Occupational Health and First Aid
Railway workshops, loco sheds, track work and pest-control operations expose staff to dust, noise, chemicals and accidents. This domain tests hazard recognition and correct first-response.
Occupational hazards
- Dust: silicosis from silica, asbestosis from asbestos, byssinosis from cotton dust, bagassosis from bagasse; all are pneumoconioses.
- Chemicals: lead (anaemia, abdominal colic, wrist drop), solvents, pesticides handled during vector control - hence PPE, gloves, masks and hand hygiene.
- Physical: noise-induced hearing loss in sheds, heat stress in summer track work, vibration, poor ergonomics and manual handling injuries.
- Prevention hierarchy: eliminate the hazard, substitute, engineer controls, then administrative controls, and PPE last.
First aid essentials
- CPR: check response, shout for help, open the airway, check breathing. Give 30 chest compressions at 100–120 per minute, about 5–6 cm deep, then 2 rescue breaths; continue at 30:2.
- Burns: cool with running water for about 20 minutes, cover loosely, do not apply ointments or burst blisters.
- Snake bite: immobilise the limb, keep the patient calm and supine, remove rings, transport urgently; do not incise, suck or apply a tourniquet.
- Heat stroke: move to shade, remove clothing, cool actively, hydrate if conscious, and transfer.
Worked example
A worker collapses in a loco shed with no breathing and no pulse. Reasoning: this is cardiac arrest, so the priority is circulation support, not diagnosis. Start CPR immediately at 30:2 with minimal interruptions, send someone for the AED and ambulance, and continue until help arrives or the person recovers. Heat stroke is a secondary possibility in summer, but airway and circulation come first.
Traps that cost marks
- Applying oil or toothpaste to burns.
- Cutting or sucking a snake bite, or applying a tight tourniquet.
- Rushing to PPE as the first control instead of engineering out the hazard.
- Delaying compressions to search for a pulse at length.