Notts: St John Ambulance advice for bonfire night

The most common injuries sustained on Guy Fawkes Night are burns, eg. from picking up a hot sparkler, and injuries to the eye, caused when people look up at the fireworks.

Below are St John Ambulance’s top tips on how to care for someone who may have a bad burn or sore eyes.

Burns

· Holding the affected area under cold water for at least ten minutes will cool the burn down and help to prevent scarring

· Burns covering an area larger than the palm of the casualty’s hand will require professional medical attention and so the casualty will need to see a doctor or go to hospital

· Major burns should be treated with water and in most cases an ambulance will need to be called to get urgent medical help on the way

· Burns must never be treated with lotions, ointments or creams and adhesive dressings must not be applied to the affected area

· To avoid infection the wound can be covered with any non-fluffy material such as cloth, a clean plastic bag or kitchen film.

Eye injuries

· Stand beside or just behind the injured person. Gently separate their eyelids with your forefinger and thumb and ask them to look right, left, up and down while you examine the eye

· If you can see a foreign object, wash it out by pouring clear water from a glass or jug or using sterile eye wash. Place a towel around their shoulders and pour from the inner corner of the eye

· If unsuccessful then try lifting the object off with the damp corner of a clean tissue

· If you still cannot remove the object, seek medical help.

For more advice visit www.sja.org.uk or St John Ambulance’s first aid app is also available free to Android, Apple and BlackBerry phone users.

For details of first aid courses in your area visit www.sja.org.uk or call 08700 10 49 50.