Guidelines for Rural Industrial Emergencies

These guidelines are intended for Industrial Health and Safety Clinics for facilities in rural and remote areas. In other words, they are clinics that are a long way from immediate help. They involve at a glance guidelines and tasks to help staff practice and retain this information.

Industrial ‘health and safety clinics’ can include Nurses, Emergency Response Officers and even Occupational Physicians. These clinics can be the first receiving point for serious clinical emergencies. Some staff may have extensive experience in emergency medicine, but, with time, their skills (and perhaps even their confidence) to provide ‘best practice’ assistance at these basic facilities, may wane.

We want you to start talking about medical emergencies. Because clinic staff come from a variety of backgrounds, it is likely you know almost all the important facts if you get your heads together. By discussing the scenarios at the start of the month, everyone can refresh their memory and fill in the gaps. Explaining concepts to each other is the best way to confirm that you really understand what is important. Regular drills, for one or two staff members each month, allow you to put this knowledge into practice and build confidence.

Dr Tim Baker Emergency Physician
Dr Jurie Snyman, Occupational Physician, ALCOA Point Henry Smelter, Geelong.
Dr Cathy Bones Occupational Physician, ALCOA Smelter, Portland.