BBQ Safety Tips

What a glorious weekend we just had for a BBQ.  What is better than spending an afternoon with friends or family eating delicious (sometimes charcoaled) food and enjoying a nice cool drink of your choice.  BBQs are such a lovely way to enjoy a summer's afternoon, but of course here at Safety First we want you all to be able to enjoy the day safely. 

So what can go wrong? the beer is flowing, the chef is cooking and the kids are running around in the garden, everything is idyllic. One of the biggest risks at a BBQ is burns.  Children love to explore the world through their hands and fires can be mesmerising.  They are so pretty to look at.  It takes two seconds for those little paws to reach out and grab the grill. 

Some other things to consider when hosting a BBQ are things like allergies.  Food allergies are becoming more common in their occurrence, so this is worth checking with your guests beforehand.  For more information on managing allergies check out my other blog post.

Another important thing is to make sure all food is properly cooked, especially meat like chicken.  A charred appearance does not necessarily = cooked food.  Things like chicken can be started off in the oven to ensure the middle is cooked.  We would not want guests to be ill after such a lovely day.

The main topic of this post is burns and their management.   

Burns

According to the Child Accident Prevention Trust Website, 95% of burns happen in the family home so there isn't much that can be said for that except that we need to be really watchful at all times.    Make sure hot drinks are kept out of hand's reach - a cup of tea can burn up to 15 minutes after it is made, keep BBQs attended at all times when they are hot and unplug appliances like hair straighteners when not in use.

Burns are categorised by their severity and we now talk about: 

• Superficial burns - these affect the top layer of skin and are characterised by redness and discomfort, 
• Partial thickness burns are really painful and appear red and blistered
• Full thickness burns are waxy and singed in appearance or the skin may look charred.  They are the most severe of all burns

The main risks associated with burns are infection and shock if the burns cover a big enough surface area.

We measure burns in percentages.  The palm of a person's hand will measure 1% of their body surface area.  

Anything more than 1% in a child needs to be checked out in hospital. 

The areas which are worst for getting burnt are your hands, feet, face and groin.  In the instance of an interested toddler at a BBQ, it is most likely to be the hands which are affected.

Treatment

1) Cool the burn down under running water, this should be colder than the substance which caused the burn but does not need to be really cold.  The burn should be held under running water fot at least 10 minutes but a lot of hospitals are recommending 20 minutes

2) Remove any clothing or jewellery around the area but not if it is stuck to the burnt area

3) Cover with clingfilm if possible or otherwise something that is not going to stick to the burn and cause further damage to the skin

It is really important that you don't burst blisters, the hospital may well burst them but it is not advised that you do this yourself.  

Enjoy your sausages in the sun, but just remember to look after your own fingers when cooking for the family as well as those around you belonging to little people

If you want to know more about first aid why not book onto one of my courses www.safety-first-welling.org

Fits and Seizures

As a first aid instructor it is always good to hear back from someone that they have learnt something useful and practical on my courses.  I delivered a course the other week and the next day one of the ladies was at a family gathering when her niece unfortunately and out of the blue started to have a fit.  It was a bit of a shock to the family, but because of my course the day before she remembered what I had told her and how to act in order to help her niece in this situation.  One of the things about first aid is that it is mostly common sense that you need to use in order to help someone out when they need it. 

When you first see someone having a seizure it can be quite scary and upsetting, especially if it is a friend or relative that it is happening to. Children can have seizures for a number of reasons, so if  it happened to someone you knew, would you be able to help them?  What is a seizure?  What causes them to happen?  

What causes a seizure?

A head injury

A sudden rise in temperature in children under the age of 5 (febrile convulsion)

Lack of oxygen to the brain

Meningitis

Epilepsy

What are the triggers?

Tiredness

Stress

Flashing lights
A sore throat
A metallic taste

A seizure is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.  The type of seizure which is being referred to here is a "tonic clonic" seizure or generalised seizure.  They can occur without warning several times a day for some people.  

Initially the person would appear to go quite stiff and then they would start jerking / twitching.  They may fall to the floor if they are standing (which increases the risk of injury) and they will be to all intents and purposes "unconscious" as they will not respond to you.  The fit may last for a few minutes.  The person may foam at the mouth or even bleed from the mouth if they bite their tongue.  They may wet themselves.  If the fit is an uncomplicated one it should stop on its own.  

How can I help?

• Make sure the area around the person is safe and free from dangers
• Support their head with your hands or a towel / coat
• Ask someone to call 999
• Time the seizure
• Once it has stopped if necessary put them in the recovery position as they may be drowsy / unconscious.
• DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THEIR MOUTH

If you would like more information please do visit the Epilepsy Action Website 

If you would like to enquire about a first aid course why not visit our website https://bit.ly/2jgtf1x