. Select items to help
you handle a major trauma. You have limited space to store
materials, so an emergency kit filled with small bandages
for minor cuts would not help you after an entanglement.
Small cuts should be taken care of, however, these conditions
are not life-threatening and do not require first aid.
- Pack
items for individual needs. Make sure your emergency
kit contains personal medical information and supplies for
those with special medical conditions. A sting to someone
who's allergic to bee venom could be life-threatening, so
appropriate items must be included. The name and telephone
number of a family doctor for everyone who might be involved
in a medical emergency also should be included.
- Always
include emergency numbers. A card should tell you how
to contact an ambulance, hospital, or fire department, and
have written directions about how to get to the farmstead,
field, or work area. Remember that "911" numbers may not
be a standard service in some locations.
- Remember
communication and heat. Flares and a flashlight will
help you signal for help if you're caught after dark or
in an isolated area. Don't forget to pack matches (waterproof).
Flares also can generate heat until help arrives.
- Check
kit every three months. Inspect for expired supplies.
Replace items that are dusty (an airtight container helps).
Make sure supplies fit the season (e.g. source of heat in
winter).
- Pack
Red Cross manual or first aid chart. This information
is invaluable during a crisis when it's difficult to think
clearly. First aid charts and Red Cross manuals list necessary
steps to care for victims of various accidents, such as
drowning, shock, fractures, or burns, and how to avoid additional
injury. What you cannot place in this kit is practical knowledge
gained by completing a course in first aid and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR).
- Label
all kits. Store in a large nylon travel or sports bag
with a visible label.
1. Farm
first aid kits should be used to help treat day-to-day injuries.
True or false?
2. Which
item(s) would you expect to find in a first aid kit?
a) large
garbage bag
b) triangular
bandage
c) sugar
packets
d) disposable
rubber gloves
e) all
of the above
3. According
to 1994 reports at the Iowa Department of Public Health, how
many farm injuries that required hospitalization were fractures?
a) 5
percent
b) 15
percent
c) 25
percent
4. First
aid kits should be checked every three months. True or false?
[Answers
to quiz: 1-False; 2-e; 3-b; 4-True]
This
is a basic kit that can be used to treat small wounds, stop
bleeding, support a fracture or sprain, or preserve a severed
limb.
- basic
first aid manual
- two
triangular bandages (36 inches) to make slings, control
bleeding, splint fractures
- antiseptic
spray (not in pressurized can) to disinfect contaminated
wounds (use before dressing)
- 12
large adhesive bandages for small cuts, puncture wounds,
abrasions
- 4
safety pins to anchor triangular bandages
- 4
sterile compress bandages (2 X 2 inches) to dress wounds,
control bleeding
- 4
sterile compress bandages (4 X 4 inches) to dress wounds,
control bleeding
- roll
of tape (2-inch width) to anchor dressing (do not constrict
circulation)
- 6
pressure bandages (8 X 10 inches) to control bleeding, splint
fracture
- scissors
to cut clothing or bandages
- 2
rolls of elastic wrap to anchor dressings (use care not
to stretch too tightly)
- 5
clean plastic bags (one garbage, 2 kitchen, 2 bread-sized)
to transport amputated tissue
Some
farm work requires special supplies in emergency kits, such
as being prepared for major trauma, treating fractures, preserving
severed limbs, and to handle poisonings. The most common need
is for fractures, involved in 15 percent of all farm-related
injuries that require hospitalization. About four percent
of those injuries are for amputation. Keep similar items in
small, labeled plastic bags.
Dressing
supplies-to handle major trauma:
- sterile
compress (2X2 and 4X4 inches)
- gauze
roller bandages (1, 2, and 6 inches wide)
- adhesive
tape (various widths)
- triangular
bandage
- tongue
depressors
- heavy
duty scissors (to cut clothing)
- ice
packs (chemical)
- small
sugar packets
- disposable
rubber gloves and goggles
- soap
- bottled
water (if in heated area)
- tweezers
- safety
pins
- pocket
mask for resuscitation
- emergency
blanket
Amputations:
- one
large plastic bag (trash can size)
- 4
medium plastic bags (tall kitchen size)
- 8
small plastic bags (bread loaf size)
- Store
all bags in a closed container to keep as clean as possible.
Amputated tissue should be placed in bags during transport.
Ideally, place tissue in a moist (not wet) wrapping, cover
with a clean plastic bag, and place in a cool bag of ice.
Fractures-to
immobilize injured limbs:
- wooden,
plastic splints ( 1/4 X 3 X 12-15 inches), or air inflatable
- roll
of elastic wrap (to attach splint)
Poisonings-to
use during pesticide application season or to keep where dangerous
substances are stored:
- emergency
and/or poison control center number
- syrup
of Ipecac (use only if advised by doctor or Poison Center)
- two
one-quart containers of clean water
- tongue
depressors (to stir with or for seizures)
- two
small, plastic empty jars with tight-fitting lids
- can
of evaporated milk (attach opener to can with rubber band)
- blanket
(for treating shock)
- plastic
bandages and tape (to cover contaminated areas)
- disposable
rubber gloves and goggles
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This publication
provides only a general overview of first aid supplies for
farm use. First aid manuals and a basic course of instruction
are available from your local chapter of the American Red
Cross. Pocket-sized first aid reference guides and basic first
aid kits also can be purchased from the American Red Cross.
For
more information, contact your local Iowa State University
Extension office for a free copy of another publication in
this series, How to respond to farm accidents, Pm-1518l.
Another
helpful publication is First on the scene, NRAES-12, available
from any extension office. There is a fee.
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