Eyes are precious and even a moment of carelessness can cost your time, money and even your eyesight. Eye protection is even more important if you are working on a farm. A number of hazards exist on the farm such as exposure to chemicals, dust, flying objects, farm equipment etc. To avoid these hazards, farmers should use protection equipment for the eyes, know about first aid for eye injuries, and above all they should be careful.

Eye Injury Causes:

Eye injuries on the farm can be caused due to several reasons. One of the common hazards is spray cans, which contain chemicals that can harm your eyes. To avoid chemical eye injury, one should use the spray cans carefully. The spray cans should be kept in a safe place away from kids.

Certain farm equipment which chop or grind, can expel soil, rocks, foreign objects into the air. These flying particles can get into the eye and cause injury to the bystander or the operator. Hence, farmers can avoid such incidents by shielding the farming equipment and keeping people away from the path of the equipment.

While all farmers need to keep their farm equipment running by servicing them regularly, most of the farmers tend to get injured while servicing the equipment rather than operating. Simple hand tools can strike the eyes and cause severe eye injury. To prevent this, farmers should use appropriate tools while servicing and they should wear eye protection.

Eye Protection:

Protective eye wear is the primary way in which you can prevent eye injuries and proper selection of it is vital. While selecting the protective eye wear, make sure it fits properly and is comfortable to wear. The eyewear should be durable, easy to clean and disinfect, and it should not obstruct your vision or movements. You can use the following eye wear for protection:

Industrial rated glasses/sunglasses that fit over ordinary glasses: You can wear these to protect your eyes from flying particles, objects etc. You can also add side shields for added protection Splash goggles: Splash goggles protect your eyes from agricultural chemicals. Welding goggles are recommended when you are working with sparks and lights Full face shields: Full face shields are comfortable and offer good protection for the eyes. For farmers who wear glasses, sunglasses etc. full face shields are important. The face shields should be fire-resistant and should meet the industrial quality

Farmers should avoid using contact lenses while working with chemicals. The protective eye wear should be cleaned, disinfected and kept in dust-proof containers. If it has any repairs, it should immediately rectify. Avoid using the eye wear if it outdated.

First Aid for Eyes:

First aid for eyes depends upon the type of injury to the eye:

Particles, specks: They are usually washed out by natural tears. Avoid rubbing. If they remain, consult a physician Blows: If the eye is injured due to a blow, apply cool compresses for 15 minutes and repeat this once in an hour to minimize the swelling and pain. If there is eye discoloration, puncture, or cuts etc. apply a bandage and consult a physician immediately Chemicals: If your eyes are exposed to chemicals, irrigate them with fresh water continuously for 15 minutes. Consult a physician and take the label or the container of the chemical along with you

Eyes should not be neglected as farming involves many hazards to the eye. Eyes can be protected the best if farmers use protective eye wear and be careful while doing daily activities. This will enable farmers to carry out their work safely and effectively.

First Aid skills are important in any walk of life, but being skilled in First Aid is absolutely fundamental to being a Close protection professional. Some schoolchildren are now taught very basic First Aid. This is a good thing. First Aid should be on everybody’s curriculum. Over the years, I have seen and been amazed at the number of bodyguards’ CV/resumes that make no mention of First Aid. When questioned in interview, these candidates mention that yes, they have done First Aid in the Army: ‘about ten years ago’ or ‘I did a lifesaving course, “a while ago”‘.

This is simply not good enough. I can guarantee with some certainty that First Aid skills will be needed in a career of close protection. You may never need that bootleg turn that you practise over and over in the car or the quick draw and chair roll that you have perfected for hotel corridors; but you will need your knowledge of First Aid.

Professional Bodyguards Must Train in First Aid

First Aid is a skill like any other; it needs constant practice to remain effective. Techniques and ideas change so it is imperative that you carry out continual training and remain up to date. Most books on ‘close protection’ include a chapter on First Aid but this is a token gesture and often used only to pad out the book. Authors tend to stick to sexy First Aid like suckling chest wounds, tracheotomies and gunshot wounds. They ignore the simple facts, such as your principal is hundreds of times more likely to die choking on a pretzel than be shot in the chest. First Aid needs its own book, and cannot be covered in a single chapter. You will need to undertake a course in First Aid.

In the UK when the Security Industry Authority (SIA) commissioned the key skills or core competencies, the draft documents included just sexy First Aid. Some sensible folk lobbied to get this taken out and be replaced by a formal qualification in First Aid. Eventually, the SIA chose the Health and Safety Executive’s ‘First Aid at Work’ course, which is run over four days and which is accompanied by written and practical exams. In the UK, therefore, you will need this First Aid qualification to get a licence to operate as a Close Protection Officer. The course covers much more than tracheotomies and for those that really want to know, yes, they do teach you about suckling chest wounds.

The course will cover the following:

* Introduction to first aid

* Personal hygiene

* Circulation

* Resuscitation

* Dressings and bandages

* Wounds and bleeding

* Circulatory disorders

* Duties of a First Aider

* The skeleton

* Fractures

* Unconsciousness

* Burns and scalding

* Handling and transport

This course certificate is valid for three years; thereafter, before your certificate runs out, you must undertake a two day refresher course. Go over three years and you will have to do the whole course again to get re-certificated.

Other Essential First Aid Courses

While the basic First Aid course above is enough to get you a licence to operate in the UK you should consider at least two other First Aid qualifications, which are essential if you are to become a protection professional.

Automated External Defibrillator Course

This short course teaches you how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). This device can be used to administer measured electric shocks to people in the throes of cardiac arrest and is the best way of increasing their chance of survival. Many close protection teams routinely carry AEDs and you must be trained in their use. Most ‘de-fib’ courses last around one day and the course certificate must be renewed every six months.

First Aid for children

Very often the addition of a first aid certificate applicable to children will make a close protection officer more employable in a family environment. Most courses available are aimed at giving first aid to adults so you will have to look hard to find one especially for children. First aid techniques for children differ in some crucial areas. Participants learn about techniques for resuscitating children and infants, conducting risk assessments and how to deal with choking, burns, scalds and seizures. In a career in close protection, you will find that you work for principals that have families that include young children. You will often be charged with their care. You need to know what to do in the event of an accident or illness. If you are working in an environment that includes children, you cannot be a bodyguard without these skills.

James Brown BEM is the author of the Bodyguards Bible – The Definitive Guide to Close protection. All things Close Protection can be found here http://www.bodyguardsbible.com