5 Minute Safety Topics: January 2018, Week 3
By EnPro Learning System
01/11/18
5 Minute Safety Meeting Topics: January 15-19, 2018
Monday - What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a type of trauma to the brain that is caused by a jolt, blow or bump to the head that causes the brain to move rapidly back and forth. This motion of movement in the brain can cause chemical changes by the twisting or bouncing of the brain and damaging brain cells. Although most concussions are not life-threatening, their effects can be serious in nature. Most concussions don’t require any major medical attention or surgery; most doctors will tell you to take some kind of pain medication such as Ibuprofen or acetaminophen. You will be told to get plenty of rest and avoid strenuous activities and even driving a motor vehicle for at least 24 hours. The traditional thinking is that you need to keep someone awake for 24hrs after receiving head trauma is not required, but what you should be doing is waking the person every few hours to see if they respond and that they are not getting any worse or losing consciousness. If the condition worsens then you need to seek urgent care. But, at no point is this medical advice if you feel at any point that it is severe enough of an injury you should always seek medical attention.
Tuesday - Signs of Concussions and Brain Trauma
- Swelling at the site of injury
- Severe headaches
- Convulsions
- Change in consciousness, confusion or unusual behavior
- Stiff neck or vomiting
- Low breathing rate and feeling the urge to go to sleep
- Fluid draining from mouth, ears or nose
- Inability to move one or more limbs
Most of these signs and symptoms show up after the injury, however if any of these symptoms continue or worsen, you should report to the emergency unit right away.
Wednesday - Tips for Avoiding Concussions in Everyday Life
- Always wear a helmet or safety cap when playing sports are engaging in an activity that has potential to cause a head injury.
- Always where your seat belt when operating or riding on a motorized vehicle
- Always make sure children are fitted to the appropriate car seats for their age and have been installed into the vehicle properly
- Avoid while participating in sports head to head contact
- Be aware of your surroundings, take a mental note before starting, resuming or leaving a task area, is there anything above me. What are the hazards in this work area? And what PPE do I need to complete this task? Examples are bump caps, hard hats and other PPE items can be used to prevent accidental head collisions.
Thursday - Heads Up Action Plan
- Always seek your manager’s assistance and report all hazard / near misses immediately no matter how small you think it is.
- If yourself or someone else has been injured make sure to get or provide first aid care immediately and complete a hazard investigation form and notify your manager immediately
- If this becomes a medical aid, restricted work or lost time injury, call emergency care to transport worker to medical site and make sure to call management responsible to help transport and accompany employee to medical treatment facility. Complete the incident investigation report form.
- Always remember when in doubt seek your managers advice on all situations first.
- For training on concussions most First Aid programs will train you to be aware of and how to give the medical attention needed until emergency help arrives.
Friday - Free Speech Friday
Have you ever suffered from a concussion? How did you receive the injury? What were your symptoms and how long did they last for? What would be your advice to help others from receiving similar injuries in the future? And has there been a lasting impact on how you function since sustaining those injuries? Do you have headaches, loss of eye sight or any other ailment that affects you today?
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