Even with good prevention, accidents happen. This lesson explains what to do in the first minutes and what the law requires afterwards.
First aid: P.A.S.
When faced with an accident, the rule is Protect, Alert, Save (in Portuguese, Proteger, Alertar, Socorrer; many manuals also say Prevent, Alert, Save).
- Protect: check that the place is safe, for the rescuer and for the victim. Remove the danger (cut the power, switch off the machine) before acting.
- Alert: call 112, the European emergency number, and state the location, what happened, how many people are injured and their condition. Follow the operator's instructions and hang up only when told to.
- Save: give the care you know how to give, without putting your own life at risk.
Basic care
- Bleeding: apply direct pressure to the wound with a clean cloth, without removing it. If it soaks through, add another on top.
- Burns: cool with cold running water for about 20 minutes. Do not remove clothing stuck to the skin, do not burst blisters and do not apply ointments, oils or toothpaste. Cover with a clean cloth.
- Severe choking: if the person cannot cough, speak or breathe, give up to five firm back blows and, if that does not work, up to five abdominal thrusts. Alternate until the object comes out. If the person becomes unconscious, call 112 and start basic life support.
- Electric shock: cut the power before touching the person.
- Spinal injury or fall from a height: do not move the victim unless there is immediate danger.
- Chemical substance in the eyes or on the skin: rinse thoroughly with water and consult the safety data sheet.
Basic life support
If the person is unconscious and not breathing normally:
- Call 112. Ask for the automated external defibrillator (AED), if there is one on site.
- Start chest compressions in the centre of the chest: with straight arms, about 5 to 6 cm deep and 100 to 120 per minute.
- Alternate 30 compressions with 2 rescue breaths, if you know how and are willing to give them. If not, keep going with compressions only.
- When the AED arrives, someone trained to use it switches it on and follows the voice prompts and the 112 operator's instructions.
- Continue until help arrives or the person responds.
What is an accident at work
Under Lei n.º 98/2009, an accident at work is one that happens at the place and during the time of work and causes bodily injury, functional disturbance or illness, with a reduction in the capacity to work or earn, or death. It can also include an accident on the way between home and work, in certain conditions. Occupational diseases are those caused by work. As a rule they appear on a list published by law, but others can be recognised if it is proved that they result from the work.
What to do after an accident
- The worker who suffers or witnesses an accident tells their superior immediately. If the employer did not witness it, the worker must report it within the following 48 hours.
- The employer gives or arranges first aid and medical care, and must have the liability for compensation transferred to an insurer. The employer reports the accident to the insurer.
- Fatal accidents and accidents with serious physical injury must be reported by the employer to the ACT within 24 hours of the event (Lei n.º 102/2009, article 111).
- The OSH service analyses the causes of the accident and prepares a report, so that it does not happen again.
- The injured person is entitled to compensation for the damage: medical care, indemnities and rehabilitation. They must follow the prescribed treatment.
An incident with no injuries that could have caused them is a near miss: it should be reported.
What the employer still has to do
This free course gives the fundamentals. The employer is still obliged to carry out the risk assessment, give instructions specific to the job, organise the OSH services, train those responsible for first aid, fire and evacuation, and keep the records. The certificate for this course is only a certificate of completion: it is not a regulated qualification.