Take a tour of our end-to-end microlearning platform in under 15 minutes Watch the Demo >

< Library Home

EU Office Safety: First Aid Basics

Content by Qstream

When your employees are properly trained in basic first aid, they will be able to respond quickly and appropriately to a workplace injury or medical condition. Learn about first aid basics for EU office safety with this starter Qstream microlearning course.

Launch To My Team

Category: Safety and Risk Management

Industry: All Industries

Questions: 13

FREE

Content Preview

EU Office Safety: First Aid Basics

Navigate through the Qstream questions below to preview. Each challenge is designed following Qstream’s best practices for maximum knowledge reinforcement and engagement. This Qstream is free for clients to use as a starting point.
Click on each title to preview the question in the mobile/desktop widget.
1. First Aider Responsibilities >
2. Immediate response >
3. Gathering Information >
4. Checking for Danger >
5. Moving the Victim >
6. Live Electricity >
7. Treating Shock >
8. Treating Fracture >
9. Controlling bleeding >
10. Choking >
11. When to perform CPR >
12. CPR Training >
13. Defibrillator Use >

Follow the interactions on each screen to answer Qstream questions as a Participant.

You witness your first serious accident in the workplace — and it requires immediate attention. You have basic first aid knowledge and are the only first aider around.

Your role in this situation can be described as which of the following?

Answer explanation:
Only act within your level of training and in a prudent and reasonable fashion.

In an emergency situation, stay calm and remember your training. The right response is better than an incorrect quick one. With knowledge of basic first aid, you may be able to save a life, prevent permanent disability, or reduce long periods of hospitalization by knowing what to do, what not to do, and when to seek medical assistance. Attempting care without proper knowledge may result in further injury.

You are walking through your workplace when you see a co-worker clutch his chest and collapse. Which of the following should you do first?

Answer explanation:
Before you begin treating a victim, you need to know as much about the victim's condition as possible. Approaching the victim and determining if they are conscious is the correct first response. To check for responsiveness:

• Is the victim conscious?
• Tap the victim gently and ask, "Are you OK?"
• If the victim is conscious, ask them how they feels and where they’re hurting.
• Look for a medical alert tag. This may give you clues as to what might be wrong.

If the victim is unresponsive, look for signals that may indicate a life-threatening emergency and determine what action to take. Make sure the victim:

• Has an open airway
• Is breathing
• Shows signs of circulation (normal breathing, coughing, or movement)
• Is not bleeding severely

After determining that a victim needs help, call emergency medical services and administer the treatment. Whenever possible, send another person to make the call while you provide care. Single out one or two bystanders and direct them to call a designated local emergency number. Calling for help is often the most important step you can take to help the victim.

You’re passing by the office kitchen and see that your colleague, Katie, has accidentally injured herself with a kitchen knife and is bleeding quite excessively.

When calling emergency medical services to report the injury, which of the following should you be prepared to tell them?

Answer explanation:
You should always be prepared to explain to the emergency services what happened to the victim and where they are. Emergency medical services can better help an ill or injured worker if you provide accurate information about the incident and the victim’s symptoms. Be sure to stay on the line and not hang up until instructed to do so. Be prepared to tell the emergency medical services personnel:

• Where the victim is
• What happened
• How many persons are sick or injured
• The condition of the victim or victims
• First aid that is being given
• The telephone number that you are calling from

Do not delay contacting the emergency medical services, even if you don’t know this information.

Three workers in an enclosed storage room suddenly collapse and appear unconscious. After you send someone to call for help, you should do which of the following?

Answer explanation:
Checking the air quality before you decide what to do is the right approach, as you ensure that you can help the workers instead of becoming an additional victim. Since all three workers dropped at once, it is very possible that the air quality in the storage room has been compromised. During an emergency like this, you must protect yourself as well as the victims from injury.

Make sure to survey the scene or surroundings quickly. Note any hazards to you and the victims. Is the scene safe? Remember, it does no good if you, the rescuer, enter the dangerous environment and become a victim yourself.

A delivery driver falls asleep at the wheel and drives their van into a ditch just outside your office. When you look inside the van, you see that the driver’s neck is at an odd angle, but they do appear to be breathing.

Which of the following should you do first?

Answer explanation:
You should leave the victim in the van as you assess the situation to make the right, informed choice. This victim is not in imminent danger and moving them may make his injuries worse. You must wait for emergency medical service’s help.

Never move a victim unnecessarily unless the accident scene is such that there is imminent danger of further injury, or it is necessary to establish breathing.

If you have no other choice but to move an injured person, try to drag them by the clothing around the neck or shoulder area. If possible, drag the person onto a blanket or large cloth and then drag the blanket. The major concern with moving an injured person is making the injury worse. If the victim has a possible head, neck, or back injuries, try to keep the head straight and in line with the rest of the body.

You see a person fall to the office floor. When you approach, they seem to be unconscious, and you notice they are holding onto a live wire.

Which of the following steps should you take if a person is in contact with a source of electricity and appears to be suffering from electrical shock?

Answer explanation:
You must never touch the injured person if they are still in contact with an electrical current or risk the current passing through you. Turn off the source of electricity if possible. If not, move the electricity source away from you and the injured person using a non-conducting object made of cardboard, plastic, or wood. Make sure to call emergency services as soon as possible.

Once the victim is clear of the power source, your priority is to check for:
• Any airway obstruction
• Breathing
• Circulation

You should administer chest compressions if necessary. If the victim is stable, you should assess the severity of the burns. If the burns are first degree or do not involve any open wounds, begin to run cold water over the burns.

If you see blisters or open wounds, DO NOT run water over them but rather cover the affected area with sterile gauze. Keep the victim warm and try to maintain a normal body temperature until medical help arrives.

One of your coworkers falls through a glass door and cuts her arm. When you run over to her, you see that she has severe bleeding from the injured arm. She is acting very confused; her skin is cold and clammy, and her breathing is rapid. You assess the symptoms and recognise that she is in shock.

Which of the following treatments apply to physical shock?

Answer explanation:
The signs of shock are:
• Cold and clammy skin
• Chills
• Confusion
• Frequent nausea or vomiting
• Altered consciousness
• Rapid breathing

Until medical help arrives, you should:
• Lie down the victim and ensure that their airway is open
• Ensure the victim is as comfortable as possible
• Control any external bleeding
• Elevate the legs unless it is painful to the victim
• Keep them warm (shock victim’s blood vessels in extremities constrict to keep their core warm)

Do not offer the victim anything to eat or drink. When a person is in shock their body protects their core functions by stopping anything not necessary for life. Their digestion stops including their ability to swallow. If they were to get any fluid or foreign bodies in their airways while in shock their body may not have the cough reflex.

Shock cannot be managed by first aid alone. It requires medical treatment, so all you can do is prevent it from getting worse until medical help arrives.

You’re walking down a flight of stairs with a co-worker when he suddenly falls down them and lands abruptly on his leg. You think his leg might be fractured. You should:

Answer explanation:
Any movement could cause further damage to surrounding tissue and promote shock, so try to keep the victim still.

It's important not to give the victim anything to eat or drink if you think they have broken a bone, as they may need a general anesthetic to allow doctors to realign it. Continue to check consciousness and breathing. Keep the victim from getting chilled or overheated.

If it is an open fracture, apply pressure around the wound and not over the protruding bone, to control any bleeding. You should then secure the dressing with a bandage. Advise the victim to keep still while you wait for medical help to arrive.

As one of your co-workers is opening a box, the sharp scissors slip and cut a gash in his wrist. The bleeding is severe. You try applying direct pressure and elevating his arm, but the bleeding doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

In addition to applying extra dressings and calling your local emergency number, you should:

Answer explanation:
You should also apply pressure on a nearby artery. If the bleeding cannot be controlled, apply additional dressings, and put pressure on the inside of the upper arm between the shoulder and elbow, or in the groin area where the leg joins the body. Only use the pressure points if elevation and direct pressure haven’t controlled the bleeding.

Ensure the victim is breathing and care for shock until emergency personnel arrives. Do not apply water or ice over the wound. Never use a tourniquet except in response to an extreme emergency, such as a severed arm or leg or severe blood loss. Tourniquets can damage nerves and blood vessels, lead to tissue death, and cause the victim to lose an arm or leg.

You are eating lunch in the break room area when you notice that your colleague, John, is not able to speak, cough, or breathe. He is clenching his neck and his skin is starting to turn blue.

You realise that John is choking. Which of the following is your first response?

Answer explanation:
You must administer abdominal thrusts to get the airway to open quickly.

When administering abdominal thrusts you need to:

1. Stand behind the person choking.
2. Wrap your arms around their waist and bend them slightly forward.
3. Move your hand across the abdomen to the area above the navel but below the rib cage.
4. Make a fist and position it slightly above the navel.
5. Place your other hand over your fist and press into the victim’s abdomen with quick, upward thrusts.
6. Repeat the movement 6 to 10 times until the object is dislodged.

As with any choking incident, after the object that caused choking is removed, keep the victim still and seek medical help. All choking victims should have an evaluation by a medical professional, as complications from choking can occur as well as from the first aid measures that were used to relieve the choking.

An unfortunate accident has happened just outside your work, and there are multiple victims. Emergency services are on their way, but your immediate help is required.

Which of the following victims need CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)?

Answer explanation:
Victim 3 needs immediate CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. CPR is an emergency procedure for a victim who is not breathing and whose heart has stopped beating. The procedure involves providing the victim with a series of chest compressions in conjunction with breaths.

To perform CPR, you should do the following:

1. Kneel next to the person and place the heel of your hand on the breastbone, at the centre of their chest. Place the palm of your other hand on top of the hand that's on their chest and interlock your fingers.
2. Position yourself so your shoulders are directly above your hands
3. Using your body weight (not just your arms), press straight down by 5 to 6cm (2 to 2.5 inches) on their chest.
4. Keeping your hands on their chest, release the compression, and allow their chest to return to its original position.
5. After every 30 chest compressions, give 2 rescue breaths.
6. Tilt the person's head gently and lift the chin up with 2 fingers. Pinch the person's nose. Seal your mouth over theirs and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth for about 1 second. Check that their chest rises.
7. Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths until they begin to recover, or until emergency help arrives.

Your coworker Karen passes out. You send someone to call emergency medical services while you assess her condition. You determine she needs CPR, but you have not been properly trained.

You should:

Answer explanation:
If you are not trained to perform CPR, it is recommended that you perform only the compression step. Give uninterrupted chest compressions (at a rate of 100-120 per minute) to a depth of about 5 centimeters (2 inches) but not more than 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) until emergency personnel arrives.

In order for a patient to have the best chance of surviving, CPR and early defibrillation via an automated external defibrillator (AED) must be provided within the first 3-4 minutes.

Why should you always use a defibrillator when performing CPR?

Answer explanation:
Having an automated external defibrillator (AED) in your workplace can save lives and improve chances of survival. You don’t need to be trained to use a defibrillator – anyone can use it. They are simple and easy to use, and you don't need any training.

There are clear instructions on AED packaging on how to use it and how to attach the defibrillator pads. Once the defibrillator pads are attached, it will then assess the heart rhythm of the victim and will only instruct you to deliver a shock if it’s needed.

You can't deliver a shock accidentally - the defibrillator will only allow you to shock if it is needed. AEDs are not a substitute for CPR, so make sure to continue CPR until help arrives or until the AED announces rhythm is restored.

You witness your first serious accident in the workplace — and it requires immediate attention. You have basic first aid knowledge and are the only first aider around.

Your role in this situation can be described as which of the following?

Answer explanation:
Only act within your level of training and in a prudent and reasonable fashion.

In an emergency situation, stay calm and remember your training. The right response is better than an incorrect quick one. With knowledge of basic first aid, you may be able to save a life, prevent permanent disability, or reduce long periods of hospitalization by knowing what to do, what not to do, and when to seek medical assistance. Attempting care without proper knowledge may result in further injury.

You are walking through your workplace when you see a co-worker clutch his chest and collapse. Which of the following should you do first?

Answer explanation:
Before you begin treating a victim, you need to know as much about the victim's condition as possible. Approaching the victim and determining if they are conscious is the correct first response. To check for responsiveness:

• Is the victim conscious?
• Tap the victim gently and ask, "Are you OK?"
• If the victim is conscious, ask them how they feels and where they’re hurting.
• Look for a medical alert tag. This may give you clues as to what might be wrong.

If the victim is unresponsive, look for signals that may indicate a life-threatening emergency and determine what action to take. Make sure the victim:

• Has an open airway
• Is breathing
• Shows signs of circulation (normal breathing, coughing, or movement)
• Is not bleeding severely

After determining that a victim needs help, call emergency medical services and administer the treatment. Whenever possible, send another person to make the call while you provide care. Single out one or two bystanders and direct them to call a designated local emergency number. Calling for help is often the most important step you can take to help the victim.

You’re passing by the office kitchen and see that your colleague, Katie, has accidentally injured herself with a kitchen knife and is bleeding quite excessively.

When calling emergency medical services to report the injury, which of the following should you be prepared to tell them?

Answer explanation:
You should always be prepared to explain to the emergency services what happened to the victim and where they are. Emergency medical services can better help an ill or injured worker if you provide accurate information about the incident and the victim’s symptoms. Be sure to stay on the line and not hang up until instructed to do so. Be prepared to tell the emergency medical services personnel:

• Where the victim is
• What happened
• How many persons are sick or injured
• The condition of the victim or victims
• First aid that is being given
• The telephone number that you are calling from

Do not delay contacting the emergency medical services, even if you don’t know this information.

Three workers in an enclosed storage room suddenly collapse and appear unconscious. After you send someone to call for help, you should do which of the following?

Answer explanation:
Checking the air quality before you decide what to do is the right approach, as you ensure that you can help the workers instead of becoming an additional victim. Since all three workers dropped at once, it is very possible that the air quality in the storage room has been compromised. During an emergency like this, you must protect yourself as well as the victims from injury.

Make sure to survey the scene or surroundings quickly. Note any hazards to you and the victims. Is the scene safe? Remember, it does no good if you, the rescuer, enter the dangerous environment and become a victim yourself.

A delivery driver falls asleep at the wheel and drives their van into a ditch just outside your office. When you look inside the van, you see that the driver’s neck is at an odd angle, but they do appear to be breathing.

Which of the following should you do first?

Answer explanation:
You should leave the victim in the van as you assess the situation to make the right, informed choice. This victim is not in imminent danger and moving them may make his injuries worse. You must wait for emergency medical service’s help.

Never move a victim unnecessarily unless the accident scene is such that there is imminent danger of further injury, or it is necessary to establish breathing.

If you have no other choice but to move an injured person, try to drag them by the clothing around the neck or shoulder area. If possible, drag the person onto a blanket or large cloth and then drag the blanket. The major concern with moving an injured person is making the injury worse. If the victim has a possible head, neck, or back injuries, try to keep the head straight and in line with the rest of the body.

You see a person fall to the office floor. When you approach, they seem to be unconscious, and you notice they are holding onto a live wire.

Which of the following steps should you take if a person is in contact with a source of electricity and appears to be suffering from electrical shock?

Answer explanation:
You must never touch the injured person if they are still in contact with an electrical current or risk the current passing through you. Turn off the source of electricity if possible. If not, move the electricity source away from you and the injured person using a non-conducting object made of cardboard, plastic, or wood. Make sure to call emergency services as soon as possible.

Once the victim is clear of the power source, your priority is to check for:
• Any airway obstruction
• Breathing
• Circulation

You should administer chest compressions if necessary. If the victim is stable, you should assess the severity of the burns. If the burns are first degree or do not involve any open wounds, begin to run cold water over the burns.

If you see blisters or open wounds, DO NOT run water over them but rather cover the affected area with sterile gauze. Keep the victim warm and try to maintain a normal body temperature until medical help arrives.

One of your coworkers falls through a glass door and cuts her arm. When you run over to her, you see that she has severe bleeding from the injured arm. She is acting very confused; her skin is cold and clammy, and her breathing is rapid. You assess the symptoms and recognise that she is in shock.

Which of the following treatments apply to physical shock?

Answer explanation:
The signs of shock are:
• Cold and clammy skin
• Chills
• Confusion
• Frequent nausea or vomiting
• Altered consciousness
• Rapid breathing

Until medical help arrives, you should:
• Lie down the victim and ensure that their airway is open
• Ensure the victim is as comfortable as possible
• Control any external bleeding
• Elevate the legs unless it is painful to the victim
• Keep them warm (shock victim’s blood vessels in extremities constrict to keep their core warm)

Do not offer the victim anything to eat or drink. When a person is in shock their body protects their core functions by stopping anything not necessary for life. Their digestion stops including their ability to swallow. If they were to get any fluid or foreign bodies in their airways while in shock their body may not have the cough reflex.

Shock cannot be managed by first aid alone. It requires medical treatment, so all you can do is prevent it from getting worse until medical help arrives.

You’re walking down a flight of stairs with a co-worker when he suddenly falls down them and lands abruptly on his leg. You think his leg might be fractured. You should:

Answer explanation:
Any movement could cause further damage to surrounding tissue and promote shock, so try to keep the victim still.

It's important not to give the victim anything to eat or drink if you think they have broken a bone, as they may need a general anesthetic to allow doctors to realign it. Continue to check consciousness and breathing. Keep the victim from getting chilled or overheated.

If it is an open fracture, apply pressure around the wound and not over the protruding bone, to control any bleeding. You should then secure the dressing with a bandage. Advise the victim to keep still while you wait for medical help to arrive.

As one of your co-workers is opening a box, the sharp scissors slip and cut a gash in his wrist. The bleeding is severe. You try applying direct pressure and elevating his arm, but the bleeding doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

In addition to applying extra dressings and calling your local emergency number, you should:

Answer explanation:
You should also apply pressure on a nearby artery. If the bleeding cannot be controlled, apply additional dressings, and put pressure on the inside of the upper arm between the shoulder and elbow, or in the groin area where the leg joins the body. Only use the pressure points if elevation and direct pressure haven’t controlled the bleeding.

Ensure the victim is breathing and care for shock until emergency personnel arrives. Do not apply water or ice over the wound. Never use a tourniquet except in response to an extreme emergency, such as a severed arm or leg or severe blood loss. Tourniquets can damage nerves and blood vessels, lead to tissue death, and cause the victim to lose an arm or leg.

You are eating lunch in the break room area when you notice that your colleague, John, is not able to speak, cough, or breathe. He is clenching his neck and his skin is starting to turn blue.

You realise that John is choking. Which of the following is your first response?

Answer explanation:
You must administer abdominal thrusts to get the airway to open quickly.

When administering abdominal thrusts you need to:

1. Stand behind the person choking.
2. Wrap your arms around their waist and bend them slightly forward.
3. Move your hand across the abdomen to the area above the navel but below the rib cage.
4. Make a fist and position it slightly above the navel.
5. Place your other hand over your fist and press into the victim’s abdomen with quick, upward thrusts.
6. Repeat the movement 6 to 10 times until the object is dislodged.

As with any choking incident, after the object that caused choking is removed, keep the victim still and seek medical help. All choking victims should have an evaluation by a medical professional, as complications from choking can occur as well as from the first aid measures that were used to relieve the choking.

An unfortunate accident has happened just outside your work, and there are multiple victims. Emergency services are on their way, but your immediate help is required.

Which of the following victims need CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)?

Answer explanation:
Victim 3 needs immediate CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. CPR is an emergency procedure for a victim who is not breathing and whose heart has stopped beating. The procedure involves providing the victim with a series of chest compressions in conjunction with breaths.

To perform CPR, you should do the following:

1. Kneel next to the person and place the heel of your hand on the breastbone, at the centre of their chest. Place the palm of your other hand on top of the hand that's on their chest and interlock your fingers.
2. Position yourself so your shoulders are directly above your hands
3. Using your body weight (not just your arms), press straight down by 5 to 6cm (2 to 2.5 inches) on their chest.
4. Keeping your hands on their chest, release the compression, and allow their chest to return to its original position.
5. After every 30 chest compressions, give 2 rescue breaths.
6. Tilt the person's head gently and lift the chin up with 2 fingers. Pinch the person's nose. Seal your mouth over theirs and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth for about 1 second. Check that their chest rises.
7. Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths until they begin to recover, or until emergency help arrives.

Your coworker Karen passes out. You send someone to call emergency medical services while you assess her condition. You determine she needs CPR, but you have not been properly trained.

You should:

Answer explanation:
If you are not trained to perform CPR, it is recommended that you perform only the compression step. Give uninterrupted chest compressions (at a rate of 100-120 per minute) to a depth of about 5 centimeters (2 inches) but not more than 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) until emergency personnel arrives.

In order for a patient to have the best chance of surviving, CPR and early defibrillation via an automated external defibrillator (AED) must be provided within the first 3-4 minutes.

Why should you always use a defibrillator when performing CPR?

Answer explanation:
Having an automated external defibrillator (AED) in your workplace can save lives and improve chances of survival. You don’t need to be trained to use a defibrillator – anyone can use it. They are simple and easy to use, and you don't need any training.

There are clear instructions on AED packaging on how to use it and how to attach the defibrillator pads. Once the defibrillator pads are attached, it will then assess the heart rhythm of the victim and will only instruct you to deliver a shock if it’s needed.

You can't deliver a shock accidentally - the defibrillator will only allow you to shock if it is needed. AEDs are not a substitute for CPR, so make sure to continue CPR until help arrives or until the AED announces rhythm is restored.

Interested in this content and learning more?

Schedule a Call with Qstream

Looking for more questions?
We have the answers.