2. Identifying High-Risk Scenarios Requiring Intervention

An effective workplace first aid policy requires a clear, proactive understanding of the specific incidents that can lead to respiratory arrest. This knowledge is foundational for developing targeted prevention strategies, provisioning appropriate first aid equipment, and designing realistic training drills for responders. The following scenarios represent the primary causes of respiratory failure that must be considered in any workplace risk assessment.

• Electric Shock: High-current electricity can disrupt the heart’s electrical rhythm and directly affect the brain’s respiratory control center, causing breathing to stop suddenly.
• Drowning/Asphyxiation: In environments with risks of immersion, the filling of the lungs with water or other fluids creates a physical barrier that completely blocks oxygen intake.
• Cardiac Arrest: When the heart stops pumping blood, circulation ceases, which in turn leads to the immediate cessation of breathing as the body’s systems shut down.
• Poisoning and Toxin Inhalation: Exposure to substances like carbon monoxide or other industrial chemicals can impact the central nervous system, leading to a progressive failure of the respiratory system.
• Severe Head Trauma: Accidents causing significant injury to the brain can directly damage the autonomic regions responsible for controlling the involuntary process of breathing.
• Anaphylaxis (Severe Allergic Reactions): For employees with severe allergies, exposure to an allergen can trigger a rapid swelling of the airways, physically obstructing the passage of air.
• Foreign Body Airway Obstruction: In any workplace, the accidental inhalation of a physical object can create a blockage in the windpipe, completely halting airflow and requiring immediate intervention, often beginning with the Heimlich maneuver before progressing to artificial respiration if breathing does not resume.

Recognizing these potential triggers moves the focus from identifying the need for intervention to evaluating the different methods available to first responders in an emergency.