Accidents happen

Accidents happen

Some prevention tips

At The Alfred, we see many people who require treatment following preventable accidents. Here are some common injuries and some ideas on how you can keep safe. Please note that our tips apply to adults. The safety needs of children differ.

At The Alfred, we see many people who require treatment following preventable accidents. Here are some common injuries and some ideas on how you can keep safe.

If you do have a serious accident or witness one, please call the emergency services on 000 and follow their advice.

Disclaimer: This website is intended to be used only as a reference aid and is not a substitute for obtaining medical or specialist advice. Please note that these tips focus on injuries incurred by adults. The safety needs of children are different.

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Car accidents

Motor vehicle accidents are still the number one cause of trauma seen at The Alfred. If you see a car accident, the best way you can help is to call an ambulance. Never move anyone injured in a crash, in case of spinal injuries. If the driver or passengers are having trouble breathing, lift their jaw (do not tilt the head in case of spinal damage) and this will help them breathe.

How to help

• If you see a serious accident - call 000 immediately and ask for an ambulance.
• It is crucial that those seriously injured be treated in the 60 minutes following the accident. Timely emergency treatment can mean the difference between life and death.
• Talking to someone who has been in a crash can be very comforting for the victim. Try to stay calm and explain what is happening, e.g. "the ambulance has been called, the other driver looks okay, someone is helping them".

Preventative tips

• Check the ANCAP rating for new cars - the Australasian New Car Assessment Program provides consumers with independent information on the level of safety provided by vehicles in the event of a serious accident. Click here for more information.
• Pay attention: minimise distractions such as mobile phones.
• Seatbelts save lives - always buckle up.
• Ensure your car has airbags. Driver and side airbags have been very effective in protecting occupants from injury. Spending money on car airbags is a much better bet than optional extras like a sunroof.
• Defensive driver training is another way you can protect yourself on the road. Learn how to anticipate an accident, how to brake without losing control and how to manage loss of control situations. Click here for more information.
• Don't drink or take drugs and drive; and don't speed.

Household accidents

If you're not a professional tradesman, working around the home can lead to accidents. Each year, about 1000 people are admitted to The Alfred following Do It Yourself (DIY) accidents and 75% of those are men.

Ladder falls

Falls from ladders or from rooftops are quite common - cleaning out the gutters sounds simple but can be hazardous. On average, The Alfred admits just over one patient a week as a result of ladder falls - 90 per cent of them are men. One in three ladder falls results in a severe head injury. Spinal damage is the other most common outcome, followed by injuries to the arms, legs, pelvis and chest.

How to help

Those who have fallen from a height could have spinal injuries and should not be moved. Call an ambulance for any serious injuries and for minor ones, see your GP.

Preventative tips

• Hire a professional to do any job required on the roof. The risks are not worth taking on the work yourself.
• If you do climb up a ladder, make sure all points are securely on the ground.
• Never drink alcohol before climbing up a ladder.

Power tool accidents

People often get excited to use power tools when doing renovation work at home. But if you are not familiar with these tools, it can often lead to accidents, such as severe cuts and electric shock. Electric shocks can range from a minor effect of tingling in the body to a sustained muscular contraction where you can't let go of the appliance or wire and suffer burns. Following electric shock, you could fall unconscious, have difficulty breathing or have a weak, erratic pulse. The most severe electric shock will affect the heart and that can be fatal.

How to help

• Disconnect the power supply first. Be especially careful in wet areas as water conducts electricity.
• Check for breathing, responsiveness and movement - if none - start CPR and call an ambulance. Click here for more information on the CPR technique.
• If any burns are sustained - cool them with running, cold water and cover with bandages. Click here for more information from the Victorian Adult Burns Service at The Alfred.

Preventative tips

• Always read the safety guides of new power tools before you use them for the first time.
• Wear safety glasses when using power tools and avoid wearing loose fitting clothing or jewellery that could get caught in power tools.
• You can escape serious electric shock if you are wearing insulating, rubber soled shoes.
• Keep others away from the work area.
• Maintain your balance.
• Never drink alcohol before using power tools.
• Beware of possible dust inhalation.

Other DIY injuries

Tools like nail guns can result in foreign objects piercing the body.

How to help

• Do not pull the nail out yourself - it is best to leave that task to a doctor, as the nail could be blocking a bleeding vessel.
• Put a bandage around the injury and see a doctor immediately.

If you are renovating and a wall falls on you or cutting down a tree and you end up underneath it, you may experience a crush injury.

How to help

• If you witness a wall falling on someone else, lift the item crushing the person as soon as possible. If limbs are crushed for a long period, there can be circulation problems and without bloody supply, the limb will be starved of oxygen. There could also be a build up of toxins, which will be released into the body when the item is finally lifted.

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Burns

There are more than 3000 burn-related injuries in Victoria every year and over 50% of these occur in the home. Particularly, careless use of flammable liquids, such as petrol and methylated spirits, are a major cause of serious burns.  

How to help

Major burns

• For a major burn, call an ambulance on 000 immediately.

Minor burns

With minor burns and scalds - you need to stop the burning process and then cool the wound.

• Run cool water over the burn for 10-20 minutes immediately after suffering the burn - this will minimise the severity of the burn and relieve pain.
• If burns are due to chemicals, such as acids, run copious amounts of water for up to an hour until pain is relieved;
• Clothing can retain heat - remove clothing around burned area but if it is stuck to the body, do not peel it off, cut around it;
• Remove jewellery, metals and restrictive clothing from the burnt area before swelling occurs;
• Where the surface is blistered or raw, the wound should be covered with a dressing - use plastic film wrap or a clean cloth to keep the burn wound clean.
• Even where is no burn, there may be an inhalation injury if there is smoke. Medical advice should be sought in all but the most minor of burn injuries.

Preventative tips 

• Do not use flammable liquids, like petrol, to start or improve a fire.
• Every home should have a fire blanket or extinguisher.

Useful links

Click here for more information from the Victorian Adult Burns Service at The Alfred.

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Important things to know in case of accidents

The recovery position

An accident may result in someone being knocked unconscious. Do not move them if they have hit their head or fallen from a height, as they may have a neck injury. If you're unsure - assume there is a neck injury, to be on the safe side. If they are having trouble breathing, lift their jaw using the fingers of both hands in the space behind the jaw and under the ear. This is called the jaw thrust and helps to open the airway, making it easier to breath without moving the neck.  

If you find someone unconscious and are sure there are no head or neck injuries, place the person in the recovery position - on their side. This will make it easier to breath and also protects them from choking on vomit or breathing it into their lungs. If they are not breathing, commence CPR.

CPR - how, when and why

CPR (or cardiopulmonary resuscitation) may be needed if the person is unconscious, not responsive, not moving and not breathing. You may see an occasional gasp - this is not breathing and you shouldn't withhold CPR because it may be their last gasp. Don't check for a pulse - it wastes valuable time.

CPR involves blowing air into the lungs by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and doing chest compressions to maintain circulation.

• Do mouth-to-mouth by placing your mouth over the patient's open mouth and blowing out over one second. You should see their chest rise.
• Give two to five breaths first and then start compressions - place the heel of your dominant hand in the centre of the chest and the heel of the other hand on top of the first hand.
• Do 30 compressions (at the rate of 100 per minute), followed by another two breaths.
• Do not put any pressure over the ribs. Push hard - try to squash the breastbone down at least 5 cm.
• Allow the chest to recoil fully after each push.

For children, use just one hand for chest compressions and for infants under one year old, use only two fingers.

If you are squeamish or unsure about mouth to mouth, at least do the chest compressions - they may save a life. Continue CPR until medical help arrives or until there are signs of life.

Tip: Do a first aid course

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