From slips and falls to accidental fires, there are many dangers lurking in the world around us. In the US, unintentional injuries result in 97.9 million ER visits and cause over 200,000 deaths every year.
Luckily, basic knowledge, common sense, and keeping calm are often enough to help you make it out of most emergencies. But it’s wise to brush up on any essential safety skills to be sure of what to do should you find yourself in such a situation.
Keep reading to learn some of the most useful safety tips and procedures around.
1. Correct Use of a Ladder
Do you know how to use a ladder? Every year, US medical staff treats around 500,000 people following ladder-related injuries.
A great way to remember how to use a ladder correctly is the “4 to 1 rule”. This explains that the base of the ladder should be placed one foot away from the building for every four feet of height.
Such information forms a vital part of online safety training courses for those working in construction, warehouses, and the like. Because, as smart employers know, it makes good business sense to invest in safety.
2. Basic First Aid
Safety tips can help prevent accidents, but if you find yourself in a situation where an individual needs medical help, knowing basic first aid skills can even be life-saving.
Basic first aid tips include knowing how best to position the injured person and how to stop bleeding. Training in first aid will also explain why it’s important to keep them warm and how you should avoid giving them anything to eat or drink while you wait for help.
3. How to Exit a Burning Building
Many businesses invest in fire safety training, but it pays to learn the basics for yourself.
For example, in the event of a fire, you should always check whether a door feels hot before opening it and only ever use the stairs to exit a burning building. And one of the top safety tips to remember is to crawl to avoid smoke inhalation, which is often more deadly than fire itself.
4. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
CPR is a little more advanced than providing basic first aid, but it’s an essential safety skill to learn that could save someone’s life someday. The three basic CPR actions are:
- Call 911 after checking for unresponsiveness
- Begin chest compressions if the victim isn’t breathing normally
- Tilt the victim’s head back and give them two one-second breaths in their mouth
The pattern you’ll need to remember beyond these three actions is 30 chest compressions to every two breaths. You should repeat this pattern until help arrives or the victim begins to breathe.
5. The Heimlich Maneuver
If an adult is choking, the Heimlich maneuver can dislodge the foreign object causing this. To perform the maneuver:
- Wrap your arms around the victim from behind
- Form a fist and position it between their ribcage and belly button
- Grasp your fist with your other hand and thrust it up into the victim’s upper abdomen
- Continue until you dislodge the foreign object
Remember, this is only suitable for adults. Performing the maneuver on children can do more harm than good.
Safety Skills Everyone Should Know
How many of these safety skills did you already know?
Basic safety training forms an invaluable part of our childhood education. But to protect ourselves and those around us, we must continue to learn about safety procedures and how to react in an emergency.
Want more helpful advice like this? Be sure to check out our other blog posts for all the latest tips and tricks!
