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SN Emergency Procedures

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Emergency Procedures

Description of possible risk  Action to be adopted
If a student faints
  1. Put the person in a comfortable position and keep warm
  2. Call University Health Services "5433" (within office hours)
  3. Call PolyU emergency hotline "7666" or "7999" if appropriate
  4. Compile a written report after the incident
  5. Follow up action: e.g. whether admission is needed, inform relatives
If a staff member or student accidentally cuts or hurts him/her self.

For minor injury, apply first aid using materials contained in the first aid box. (in all laboratories and General Office)

For serious injury, apply first aid technique if you are a qualified first aider or call for help:
2766 7999 (emergency line) or
2766 7666 (24 hours) or use the Emergency Telephone Set at the strategic locations on Campus.

For Minor Wounds

  1. If the wound is dirty, clean it by rinsing lightly under running water or use an antiseptic wipe.
  2. Pat dry with a gauze swab.
  3. If the bleeding persists and no foreign body is found, apply direct pressure.
  4. Cover a small wound with an appropriate dressing such as an adhesive dressing or standard dressing.
  5. Raise and support the injured part.

Foreign Body in the eye

  1. Lay the person on his back, support his head to keep it as still as possible.
  2. Ask the person to keep both eyes still as movement of the good eye will cause movement of injured eye, which may damage it further.
  3. Cover it gently with an eye-shield or a sterile dressing.
  4. Secure it with a bandage or adhesive plaster.
  5. Take or send the person to hospital/ clinic.

DO NOT TOUCH OR ATTEMPT TO REMOVE AN EMBEDDED FOREIGN BODY

Burns and scalds

  1. Flood the injured part with cold water for at least ten minutes to relieve the pain.
  2. Gently remove any jewelry, watches, belts, or constricting clothing from the injured area before it begins to swell.
  3. Cover the area with a sterile dressing or clean cloth. A plastic bag or some kitchen film makes a good temporary covering.
  4. Be alert for signs of shock and infection.
  5. If it is a chemical burn, flush the affected area until medical help arrives, and remove contaminated clothing.

Spillage involving hazardous substances such as chemicals and biological agents

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Emergency shower or eye-wash

Chemical Spillage

  1. Stay away from the area of the spill.
  2. Notify others around the area.
  3. Open the windows if the substance is flammable, do not turn any electrical switches on on or off, and do not use the telephone in the area.
  4. If you are trained in handling spills, try to clean up the spill by using the spill-response kit provided in the laboratory. Make sure that you wear all the necessary personal protective equipment.

For a major chemical spillage the below should be adopted

  1. Open the windows if the spilt chemical or the leaked gas is flammable, do not turn any electrical switches on or off, and do not use the telephone in the area.
  2. Evacuate the area and fence off the affected area to prevent entry.

Further Response

  1. If somebody is contaminated with chemicals or injured, try to help the person decontaminate by using the nearest emergency shower or eye-wash (5/F F Core and one eye-wash is set in FG501), or get a first-aider to provide first-aid treatment. Take precautions of yourself when you offer help.
  2. When you are at a safe place, call the Campus Security Control Centre (Ext. 7999) for assistance in case of major spills; identify yourself and the location of the incident as far as possible. You may also call 999 directly for external assistance.
  3. Health, Safety and Environment Office should be called to provide assistance.
  4. People who are, or feel that they might have been affected by the spilt chemical in one way or another should be sent to a clinic/hospital for observation or treatment.

Biological Spillage

  1. Warn personnel working nearby and notify the Laboratory-in-charge of the spill. No need to evacuate personnel from the laboratory.
  2. Put on appropriate Personal Protective Equipment such as gloves, splashguards and respirators.
  3. Always work in a team during the clean up. Keep at least one other staff member around to observe the response of the clean up staff.
  4. Pour disinfectants such as 0.5% hypochlorite carefully around the outside of the spill and allow the disinfectants to flow into the spill. Lay paper towels moistened with disinfectant over the spill.
  5. Wait 20-30 minutes to allow the disinfectant to work.
  6. Transfer the soaked materials into double waste bags labeled with biohazard signs for disposal. Equipment reclaimed should be washed thoroughly to remove disinfectant solution before autoclaving if such is required. Plasticware reclaimed should be washed and soaked with fresh disinfectant solutions again.
  7. Wash and mop the adjacent as well as the spill area with a fresh disinfectant solution.
  8. Wash gloves before removal and leaving the area. Any other protective equipment should also be disinfected.
 Suspected gas leakage and unpleasant odours
  1. If in doubt, should the staff/student smell anything abnormal, contact the Campus Security Control Centre (Ext. 7999) for assistance. The security staff shall then contact Health, Safety and Environment Office who will then carry out an immediate investigation.
  2. If you suspect a leakage of Towngas/LP gas, do not try to switch on/off any electrical equipment in the vicinity "and do not use the telephone in the area as this may cause" sparks and trigger an explosion. Notify others to leave the area and stay at a safe place, such as the podium. Inform Campus Security Control Centre (Ext. 7999) for assistance. 
If a person slips and falls

Immediate action

  1. Provide first aid treatment
  2. Call ambulance
  3. Report and document the incident

Preventive measures

  1. Always keep the floor clean and dry
  2. Avoid running in the centre
Assault & Threatening Behaviour (including suspected criminal cases
  1. Keep a safe distance from the offender
  2. Call security immediately for help
  3. Note down the characteristics of the offender if conditions allow
  4. Report to Police whenever necessary
  5. Report & record event according to SN's Accident/Incident Reporting Procedures
 Flooding
  1. Check for water source(s)
  2. Call Facility Management Office helpdesk (Ext. 7777) or Campus Security Control (Ext. 7999).
  3. Report & record event according to SN's Accident/Incident Reporting Procedures whenever necessary
Special Awareness in Chinese Medicinal Laboratories
  1. Maintain good ventilation during moxibustion, fire-cupping or similar procedures
  2. Close all windows before leaving the laboratory

Safety awareness in the Laboratory

All users should:

  • Be aware of any danger that may cause harm to the other colleagues or students in the laboratory.
  • Carry out all the preventive measures to avoid hazards.
  • Report any incident that occurs in the laboratory to the School Health & Safety Officer within 72 hours.
  • Read the Emergency and Safety Guidelines in "Rules and Guidelines for Using the Nursing Laboratories."
  • Read the Safety Guidelines on notice boards outside Laboratories (GH 1/F, FG 4/F & FG5/F).

Handling of Sharps

- Guidelines on using Syringes with needle, Lancet and open Ampoule (Sharp Objects)

  • Uncover or unwrap the sharp object ONLY when it is time to use it.
  • Use a Kidney dish for preparing the sharp objects.
  • Uncap the needle with one-handed technique.
  • Never uncap the needle with force. Use artery forceps when in need.
  • Work with only one uncapped syringe at a time at one station.
  • Keep uncapped needles in view.
  • Keep your fingers away from the tip of the sharp.
  • Keep the object pointed away from yourself and other people at all times.
  • Never recap or bend the needle.
  • Never hand a sharp object to someone else or put it on a tray for another person to pick up.
  • Re-sheathing a needle is strongly discouraged: In case of re-sheathing, use one-handed procedure or artery forceps in a kidney dish, keeping the other hand completely away from the needle.

- Sharps Disposal

  • Dispose of all sharps immediately after use, and only in a sharp box.
  • Never put your fingers into the sharp container.
  • Do not force a sharp item into a container, or retrieve a discarded item.
  • Sharp boxes should be kept in the upright position at all times.

Accidents / Incidents Occurred in Placement Venues

Description of possible risk Action to be adopted
Injuries on duty e.g. Needle-prick injury in clinical areas
  1. First-aid treatment for needle-prick injury
  2. Attend Accident and Emergency Department for further management
  3. Complete incident report should be sent to the concerned Department of the hospital & PolyU (School of Nursing)
  4. Refer to "Record of Measurable Psycho-Motor Skills" for Pre-registration Education in Nursing (General) for details

Needle-prick Injury Accidents Management

The following procedures must be followed in the event of a needle-prick injury with a needle contaminated with human blood.

  1. First Aid Measures
    Encourage the wound to bleed gently and wash in soap with warm running water for a few minutes before applying a suitable dressing.
  2. Immediate Follow-up Actions
    Once First Aid is complete, the clinical supervisor or honorary clinical instructor should make a personal judgment whether further immediate professional advice from the hospital's health service or accident and emergency unit is needed.
  3. Filling in incident /accident report
    1. After an incident, the supervisor of the injured person or the staff member responsible for the area in which the accident/incident took place should complete an Accident/Incident Report Form (HSE Form 2)FHSS_17 / Accident/Incident Report System (hseform2 WorkflowFHSS_17 / How to fill hseform2FHSS_19). The report should be sent to Health and Safety Office through the Department within 72 hours of the accident/incident.
    2. If the injured person is a staff member, (whether or not sick leave(s) is/are incurred), please complete the HR Form 67FHSS_20 / Accident/Incident Report System (hrform67 WorkflowFHSS_17) (original sick leave certificate +/- orginal medical receipts for claiming medical expenses should be sent to DHSO for process) and send the form to DHSO immediately, who will then seek the endorsement of Head of the School before sending the related documents to HSEO & HRO for further actions.
  4. Remedial action plan
    An accident investigation should be performed to identify underlying/basic causes. With the basic causes being identified, remedial action can be recommended to eliminate or minimize such events.

References:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, University health & safety policies and guidance notes

Accident/Incident Reporting Procedures

  1. All accidents and incidents (involving personal injury) must be reported and accident/incident investigations carried out to determine the causes and recommend corrective action to prevent future recurrence.
  2. After an incident, the injured person or supervisor of the injured person/the staff member responsible for the area in which the accident/incident took place should complete an Accident/Incident Report Form (HSE Form 2)FHSS_17 / Accident/Incident Report System (hseform2 WorkflowFHSS_17 / How to fill hseform2FHSS_19). This form should be completed and sent to DHSEO, who will then notify the Head of School before sending the form out to the Health, Safety and Environment Office within 72 hours of the accident/incident.
  3. In case of work-related accidents involving a member of PolyU staff (whether or not sick leave(s) is/are incurred), please complete HR Form 67FHSS_20 / Accident/Incident Report System (hrform67 WorkflowFHSS_17) (original sick leave certificate +/- orginal medical receipts for claiming medical expenses should be sent to DHSO for process) and send to DHSO, who will then seek the endorsement of the Head of School before sending related documents to HSEO & HRO for further actions.
  4. In case of an accident that involves an insurance claim of damage/loss to property and/or equipment, the Finance Officer (Insurance) (Ext. 4742/4141) should be contacted immediately for insurance claim processing with the University's insurer.
  5. In case the accident/incident happened outside Hong Kong, please follow reporting proceduresFHSS_17 for Staff and Student.

Reporting Procedure for Students with Confirmed TB

When a staff or a student is diagnosed as having TB, the attending doctor, according to the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap.599) in Hong Kong, should notify the case to the Director of Health (Department of Health). Contact examination will be conducted for close contacts of an ‘infected case’. However, individual circumstances vary. The public health nurse from the Department of Health may contact the related person by phone or interview for contact screening (Dept of Health, HK Gov 2006). For details, please refer to the Flow ChartFHSS_17) for reporting TB case in the School of Nursing.

Other Useful Telephone Numbers

Facilities Management Office

Campus Security Control Centre

  • For enquiries - 7666
  • For emergencies - 7999

FMO HELP DESK - 7777

Health, Safety and Environment Office

General Office - 8396/8386

University Health Service

UHS EMERGENCY LINE - 5433

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