OHS practices - First aid

Rescue

The ever present dangers of electrocution should make you aware that a good, sound knowledge and understanding of rescue and resuscitation methods is an invaluable skill to posses.

The steps to take when carrying out an electrical rescue must be strictly followed, otherwise you could end up alongside the victim.

The first thing that you must do when you come across a person who appears to be suffering an electric shock, is to quickly assess the situation and locate and switch off the power supply, if it is safe for you to do so. Switching off the power may be as simple as turning off an appliance at a power point, or if that is unsafe to do, turning it off at the circuit breaker in the switchboard.

If you are unable to isolate the power you must remove the person from the power supply. To do this, use some form of dry non-conductive material such as rope, wood, plastic or the victim's clothing if it is both dry and loose.

Remember that if may be necessary to use some force in disconnecting the victim from the supply, due mainly to muscle cramping which may keep the victim trapped.

As a rule of thumb, with anything over 650V you should maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 meters until the victim is released.

Note: Remember to act quickly but only if it is safe to do so.