First Aid Procedures

It is recommended that all university departments maintain adequate first aid kits in convenient and accessible locations. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standard 29 CFR 1910.151 Appendix A states that first aid kits that meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard Z308.1 must be readily available. In addition, first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training is encouraged for employees. This training is available at EH&S. Training dates and registration information are available at Learn@ISU.

Administer immediate first aid to injured or exposed personnel using the following steps:

  1. Move injured personnel only if necessary to prevent their exposure to further harm.

  2. For spills affecting small portions of skin, immediately flush with flowing water for at least 15 minutes.  If no visible burn exists, wash with warm water and soap, removing any jewelry to facilitate proper decontamination.

  3. For spills on clothes or large areas of skin, quickly initiate showering while removing all contaminated clothing, shoes and jewelry.  It may be necessary to cut the clothes off in some instances to prevent contamination of the eyes. 

  4. Contaminated clothes should be laundered when possible (at work, separate from other clothing, or use a contracted laundering service), decontaminated or discarded. Never take contaminated clothing home.

  5. Do not use creams, lotions or salves, except to neutralize the spilled material (e.g., calcium gluconate gel for hydrofluoric acid exposure and polyethylene glycol [PEG 300] for phenol exposure).

  6. For splashes into the eyes, immediately irrigate the eyes at an eyewash station for at least 15 minutes. Hold the eyelids away from the eyeball, moving eye in all directions to wash thoroughly behind the eyelids.

  7. If necessary administer artificial respiration, but only if CPR trained.

In all cases, the exposed or injured person must seek medical attention:

  1. Call 911 for medical emergencies.

  2. Relevant safety information such as an SDS should accompany the person.

  3. Notify the injured person's supervisor as soon as possible.

  4. For non-life threatening injuries or illnesses, see Reporting Accidents & Injuries.

  5. The supervisor is responsible for completing an incident report through the ISU Incident Portal as required by the Occupational Medicine Guidelines.

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