The stark reality in NI is that a basic understanding of first aid is more likely to be needed by a farmer than by someone employed in any other industry.
Workplace accidents are a regular feature within farming, and farm accidents or medical emergencies in rural areas usually have longer waiting times for an ambulance.
At a recent first aid course at the Northern Counties Co-op in Swatragh, former paramedic David Watson said that on average 100 accidents that require professional medical assistance occur on NI farms every month.
He said that the average waiting time for an ambulance in NI is eight to nine minutes, but there is a big range in this, and in a rural area at a busy time it is more likely to be a 30- to 40-minute wait.
First aid is defined as the initial response given to someone who is injured or ill before the arrival of professional medical assistance. The first step in this response is removing dangers to ensure the safety of the first aider and other bystanders.
“You need to make the area safe. Look for dangers with things like livestock, machinery and slurry gas. People usually go straight to the casualty, but you need to assess the situation first,” Watson told the Farm Family Key Skills event at Swatragh.
A casualty who is unconscious, but breathing, should be put in the recovery position by rolling them on to their side.
Watson said that the four key stages involved in the primary assessment of a casualty form the acronym DRAB:
Danger: assess the situation so that the incident does not become worse for yourself, bystanders or the casualty.Response: talk to the casualty to see if they are alert, in pain or unconscious. Shout in both their ears and shake them by the shoulders to check for consciousness.Airway: tilt the casualty’s head back by lifting their chin slightly so that their airway is open.Breathing: look, listen and feel to detect breathing. Licking the back of your hand and holding it close to the casualty’s nose will make it easy to detect breaths.“Always do a breathing check before sending anyone to ring for help,” Watson said. Breathing comes ahead of bleeding, broken bones and burns as the priority during a first aid response to an accident.
Dialling 999 or 112 will put the caller straight through to emergency services. In remote areas with poor mobile signal, the number 112 should be used, as it works off satellite and does not require a mobile network.
When speaking to the operator, Watson said that giving accurate information about your location and how to access it from the nearest road is vital for a timely response. He said that having signage at the end of the farm lane for a house number, or farm name, can be useful in this situation.
Common scenarios requiring first aid
During the two-hour Farm Family Key Skills course, first aid trainer David Watson outlined several actions that a farmer or a member of their family may need to take in the event of an on-farm accident or illness.
Breathing, unconscious – recovery position
If the casualty is breathing but unconscious, Watson said that they should be put in the recovery position by rolling them onto their side.
Before moving the casualty, check for bleeding, broken bones and sharp objects in their pockets. “If there is a fractured leg, move them on to that side so that the ground supports the leg,” Watson said.
The opposite is the case for bleeding, so open wounds should be on the upper side when the casualty is on their side.
If rolling the person on to their left side, stretch out their left arm and bend their elbow slightly. Bend their right arm across their body and position the hand on their left side of their face. Bend their right knee then use their right knee and elbow to pull them on to their left side.
When on their side, keep the right knee bent and the right hand below their cheek to support their head. Tilt the head back to open the airways and keep checking that they are breathing.
If a person is lying face down and is unconscious but breathing, Watson said they can be placed in an alternative recovery position by putting their hands below their face and bring a knee towards their chest.
Not breathing,
unconscious – CPR
If the casualty is unconscious and not breathing, then CPR will be required until emergency services arrive. The aim of CPR is to keep blood and oxygen flowing in the body to preserve brain function.
Watson said that the casualty should be laid on their back and the first aider should place the heel of their hand on the centre of the casualty’s chest.
Placing the second hand on top of the first, compressions of 5-6cm deep (the depth of a credit card) should be given at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute, or around two per second.
“Press in the centre of the rib cage. It doesn’t matter if you suspect there are broken ribs, it is important to get oxygen to their brain,” Watson said.
He said that two mouth to mouth breaths can be given for every 30 compressions to try and stimulate breathing. His advice was to push the casualty’s head back to open the airway, pinch their nose, form a strong seal around their mouth and blow.
Cardiac arrest –
using a defibrillator
In recent years, defibrillators have become more widely accessible in public places and a device may be able to be brought to the scene of an accident or illness before emergency services arrive.
If someone is in cardiac arrest, they won’t be responsive, breathing or conscious. A first aider should not stop administering CPR and someone else should bring the defibrillator to the scene, open it up and switch it on.
Watson said that most defibrillators only have two or three buttons.
The machine will give verbal instructions through a loudspeaker and will have visual aids.
The defibrillator will talk the person through how to remove clothing from the casualty’s chest and attach the two pads on them. The machine will then monitor the heartbeat and will deliver a shock if need be.
The defibrillator will clearly state when to stop CPR, and when to begin it again. If the casualty becomes responsive, place them in the recovery position and leave the defibrillator attached.
Watson said that it is crucial that defibrillators in public areas are checked periodically and maintained properly.
He said the adhesive pads usually last two years and batteries generally have a five-year lifetime.
Free first aid courses for NI farmers
First aid courses for farmers and their families are continuing to be offered across NI. The courses are part of the Farm Family Key Skills programme and are funded by the Rural Development programme.
The events are free to attend, and participants receive a complementary first aid kit.
Areas covered include dealing with a medical emergency on-farm and basic first aid procedures.
Details of pre-arranged events and online pre-booking are available at www.cafre.ac.uk/industry-support/farm-family-key-skills.
Farmers can also contact CAFRE to express an interest in hosting an event by emailing kt.admin@daera-ni.gov.uk or calling 028 9442 6790.
Read more
Farm safety: what I learned on a two-day chainsaw safety course
Family farm safety: keeping your livestock safe from theft
The stark reality in NI is that a basic understanding of first aid is more likely to be needed by a farmer than by someone employed in any other industry.
Workplace accidents are a regular feature within farming, and farm accidents or medical emergencies in rural areas usually have longer waiting times for an ambulance.
At a recent first aid course at the Northern Counties Co-op in Swatragh, former paramedic David Watson said that on average 100 accidents that require professional medical assistance occur on NI farms every month.
He said that the average waiting time for an ambulance in NI is eight to nine minutes, but there is a big range in this, and in a rural area at a busy time it is more likely to be a 30- to 40-minute wait.
First aid is defined as the initial response given to someone who is injured or ill before the arrival of professional medical assistance. The first step in this response is removing dangers to ensure the safety of the first aider and other bystanders.
“You need to make the area safe. Look for dangers with things like livestock, machinery and slurry gas. People usually go straight to the casualty, but you need to assess the situation first,” Watson told the Farm Family Key Skills event at Swatragh.
A casualty who is unconscious, but breathing, should be put in the recovery position by rolling them on to their side.
Watson said that the four key stages involved in the primary assessment of a casualty form the acronym DRAB:
Danger: assess the situation so that the incident does not become worse for yourself, bystanders or the casualty.Response: talk to the casualty to see if they are alert, in pain or unconscious. Shout in both their ears and shake them by the shoulders to check for consciousness.Airway: tilt the casualty’s head back by lifting their chin slightly so that their airway is open.Breathing: look, listen and feel to detect breathing. Licking the back of your hand and holding it close to the casualty’s nose will make it easy to detect breaths.“Always do a breathing check before sending anyone to ring for help,” Watson said. Breathing comes ahead of bleeding, broken bones and burns as the priority during a first aid response to an accident.
Dialling 999 or 112 will put the caller straight through to emergency services. In remote areas with poor mobile signal, the number 112 should be used, as it works off satellite and does not require a mobile network.
When speaking to the operator, Watson said that giving accurate information about your location and how to access it from the nearest road is vital for a timely response. He said that having signage at the end of the farm lane for a house number, or farm name, can be useful in this situation.
Common scenarios requiring first aid
During the two-hour Farm Family Key Skills course, first aid trainer David Watson outlined several actions that a farmer or a member of their family may need to take in the event of an on-farm accident or illness.
Breathing, unconscious – recovery position
If the casualty is breathing but unconscious, Watson said that they should be put in the recovery position by rolling them onto their side.
Before moving the casualty, check for bleeding, broken bones and sharp objects in their pockets. “If there is a fractured leg, move them on to that side so that the ground supports the leg,” Watson said.
The opposite is the case for bleeding, so open wounds should be on the upper side when the casualty is on their side.
If rolling the person on to their left side, stretch out their left arm and bend their elbow slightly. Bend their right arm across their body and position the hand on their left side of their face. Bend their right knee then use their right knee and elbow to pull them on to their left side.
When on their side, keep the right knee bent and the right hand below their cheek to support their head. Tilt the head back to open the airways and keep checking that they are breathing.
If a person is lying face down and is unconscious but breathing, Watson said they can be placed in an alternative recovery position by putting their hands below their face and bring a knee towards their chest.
Not breathing,
unconscious – CPR
If the casualty is unconscious and not breathing, then CPR will be required until emergency services arrive. The aim of CPR is to keep blood and oxygen flowing in the body to preserve brain function.
Watson said that the casualty should be laid on their back and the first aider should place the heel of their hand on the centre of the casualty’s chest.
Placing the second hand on top of the first, compressions of 5-6cm deep (the depth of a credit card) should be given at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute, or around two per second.
“Press in the centre of the rib cage. It doesn’t matter if you suspect there are broken ribs, it is important to get oxygen to their brain,” Watson said.
He said that two mouth to mouth breaths can be given for every 30 compressions to try and stimulate breathing. His advice was to push the casualty’s head back to open the airway, pinch their nose, form a strong seal around their mouth and blow.
Cardiac arrest –
using a defibrillator
In recent years, defibrillators have become more widely accessible in public places and a device may be able to be brought to the scene of an accident or illness before emergency services arrive.
If someone is in cardiac arrest, they won’t be responsive, breathing or conscious. A first aider should not stop administering CPR and someone else should bring the defibrillator to the scene, open it up and switch it on.
Watson said that most defibrillators only have two or three buttons.
The machine will give verbal instructions through a loudspeaker and will have visual aids.
The defibrillator will talk the person through how to remove clothing from the casualty’s chest and attach the two pads on them. The machine will then monitor the heartbeat and will deliver a shock if need be.
The defibrillator will clearly state when to stop CPR, and when to begin it again. If the casualty becomes responsive, place them in the recovery position and leave the defibrillator attached.
Watson said that it is crucial that defibrillators in public areas are checked periodically and maintained properly.
He said the adhesive pads usually last two years and batteries generally have a five-year lifetime.
Free first aid courses for NI farmers
First aid courses for farmers and their families are continuing to be offered across NI. The courses are part of the Farm Family Key Skills programme and are funded by the Rural Development programme.
The events are free to attend, and participants receive a complementary first aid kit.
Areas covered include dealing with a medical emergency on-farm and basic first aid procedures.
Details of pre-arranged events and online pre-booking are available at www.cafre.ac.uk/industry-support/farm-family-key-skills.
Farmers can also contact CAFRE to express an interest in hosting an event by emailing kt.admin@daera-ni.gov.uk or calling 028 9442 6790.
Read more
Farm safety: what I learned on a two-day chainsaw safety course
Family farm safety: keeping your livestock safe from theft
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