Ask your power supplier or your nearest electrical supply house for catalogs or literature on various types of signal systems, or ask a dealer to show you equipment he has in stock. LESSON NO. B-11 Credit Points 2 FIRST AID FOR ELECTRICAL INJURIES What would you do if you saw someone who had been hurt by electricity? Did you know that you could save his life, if you had taken the time to learn and practice a few simple rules of electrical first aid? First aid training equips you to know what to do and what not to do for the injured until medical help can be obtained. While the main benefits are for you and your family, no one can call himself a good citizen if he fails to help a stranger who has been hurt. The information given here is only for electrical injuries. Perhaps what you learn will inspire you to take a complete course in first aid. What to Do Learn how to prevent electrical accidents, and what to do if an electrical accident occurs. 1. Make an electrical hazard hunt in your home or on your farm. Point out to your parents everything that should be repaired or replaced for safety's sake. 2. Read the first aid suggestions that follow. Learn them. 3. Get to know the six steps that are outlined for mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing. Practice them on your brother, sister, or parents. Teach the entire family how to do it. Electricity Can Kill In this day of hundreds of uses of electricity, you should know about electrical dangers. Electrocution can occur from either low voltage (household type) or high voltage currents. Sometimes household voltages are more hazardous because people underestimate the dangers involved. A fraction of an ampere passing through your heart muscles can be fatal. Your body offers some resistance to the flow of electricity to ground. If you are standing on wet ground or in water, or if your skin is damp, this resistance is greatly reduced. Wire cables within walls and cords on appliances are all insulated with a shock proof covering. Continued use, age, or damage may expose a bare wire and create a hazard. The point of exposure need be only a fraction of an inch. Cords are often used and abused. Exposed wires and signs of wear are danger signals. Always be wary of overhead wires. People have been injured or killed when kite strings, model plane control lines, irrigation pipe, and water well equipment have come in contact with the power supplier's or their own overhead wiring. Prevent Accidents Underwriters' Laboratories (UL) have taken steps to see that minimum safety standards are met in the manufacture of electrical equipment. Look for the UL label when you buy cords or appliances. Never place cords under carpets or furniture, or drape them over a nail. Replace or repair worn cords without delay.