Electrical injuries usually occur in the home or workplace,
due to contact with sources of low-voltage current. They may also result from
contact with sources of high-voltage current, such as fallen power lines.
People who are electrocuted by a high-voltage current rarely survive.
Burns may be caused by a lightning strike or by low- or
high-voltage electric current. An electric shock can also cause cardiac arrest.
If the casualty is unconscious, your immediate priority, once you are sure the
area is safe, is to open the airway and check for breathing and circulation.
Lightning
A natural burst of electrical discharged from the
atmosphere, lightning forms an intense trail of light and heat. The lightning
seeks contact with the ground through the nearest tall feature in the landscape
and, possibly through anyone standing nearby. A lightening strike may set
clothing on fire, knock the casualty down, or even cause instant death. Clear
everyone from the site of a lightning strike as soon as possible.
High-voltage current
Contact with high-voltage current, found in power lines and overhead
high-tension cables, is usually immediately fatal. Anyone who survives will
have severe burns. In addition, the shock produces a muscular spasm that may
propel the casualty some distance, causing injuries such as fracture. Do not
approach a victim high-voltage electricity until you are officially informed
that the current has been switched off and isolated.
Low-voltage current
Domestic current as used in homes and workplaces can cause
serious injuries or even death. Incidents are usually due to faulty switches,
frayed flex, or defective appliances. Young children are particularly at risk. Water,
which is a dangerously efficient conductor of electricity, presents additional risk.
Handling an otherwise safe electrical appliance with wet hands, or when standing
on a wet floor, greatly increases the risk of electric shock.
Your aim is;
To treat the burns and shock.
To arrange urgent removal to the hospital.
FIRST AID TREATMENT
- Before touching the casualty you must make sure the contact with the electrical source is broken. This can be done by switching off the current at the mains or meter point if it can be reached easily. Otherwise, remove the plug or wrench the cable free.
If you cannot reach the cable,
socket or mains do the following:
To protect yourself, stand on some
dry insulating material such as a wooden box or plastic mat.
Using something made of wood, push
the casualty’s limbs away from the electrical source or push the source away
from the casualty. Never use a metallic material to break electrical contact.
If it is not possible to break the contact with a
wooden object, loop a length of a rope around the casualty’s ankles or under
the arms, taking great care not to touch him, and pull him away from the source
of the electrical current.
- Flood the sites of injury, at the entry and exit points of the current, with plenty of cold water to cool the burns.
- Put on disposable gloves if available. Place a sterile dressing or a clean folded triangular bandage to protect against airborne infections. Call for help and arrange removal to the hospital.
- Reassure the casualty and treat him for shock if necessary. If casualty is unconscious, open the airway and check breathing, be prepared to give rescue breathes and chest compressions if necessary.
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