Driver First Aid

[ihamner]

We stopped to fuel at a truck stop yesterday and had a frightening experience. As I was pulling out, I checked to see if any trucks were pulling away from the fuel island. Two drivers had just fueled and pulled forward. One of the drivers had his door open but he was on the ground! A couple of sandwiches were on the ground beside him and he appeared to be out. I put the van in park and ran over to see if I could help the driver on the pavement while calling to the driver beside him to let him know the driver next to him was on the pavement.

When I got to the driver on the pavement he was beginning to try to stand up but was obviously in distress. He struggled over to his door and leaned against the steps. I asked if he was okay and could he talk. He didn’t respond. He seemed totally out of it! I patted him on the back and said, “You are okay now. Just take a minute. Breathe deeply.” The other driver and my husband arrived about that time. The other driver knew his name and he called him by name and asked him if he was okay.

He had a huge scrape on the top of his head which was bleeding and his elbow was scraped and bleeding. His eyes, when he finally looked at me, were like tiny dots. He didn’t seem to even know where he was and wasn’t sure if he had passed out. After a few minutes he started responding and, when we offered to bring him some water, he said he had some in his truck and he thought he was okay. The other driver was going to pull over with him and make sure he cleaned up the blood before they tried to get back out on the road.

So, here is the thing: I took a first aid course years ago when we had a swimming pool and had teenagers over for pool parties. But, when you don’t use something you tend to forget what to do first. This was a reminder that I need to freshen up on first aid treatments. I am not sure how that can be done on the road unless I find a course online and I’m not sure that would really help with hands on training.

 

[bobwg]

Check with your local Red Cross they usually have a schedule of up coming first aid classess not sure how far in advance they schedule but you might be able to sign up for a class if you know when your going to be back home

 

[ATeam]

I put the van in park and ran over to see if I could help the driver on the pavement while calling to the driver beside him to let him know the driver next to him was on the pavement.

Good job! Proud of you.

 

[Jenny]

Yes, Red Cross does have classes. If they have the space they typically will take you as a short notice (day or so). I asked my stepmom who is a regional manager for them.

Sent from my VS920 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Slo-Ride]

Your right in wanting to know as much about first aid as you can learn. Ya did right to stop or warn the other drivers around him..But you also need to know how to assess the situation before you do anything. There are times that there maybe internal injuries etc etc that the average person isn't even thinking about, and just in the act of thinking you are helping are actually doing more harm..
We once had a guy get slammed by at redi-mix truck head on, (Driver was mixing the concrete @ full throttle and put truck into gear before it idled down and nailed the guy on the ground)
1 of our drivers was a local Volunteer fireman and rescue..He would do nothing other then to try to calm the situation until active rescue could arrive,,When asked why, he said it was due to the fact he didn't have the proper tools to assess the injured person before moving him.He stated more harm then good could happen.

Sometimes its hard to do nothing but sometimes, Controling or protecting the situation until proper help arrives is the best thing.

 

[Moot]

I put the van in park

Welcome back to E.O. It is refreshing to see someone work their way to the pinnacle in this industry, welcome to the wonderful world of vans! Thanks for the heads-up on the black grapes. I got some at a Target store the other day. A bit pricey, but very good!

 

[Ragman]

I put the van in park . . .

 

[TeamCaffee]

Great job India!

Anything we can learn about First Aid would be beneficial and just as Slo-Ride said sometimes the right thing is to do nothing.

On a side note I also found those grapes and they were delish!

 

[SandyLong]

Ouch! That Hurts!
Copyright Sandy Long ‘06

We truckers live in a dangerous world. Our trucks that we drive set high and we have to climb in and out of them. We have to climb up into trailers that don’t have hand rails and worry every time that we open the doors about freight falling out on top of us. We work around hazardous loads like chemicals and rusty metals. We work in all sorts of weather and the very ground we walk on is an immense obstacle course filled with pot holes, large gravel and the detritus of shippers, receivers and our fellow drivers. Minor injuries are a common part of our working world.

One never knows when an injury will occur. Last year, my trailer wouldn’t hold to slide my tandems. I found a piece of 2x4 to use as a chock block so I could get my pins locked in and take it to the shop to have the brakes worked on. As I slid the wood into my side box after setting the pins, a large sharp sliver ran itself into my hand over an inch. A couple of years ago, I ran into a driver at a fuel island that had slipped getting out of his truck, fell and had cut his arm in several places on the parking lot gravel and broken his elbow. A driver I know was walking across the grass lawn of a shipper to go inside and stepped in a grass covered hidden hole and sprained her ankle. We all have stories of minor and not so minor injuries that have happened to us or someone we know.

Being prepared to deal with the injuries that we might get is a necessity that few think of until injuries happen to them. All drivers should have a good first aid kit in their trucks, I do, but then I carry some extra things also. I keep a new ACE bandage, peroxide, antibiotic salve, alcohol, ice pack and various sizes of bandaids along with some 4”x4” gauze pads and tape. When I flat bedded, I carried finger splints too. My boss says I am the klutziest driver he knows, I was always busting a knuckle or hurting some body part.

You don’t need actual first aid training, you can find many websites and booklets on how to treat minor injuries. Here are some basics:

Clean any type of skin opening wound with soap and water if available, peroxide if not. Apply pressure to stop bleeding and use an antibacterial salve and some sort of covering; bandaid or gauze and tape. If it is deep or won‘t stop bleeding, get to an emergency facility right away.

Use ice on sprains asap, and then wrap the joint with an ACE type bandage. Don’t use that joint any more than necessary, elevate it if possible and don’t sleep with the bandage on. See a doctor to make sure nothing is broken.

If you think you have a broken bone, go to the doctor right away. Immobilize the area where the break occurs, pack with ice if possible and call for help if you are unable to drive.

Bee stings can be treated with a tobacco poultice. Take either chewing tobacco or crumble the tobacco out of a cigarette. Make the tobacco slightly wet and apply to the bite. Cover with gauze and tape until the poultice is dry and then after gently cleaning the area, apply some antibacterial salve and a bandaid. Get to the doctor if you start feeling sick.

Those of you who travel down south may encounter fire ants. These little critters really put the OUCH!!! Factor to work. Their bites carry some heavy duty poison that burns like fire while itching like crazy. If you are bitten by one or two fire ants, use alcohol on the bite area and then some cortisone cream, if you are bitten by many ants, get to a doctor immediately! There have been a lot of people that have an adverse reaction to fire ant bites.

While on the subject of insects, don’t mess with any sort of spider bite. Clean the area, apply antibacterial salve and get to the doctor. Take the creepy crawly with you if you can for identification purposes. Brown recluse and black widow spiders can cause some serious complications in the bite area if not treated professionally immediately and are common in lumber and steel piles and in the corners of warehouses.

Working with your doctor is important in as to the immunizations you need. Tetanus shots are important because of working around rusty metals and the nails and bolts laying around everywhere, this shot has to be gotten every ten years. Hepatitis B is very prevalent and is easy to get eating in truck stops and using public restrooms the way we do. Hepatitis A vaccines are recommended for drivers who work along the southern border. Your doctor or his/her nurse can also help you decide on what to include in a first aid kit specific to your individual needs.

Getting minor injuries is not just a maybe, it is a given in our industry. If in doubt as to the severity of your injury, get to the doctor or call the ambulance for help. Notify your company if the injury is severe immediately and follow their instructions for workman’s comp coverage claims. It is a good thing to let at least your dispatcher know if you are injured beyond just a scratch or bruise even though it is not initially serious enough for a workman‘s comp claim, even a minor injury can become a major one if left untreated or complications set in.

Ya’ll be safe out there!

 

[SandyLong]

Here is a good site for emergency first aid information
Emergency & First Aid: Resources, related articles and links

 

[Monty]

The second thing you might have done was to dial 911 .... as mentioned above, moving, (or allowing movement), could worsen the situation.

Protect the scene, make the individual as comfortable as possible. As dazed as this person seemed to be, medical evaluation was needed.

As for first aid classes, I betcha there are youtube videos, (I haven't looked), that will "refresh" you on things you have been taught.

 

[TeamCaffee]

Really nice information Sandy thank you

 

[Suds43]

Stop by any Red Cross office and pick up a book. Read that when you have idle time. Just because you can't take an "official class" doesn't mean you can't learn what to do in an emergency situation.
Hopefully this guy sought some medical treatment before continueing down the road.
I was a NY state certified EMT for 23 yrs. You did a good job. Although never tell someone their ok, if they were ok they wouldn't be in the situation they were in. Better to tell them that you'll do all you can and that your getting some medical help for them.......
Good Job!!!!! Unfortunately not many people today would take the time to help out a stranger.....

 

[cheri1122]

Applause for India, for getting involved!
I strongly encourage all drivers to learn the basics of first aid, and keep supplies handy, cause life is full of surprises.
Twice I have been first on the scene: one was an employee of a facility where I was waiting to get unloaded [he suffered an epileptic siezure] and the second was a car that had flipped over. I stopped just as the driver [teenage girl] crawled out, and I was able to keep her still, ensure that her ABC's [airway, breathing, circulation] were apparently unaffected, and do a limited neurovascular check, though not much of a neurological, [beyond determining that she was oriented to person and time - place was a bit beyond both of us at the moment] until the professionals arrived. It was a good feeling.
I think 'helpless' is one of the worst feelings there is, and some learning will help avoid it if you're ever first on the scene - and the way we travel, it's a question of 'when', not 'if'.

 

[Lawrence]

Great post! Thanks for doing the right thing - we all need to do our part!

Also, please keep this thought in mind - strokes are very common in our industry, please look for these signs:

Stroke Symptoms - National Stroke Association

 

[Moot]

Applause for India, for getting involved!

I agree!

if you're ever first on the scene - and the way we travel, it's a question of 'when', not 'if'.

Exactly! It will happen to you eventually. Even if you can't render first aid, as Notanewbie mentioned, SECURE THE SCENE. Often times this can be more important than initial first aid and as simple as flagging motorists and blocking the accident scene with your truck. When in doubt, call 911.

 

[ConfusedMuse]

Imagine that you are walking or driving along, and you come across a car accident scene. The accident just happened, and no official responder, like an ambulance, the police, or fire departments have arrived yet. You want to help, but are afraid that, in today's litigious society, the victim might sue you if you do something wrong. What should you do? And what if you are a licensed health care provider? Can you provide assistance without fear of a lawsuit?

Sadly, your fears are not unwarranted. These lawsuits have happened; injured people have actually sued well-intentioned passersby and health care providers who tried to help them. Luckily, over the years, almost every state’s legislature has realized that it is a good thing for society when passersby attempt to help the injured, and these states have passed what are called “Good Samaritan” laws -- meant to shield from liability those who are simply trying to help at an accident scene.

These laws differ from state to state; some states protect only licensed health care providers, while other states protect anyone who is trying to help. Read on to learn more.

Protection of Licensed Health Care Providers
Standard statutory language protecting Good Samaritan health care providers is often something like the following:

“Any health care professional under the laws of this state who in good faith lends emergency care or assistance without compensation at the place of an emergency or accident shall not be liable for any civil damages for acts or omissions performed in good faith so long as any act or omission resulting from the rendering of emergency assistance or services was not grossly negligent or willful misconduct.”

Some states require that the treatment must have been given voluntarily and without expectation of payment in order for the Good Samaritan health care provider to be protected from liability.

So you can see that not all states protect Good Samaritan health care providers completely. They make an exception for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or actions performed in bad faith. But gross negligence and willful misconduct is so much worse than ordinary negligence that it is easy to understand that such serious misconduct can never be tolerated, even if it was voluntarily given.

Protection of Persons Who are Not Licensed Health Providers
Standard statutory language protecting Good Samaritans who are not licensed health care providers is often something like the following:

“Any person who is not a health care professional who is present at an emergency or accident scene and who: (1) Believes that the life, health, and safety of an injured person or a person who is under imminent threat of danger could be aided by reasonable and accessible emergency procedures under the circumstances existing at the scene thereof; and (2) Proceeds to lend emergency assistance or service in a manner calculated in good faith to lessen or remove the immediate threat to the life, health, or safety of such a person, shall not be held liable in civil damages in any action in this state for any act or omission resulting from the rendering of emergency assistance or services unless the act or omission was not in good faith and was the result of gross negligence or willful misconduct.”

So, in order to qualify for protection under this type of statutory language, the Good Samaritan has to reasonably believe that the victim was in immediate need of emergency help in order to avoid serious harm or death, and then has to provide help in good faith. And again, the Good Samaritan law is no defense to a charge of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

But you should be aware that some states limit the protection of Good Samaritans who are not licensed health care providers. Some states do not provide protection to a lay Good Samaritan unless the Good Samaritan has a current first aid or life saving certificate from a qualified organization like the Red Cross or the American Heart Association.

Check Your State’s Laws To Be Sure
Because the laws can differ significantly from state to state, if you are seriously concerned about whether your state’s laws protect you from liability if you should choose to help an accident victim, you should look up your state’s law or contact a lawyer in your state for advice.



Really sad that our society has come to this. I'd still stop as you did, and help/wait/call someone for help. Kudos to you.

 

[bobwg]

Imagine that you are walking or driving along, and you come across a car accident scene. The accident just happened, and no official responder, like an ambulance, the police, or fire departments have arrived yet. You want to help, but are afraid that, in today's litigious society, the victim might sue you if you do something wrong. What should you do? And what if you are a licensed health care provider? Can you provide assistance without fear of a lawsuit?

Sadly, your fears are not unwarranted. These lawsuits have happened; injured people have actually sued well-intentioned passersby and health care providers who tried to help them. Luckily, over the years, almost every state’s legislature has realized that it is a good thing for society when passersby attempt to help the injured, and these states have passed what are called “Good Samaritan” laws -- meant to shield from liability those who are simply trying to help at an accident scene.

These laws differ from state to state; some states protect only licensed health care providers, while other states protect anyone who is trying to help. Read on to learn more.

Protection of Licensed Health Care Providers
Standard statutory language protecting Good Samaritan health care providers is often something like the following:

“Any health care professional under the laws of this state who in good faith lends emergency care or assistance without compensation at the place of an emergency or accident shall not be liable for any civil damages for acts or omissions performed in good faith so long as any act or omission resulting from the rendering of emergency assistance or services was not grossly negligent or willful misconduct.”

Some states require that the treatment must have been given voluntarily and without expectation of payment in order for the Good Samaritan health care provider to be protected from liability.

So you can see that not all states protect Good Samaritan health care providers completely. They make an exception for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or actions performed in bad faith. But gross negligence and willful misconduct is so much worse than ordinary negligence that it is easy to understand that such serious misconduct can never be tolerated, even if it was voluntarily given.

Protection of Persons Who are Not Licensed Health Providers
Standard statutory language protecting Good Samaritans who are not licensed health care providers is often something like the following:

“Any person who is not a health care professional who is present at an emergency or accident scene and who: (1) Believes that the life, health, and safety of an injured person or a person who is under imminent threat of danger could be aided by reasonable and accessible emergency procedures under the circumstances existing at the scene thereof; and (2) Proceeds to lend emergency assistance or service in a manner calculated in good faith to lessen or remove the immediate threat to the life, health, or safety of such a person, shall not be held liable in civil damages in any action in this state for any act or omission resulting from the rendering of emergency assistance or services unless the act or omission was not in good faith and was the result of gross negligence or willful misconduct.”

So, in order to qualify for protection under this type of statutory language, the Good Samaritan has to reasonably believe that the victim was in immediate need of emergency help in order to avoid serious harm or death, and then has to provide help in good faith. And again, the Good Samaritan law is no defense to a charge of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

But you should be aware that some states limit the protection of Good Samaritans who are not licensed health care providers. Some states do not provide protection to a lay Good Samaritan unless the Good Samaritan has a current first aid or life saving certificate from a qualified organization like the Red Cross or the American Heart Association.

Check Your State’s Laws To Be Sure
Because the laws can differ significantly from state to state, if you are seriously concerned about whether your state’s laws protect you from liability if you should choose to help an accident victim, you should look up your state’s law or contact a lawyer in your state for advice.



Really sad that our society has come to this. I'd still stop as you did, and help/wait/call someone for help. Kudos to you.

I was traveling west on I78 in New Jersey in the right lane about the 4 mile marker when i saw people in front of me in left and middle lanes hitting brakes and then I saw a motorcycle rider ahead of the traffic tumbling thru the air and his motorcycle flying off to the right shoulder. I stopped and ran up to him he had tumbled head first onto the pavement after he hit a deer his wrist was broken his pants were torn and had scrapes and some minor cuts on the legs luckly he was wearing a helmet because his head was the first thing to land on the pavement. as i ran to him i had my phone out calling 911 I told the operator what i was seeing and she said try to keep him still as he wanted to get up she said to tell him he might make injuries worse moving especially the head injury but he refused to listen and got up anyway he was bleeding a little from the scalp area. but the phone converstation is recorded when you call 911 so if there ever a problem I d tell lawyer to go get the tape he was advised not to move so my thought always call 911 and let them advise you and pass on what they tell you to the people your trying to help