Personal Health, Hygiene and First Aid
This domain examines everyday hygiene and the first-aid decisions that carry marks: sequence, technique and what not to do.
Personal hygiene
Bathe daily; brush teeth twice a day; wash hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet; keep nails short; wear clean, dry cotton clothing and well-fitting footwear; sleep 8–9 hours at school age; maintain correct posture for sitting, standing and lifting; follow the 20-20-20 rule for screen work.
First-aid principles
Preserve life, prevent deterioration, promote recovery. Check the scene for danger, check response, call for help, then airway–breathing–circulation.
- Bleeding: direct pressure with a clean pad, elevate the limb; do not remove a soaked pad, add another on top.
- Sprain: RICE - Rest, Ice wrapped in cloth for 15–20 minutes, Compression, Elevation.
- Burn: cool with running water for about 20 minutes, cover loosely.
- Fracture: immobilise in the position found; never attempt to realign.
- Unconscious but breathing: recovery position, nothing by mouth.
Worked example
A player rolls an ankle and it swells within minutes, but there is no deformity. Reasoning: this points to a soft-tissue injury rather than a fracture, so apply RICE at once, avoid heat, massage and running for 48–72 hours, and refer for imaging if weight-bearing is impossible.
Traps
- Placing ice directly on skin, or leaving it on for an hour.
- Putting toothpaste, oil or ice on a burn.
- Cutting a snake bite or applying a tight tourniquet.
- Giving fluids to an unconscious casualty.
- Starting compressions before checking response and breathing.