Certain occupations are more dangerous than others. For example, those in the welding, cutting, and brazing professions are regularly exposed to hazards, like an electrical shock, chemical inhalation, and fires. Shop owners can provide their employees with safety equipment such as welding gloves, masks, and jackets or direct them to specialized stores where they can buy these gear.

But injuries will still happen, whether in a safe office environment or a workshop. The important thing is to institute policies on safety and security and ensure that employees adhere to such procedures. Here are a few things you should take note of when injuries do happen in the workplace:

A Brief Overview of Accidents and Injuries

You don’t handle wrenches or a flaming torch in the office, but you can slip or fall a flight of stairs. Slips and falls are the most common accidents in the workplace. In workshops, data suggests that for every 1,000 injuries, one will die. In construction, the 937 recorded deaths in 2015, 364 were the result of falls, while 81 were electrocuted.

Treating and Handling Injuries

The best treatment is still preparedness. The quicker the response time to the accident, the faster you remove your employee from danger. Quick response time is also better for business.

1. Situation assessment. Immediately assess the situation to determine if you need the help of medical professionals or not. Check if you’re able to communicate to the person who’s injured. It’s essential to find out precisely what is wrong with the person before making any intervention.
2. A finger is completely severed. In a workshop environment where there are sharp and high-powered tools, injuries such as a severed finger are common. Save the part of the finger that has fallen off. Look for a clean fabric, wrap the severed digit and place it into a container with ice. Do not let the finger to come in direct contact with the ice. With another clean cloth, wrap the wound and apply pressure to prevent the hand from continuously bleeding. If the fabric gets soaked, do not remove it. Add another layer of cloth and continue to apply pressure. Wait for emergency responders to arrive.
3. Burns. If you have the urge to apply ointment, DON’T. Clean the burn and lightly wrapped the burnt area with a cool and slightly damp cloth. This will alleviate the pain and reduce swelling. Don’t wrap the cloth too gently as it might worsen the swelling.
4. Head injuries. Blunt trauma to the head can render a person unconscious, whether a huge wrench falls on someone’s head in a workshop or they accidentally crash into a thick glass window. Don’t attempt to touch or move the person. You’ve seen enough of this situation on TV. Moving them might cause more damage to their spine or head. But try to get their pulse. If the person regains consciousness, do not allow them immediately to move. Let the EMT take care of the injured person as soon as they arrive.

Make sure that your work environment at least has the necessary tools to attend to wounds, cuts, swelling, sprains, and other minor injuries. Always remind your employees about safety protocols. This will help prevent accidents and injuries.