Forest Operations > Operational Hazards > First Aid

First Aid

First Aid provides initial medical attention to a person suffering an injury or illness.

Access to First Aid facilities are determined by:

• Type of work performed;
• Type of injury / illness likely to be sustained;
• Number or distribution of employees;
• Size and layout of work area;
• Location of work area.

This operator (Fig 42) slipped getting out of his machine the wrong way. Lucky for him there was a first aider nearby.

Fig 42 This operator landed hard.

First Aid Personnel

A trained first aider must be available within the working area.

Level 2/Senior First Aid accreditation is recommended as the minimum training requirement and where possible, all workers should have basic first aid knowledge in case the trained first aider is not immediately available.

If you don’t have a first aid certificate, you should consider gaining one so you can assist in rapid first aid response in the forest.

As a trained first aider, you could help save a life.

Fig 43 First Aid Kit

First Aid Kits

The First Aid arrangements require suitable kits and training of personnel to provide immediate first aid.

Kits (see example in Fig 43) must be accessible on the worksite, and kept in close proximity to all workers.

Areas for first aid kit storage may include vehicles, machines, and maintenance work shops, or designated meal areas.

For work in the forest, first aid kits may have additional items to treat such things as burns or snake bites.

It is important that First Aid kits are maintained, and used contents are recorded for regular replacement.

Self Help Activity 18, First Aid

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