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4 Jakarta Globe Tuesday, November 15,
2011SpecialSupplement:Safety360
Fires destructive force isnever far away.
According to theJakarta Metropolitan Fireand Disaster
Management
Department there were 4,164 fireincidents recorded in the five
yearsfrom 2005. Of these, 54 percent werecaused by short circuits
and 10 percent
by gas cookers. Lights and cigaretteswere the cause of 6 percent
of fires,with a mix of other causes making upthe balance.
Breaking down the data by locationreveals that 44 percent of
fires were inhouses, while 26 percent were inpublic or industrial
facilities and
buildings. Almost 8 percent of fireswere linked to vehicles.
Over theperiod, hundreds of people have beenkilled, many hundreds
more injured,and the estimated loss is equivalent tomore than $1
billion.
WhenFireStrikes
Many people still do not know how todeal, react or escape safely
in the eventof an uncontrolled and hazardous fire.
Fire starts with a chemical reaction oxygen, combustible fuel
(such as
wood or gasoline) and energy (or heat,such as from a light or a
match). Heat
brings the fuel to its ignitiontemperature and a fire ignites as
if outof nowhere (it is perhaps no surprisethat many cultures have
in the pastand still do regard fire as a magicalforce). The fact
that fire is self-perpetuating makes it all the morehazardous. With
enough oxygen and afuel source fire will spread, and it can
do so quickly.Common sense can help prevent
fire. For instance, dont leave stoves,ovens, toasters, clothing
irons,
barbecues and candles unattended.Even a hot appliance can ignite
a firethat quickly becomes out of control.
Shortcircuitsareanothercommoncauseoffireinthe
homeandattheoffice.Faultyelectricaloutletsandold
wiringareoftentoblame.As aprecaution,you shouldroutinely
checkappliancesandwiringandall
damagedandoldwiresshouldbereplaced.
If any appliance or a light switchcauses an electrical shock,
overheats,shorts out or gives off smoke or sparksit should be
replaced immediately.
Also, keep electrical appliances wellaway from water.
WhereTheresSmoke
The number one cause of injury anddeath related to fires is
smoke
inhalation rather than burns. Smokeis the product emitted
(consisting oftiny solid, liquid and gas particles)
when a combustible material is on fireand it asphyxiates the
body.Symptoms of smoke inhalationinclude coughing, shortness of
breath,dizziness and a headache.
Smoke is suspended in the gasesthat compose the air around us,
and soit naturally rises and spreads, quicklyfilling rooms,
stairwells and hallways.
Smoke hinders visibility andbreathing, and it will
makeextinguishing and escaping a firemore difficult, but it is also
what oftenalerts people to the presence of a fire.
Manual fire detection can be assimple as spotting a fire and
yelling to
warn others around you. Mostbuildings also have a manual
firealarm, usually located near the fireescape or exit. It can be
activated toalarm others in the building.
Smoke detectors are perhaps themost reliable, effective
andinexpensive safety device you can haveinstalled in your home or
office. Theysave thousands of lives every year.
Smoke detectors, typically, set offan audible alarm when smoke
isdetected. There are two types ofsmoke detectors that are
commonlyused. A photoelectric or optical beamdetector senses the
lack of light ordetects flames and triggers an alarm.
An ionization detector contains ionsthat develop a steady
electricalcurrent. Smoke particles entering thechamber disrupt the
current andtrigger the detectors alarm. Some
detectors use both detection methodsto increase sensitivity.
GetOutand StayOut
A fire alarm will make you aware that
something is wrong, but its up to youto react in the most
appropriate way.Basic protocol for when a building ison fire is to
get out and stay out.
Every home and office should havean escape plan and a safe
emergencymeeting point. You, your family or
your office should run a fire drill (apractice run) at least
twice a year.
You should immediately makeothers in the building aware of a
fire,set off a central alarm system if thereis one, and then make
your way out ofthe building. Do not use escalatorsduring a fire,
use the stairs. As soon aspossible, you should call
emergencyservices. Fire is unpredictable and itcan move quickly or
cause anexplosion, and your best and safestoption will always be to
simply get outand stay out of a building that is onfire at the
first opportunity.
If you can see smoke you shouldstay low to the ground and make
your
way to the exit. If you are preparedwith an escape plan, finding
your wayout of the building will be a calmerand quicker
endeavor.
If you are trapped in a room, closethe door and using something
like atowel or rag block any gaps to preventmore smoke entering the
room.
You need to alert someone that youare trapped: if possible call
emergencyservices. Only if there is no othersolution, open or break
a window andattract attention to yourself using
whatever method possible.Fire safety means taking
precautions to prevent a fire, and alsobeing prepared to react
and cope in
the event of a fire. Awareness of eventhe most basic rules of
fire safetymeasures dont leave an open flameunattended; replace
faulty wires; getout and stay out could save your life.
Guard Against a Daily Danger
Inthefirstweekof Octoberthisyear,PaiminNapitupulu,theheadofthe
JakartaFireandDisasterManagementDepartment,saidtherehad
beenmore
than730majorfiresin Jakartathisyear,upfromin
2010,andlikelycausedbytheunusuallylongdryseason.
Fireshaveclaimedatleast12livesthisyear,injured61peopleandlefcountlessmorehomeless,Paiminsaid,addingthatalmostsixinevery10fires
werecausedbyanelectricalshortcircuit.
IntheweekaferPaiminsannouncement,aslewoffire-relatedincidentshitJakarta,rangingfromhousefirestoexplodingbuses.
HereishowtheJakartaGlobereportedtheevents:
Oct.12: TransJakartaBusBurns
ATransJakartabuswasguttedbyfireinJatinegaradistrict,EastJakarta,alongCorridorVofthebuswaynetwork.Therearofthebuswasdamaged,aswas
theroofofthebusshelter.Noinjurieswerereported.
Itwasthethirdincidentinsixmonths.OnAug.1,a
busonCorridorIIIcaughtfire
attheGrogolintersectioninWestJakarta.OnMay24,an
articulatedbusonCorridorVwasgutted,also intheJatinegaraarea.
Oct.14: VehiclesTorchedinEviction Row
Abusandthree
motorcycleswereburnedduringaviolentlanddisputeinWestJakarta.Emergencyfireteamsandpolicewerecalledtoextinguishtheblazeandrestoreorder.
Oct.20:ExplosionInjuresBus Driver
ATransJakartabusexplodedinthePinangRantishelterinEastJakarta.The
driver,
Yusuf,wasbadlyinjuredandbothofhislegswerebroken.Tworefuelingstationattendantswerealsoinjured.Thebuswas
fillingupwithgasattheTransJakartafuel
stationwhenahissingnoisewasheard.ATransJakartaspokeswomansaidthe
buswasrefuelingandthenoisecame
frombelowthebus.Thehissingsoundwasfollowedbyaloudexplosion.
Oct.21:PolicemanLosesHouse inFire
Amid-rankingpoliceofficerlostwhathedescribedasaluxuryhouseandallof
its
contents,includingthreecarsand twomotorcycles,inafirein
PasarRebo,EastJakarta.Thefireappearedtohavestartedaferfuelleakedfromthe
carandignited.Thefiresoonengulfedhishome,andthe
familyescapedbutcouldnotsavetheirbelongings.Eighteenfireenginestookanhourtoextinguishtheblaze.
Oct.27:BlazeLeaves1,500 Homeless
HundredsoffamiliesinBendunganHilir,CentralJakarta,watchedhelplesslyastheirhomesturnedtoashesin
amassiveblazethatstruckthedenseresidentialarea.Ittook28firetrucksabouttwohourstoextinguishtheblaze,whichengulfedmorethan70buildings.About1,500peoplewerelefhomeless.
Reportsfromthescenedescribedpanicasuninsuredresidentsfranticallytriedtosavetheirbelongings.Oneresident,Rita,toldreportersthatshehadseenthreemajorfiresinthe20yearsshehadlivedintheneighborhood.
Onthesameday,at leasttwomorefiresbrokeoutin
CentralandNorthJakarta.
Stay Alert, Risks Are All Around
44%of fires in Jakartafrom 2005-2010were in the home
730major fires inJakarta in first10 months of 2011
From2005to2010,nolessthan4,164fireswerereportedinJakarta,withhundredsof
peoplelosingtheir livesand totaldamageestimatedat over$1billion.
Overhalfof the
reportedfires,54 percent,werecaused byshort circuits.
AntaraPhotos
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10 Jakarta Globe Tuesday, November 15,
2011SpecialSupplement:Safety360
Security means differentthings to different peopleand runs the
spectrum frominstalling good locks inorder to stop thieves to
protecting yourself and your familyfrom terrorist attacks.
They always make headline news,but thankfully terrorist
attacksremain relatively rare, and even inIndonesia where the
existence ofterror cells with the means to kill
innocent people has been proven anumber of times the intrusion
ofmetal-detecting guards at theentrance to malls and businesses
isthe closest many of us get tosafeguarding against such
crimes.
But in most peoples mindssecurity conjures up t he sense of
being free from harm from everydaycriminals: thieves, robbers
and thelike. Crime can happen in stores, onstreets and in vehicles,
but wherecrimes such as robberies invade ourprivacy the most is at
home.
Being a victim of a crime doesntnecessarily mean that you
werespecifically targeted. Random crimehappens, and bad things
sometimeshappen to good people. Cars arestolen, wallets are
snatched andhomes are broken into.
Some things are beyond yourcontrol, but you do influence
whathappens to you, and you can take onmore responsibility for your
ownsecurity.
At home, whether you live in ahouse or an apartment, ensure
thatthe security staff knows not to let
anyone into your house or apartmentwithout your consent. Ask
that theydo not give out information regarding
your usual schedule, since theinformation can be used by
people
with ill intentions to determine whenyour home might be most
vulnerable.
Basic security measures includemaking sure locks on doors
and
windows are strong and that you keepthem locked. Consider
usingdeadbolts as another level of security.Doors and windows have
weak spots hinges, worn frames or bodies
that can be exploited, so make sure tofix or replace broken
doors or
windows. No matter how sneaky youthink you are to hide a set of
keysoutside the home, it is not a good idea.Leave an extra key with
a trustedneighbor or colleague.
Get to know your neighbors.Develop a relationship and earn
theirtrust so that you have an extra pair ofeyes or someone who
will respond ifsomething is amiss.
Outdoor sensor lights and gardenlighting are a great and
reasonablycheap and easy way to deterunwelcome visitors at home. Do
notleave expensive or removable itemsoutside where they can be seen
andcould tempt people.
The upper levels of a home areoften overlooked because it
seemsunlikely that someone will break inabove the ground floor, but
the mostdetermined deviants will takeadvantage of any opportunity
theycan find. Keep upstairs windowslocked and make sure there are
notrees or ladders around the house thatmight allow easy access to
higherlevels of the house.
Aside from taking such practicalmethods to secure your home,
youmight consider investing in a homesecurity and alarm system, but
besure to use it if you do.
No matter the level of security youimplement at home, there is
still thepossibility that you or your home willfall victim to
crime. For this reason, itis important to lock priceless itemsand
documents in a safety box,
preferably one that is fireproof, and tomaintain and update
insurancepolicies.
Safeguarding Starts at Home
ItiscommonpracticeinJakarta
forresidentstoemployapersonaldriverforconvenience.Havinga
driver,though,meanstakingonadditionalresponsibilitytoensurethatyou,yourdriverandyourfamilyandfriendsaresafeat
alltimes.
Asafetripfor
allmeanshavingaroad-worthycarthatismaintainedandservicedregularly.Itmeansthatyourdriverisqualifiedandtrustworthy.
Evenifyouare nottheonedriving,it
isyourresponsibilitytoensurethevehicleiswellkeptandwellequipped.Thismeanshavingasparetire,a
medicalkitandmapsonboard,aswellasemergencyphonenumbersonhand.Youmightalsoconsiderhavingimpact-resistantsecurityfilmandtintedwindowsappliedtoyourcar.
KnowYourDriver
Whenitcomesto
hiringadriver,youshouldtakethesameprecautionsasyouwouldwhenfilinganyposition.Makesureyourdriverisqualifiedandlicensedtodrivethevehiclehewillbeassignedto.Checkalldocuments(driverslicense,localIDcardandeducationalcertificates)andreferencesandensurethatheiswhohesaysheis,liveswherehesaysandcanfulfillthejobrequirements.
Ensurethatyourdriverknowstheroadnetworkinthecitywhereyouliveandisfamiliarwithbothmainandalternativeroutesforalllocationsthatyouregularlyvisit.Ideally,haveyourdrivernotekeylocationsandsafehavensalongtheseroutes.
Ifyouare
aforeignerwithlimitedlocallanguageskills,itisrecommendedthatyou
employadriverwhospeaksEnglishsoastoavoidcommunicationproblems.Yourdrivershouldalsobeequippedwithacellphoneforeaseofcommunicationwithyou.Ifyou
maintainanenvironmentofopencommunication,yourdriver
willbemorecomfortablewithyouandmore
likelytoreportpersonalhealthissues,vehicledamageorproblems.
Ahealthcheckisgoodidea,justtobeonthesafeside.
Acarisapotentiallydangerousobject,soitis
importantthatthepersonbehindthewheelissensible,alertandawareofhisorhersurroundings.Thismeansnotonlyyourdriver,butalsoyou
oranyoneelsewhotakesthewheel.
Makesurethatyourdriverobeystherulesoftheroad
anddoesnotencourage
confrontationthrougherraticoroverlyaggressivedriving.Agooddriver
willleavespacebetweenyourcarandothervehiclestoallowforbrakingdistancesinanemergencyandwilladjustspeedbasedonroadconditions.
Forthemostpart, day-to-daytravelissafe,butthereis alwaysariskof
becomingthevictimofacrime,sopayattentiontoyoursurroundings,particularlyinslowmovingorstatictraffic.Youshouldalsokeepdoorslockedatall
times.
MaintainYourVehicle
Hereisadailychecklisttoensurethatyourvehicleiswellkept:
Fuel,oil,radiatorfluid,washerwiperfluid:Neverallowthesetofalltoofarbelowthehalfwaymark.Haveyourtirescheckedforwearordamage.Havethetirepressureschecked,includingthespare.Checklights(includingbrakelights,indicatorsandhazardwarning).Inadditiontoequipmentprovidedbythemanufacturer(suchaswheelbraceand
jack),consideralsoequippingyourvehiclewiththefollowing:Logbook
for
mileage,fuel,servicing,damageandrepairrecords;mapand
directoryofthecitywhereyou
live;basicvehicletoolkit;first-aidkitsuitableforcar
travel;reflectivesafetytriangle;towrope;
fireextinguisher(drychemicaltype);flashlight(withsparebatteries);jumpercables;cellphonecharger(cigarettelightersockettype);umbrella.
Heres How to StaySafe on the Road
248people chargedwith an offenseper 100,000 peoplein Jakarta in
2010
55,000crimes reported
to the police inJakarta in 2010
PolicemenfishoutacarfromthefountaininthemiddleoftheHotelIndonesiatrafficcircleinJakartain
May.Theysuspectthe driverfellasleepor hisbrakesfailed. AFPPhoto
Makingthecity safer:JakartaPoliceshow offthe gunsseizedfrom
agangof robbersinEast JakartainFebruarylast year.AFPPhoto
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12 Jakarta Globe Tuesday, November 15,
2011SpecialSupplement:Safety360
Aconstruction worker witha deep cut. A fallenmotorcyclist with
aconcussion. A colleague
with a third-degree burn.A family member having a heartattack.
Life is unpredictable.
Anything can go wrong, at any time and to anyone.
Do you know how to help? Arethose around you equipped with
theknowledge or skills to help?
Its important to take precautionsto avoid accidents and
disaster. But
we can also prepare ourselves withknowledge and skills that will
helpreduce injury or save a persons life.
First aid is immediate care givenbefore trained medical help
arrives.We have all given first aid for minorillness or injuries,
but we can allexpand our skills to include moresevere
emergencies.
There are first-aid coursesavailable, both locally and online,
thatcan help prepare us if we encounteremergency situations.
In emergency situations, itsrecommended that caregivers
followthree key steps: Check, Call, Care.
First, assess the scene and checkfor hazards. Be sure that you
are notin danger before you administer help.Check how many people
are injuredand whether there are bystanders
who can help.Next, call emergency services. If
there are others around, instructsomeone else to call for help
while youassess the victim.
Talk to the person to see if t hey are
responsive. If not, check their airwayby tilting the head back,
then look andlisten for breathing by turning yourcheek to the
persons nose and mouthas you watch the chest for rising andfalling.
Check for a pulse at thepersons neck. In basic first aid, theseare
referred to as the ABCs.
Care depends on the type and the
extent of the injury as well as theskills, knowledge and
confidence ofthe person administering aid.
After going through the motionslisted above, if the patient is
not
breathing but has a pulse, give tworescue breaths. Do this by
pinchingthe persons nose closed and then
breathing into the persons mouthtwice for about a second each.
Watchthe persons chest to see if it rises.
After two breaths, stop to check forbreathing again. If there is
none,continue to give artificial respirationuntil the person begins
breathing orhelp arrives.
If the unresponsive person has nopulse, give two rescue breaths
andcontinue by giving CPR.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
manually circulates blood throughthe body. To perform CPR, place
theheel of your hands on the patientschest and press down 30 times
tosimulate a quick heartbeat and thengive two rescue breaths and
re-checkthe persons pulse. Repeat until helparrives.
Two other emergencies you canprepare for by recognizing their
signsare heart attacks and strokes.
Common signs of a heart attack
include chest discomfort or pain andtightness, shortness of
breath,sweating and nausea. If this is thecase, immediately call an
ambulance.
While waiting, or on the way to thehospital, tend to the patient
by helpingthem into a relaxed sitting position,
with the legs up and bent at the kneesto ease strain on the
heart. Its also agood idea to loosen tight clothingaround the neck
and waist.
Administer CPR if the patient stopsbreathing.
An easy way to remembersymptoms of a stroke, which includesudden
weakness in the face, arms,confusion and trouble speaking, isFAST.
Face (ask the person to smile.If half the face droops, act
quickly);
Arms (ask the person to lift his or herarms. If one droops, that
is a sign);Speech (have the person repeat asentence. Slurred words
are asymptom); Time (if you observe any ofthese signs, call
emergency servicesimmediately).
Take the same approach as ifsomeone is having a heart attack.
Donot give a suspected stroke victim
food or drink because strokes affectthe ability to swallow and
can causethe patient to choke.
Being equipped with even somebasic knowledge means you can
helpyourself and others and it canincrease your capacity to cope
and actrationally when faced with a medicalemergency.
First Aid Can Be a Life-Saver
Thewordshockis useddifferentlybythe
generalpublicandthemedicalcommunity.
Generally,whenpeopletalkaboutshock
theyarereferringto apsychologicaland
emotionalreactiontoatraumaticevent.
Inmedicalterms,shockis alife-
threateningmedicalconditionwhereblood
flowishindered,bodytissuedoesnt
receiveenoughoxygenornutrientsand
therecanbeorgan failure.Physicalshock,
otherwiseknownascirculatoryshock,can
leadtowholebodyfailure,anddeath.
PhysicalShock
Therearedifferenttypesofshock:
cardiogenicshock,caused bya
weakenedheartand decreasedabilityto
pumpbloodaround thebody;
hypovolemicshock,usually experienced
aferrapid bloodloss; anaphylactic
shock,a severeallergic reaction;septic
shock,causedbyaninfection;and
neurogenicshock,caused bydamageto
thenervous system,usually experienced
aferaninjurytothespinalcord.
Therearea fewkeyssymptomsto
watchfor:rapidpulse,paleskin,sweating,
weakness,giddiness,nausea,thirst,rapid
andshallowbreathing.
Medicalcareisneededimmediatelyto
treatcirculatoryshock,butfirstaidcan be
administeredbeforehelparrives.
Youthenneedtoimplementthe
standardABCprocedurecheckairways,
breathingandcirculation.Ifnecessary,
beginCPR.
Ifthepatientisseriouslyinjuredbut
consciousandbreathing,donotletthem
move,eat,drinkor smoke.Makesureto
reassurethecasualty.
Ifthepatientcanbemoved without
causingthempain,placethemintheshock
positionontheirbackwiththeir legs
elevated.Donotelevatethehead.
Ifthepersonvomits,turntheheadto
onesidesotheydonotchoke.Ifyou
suspectthereisaspinalinjury,roll the
personshead,neckandbackintoline.
PsychologicalShock
Psychologicalshock,oracutestress
response,occursaferanemotionallyor
physicallydistressingincidentandaffects
thestateofmind.
Duringamedicalemergency,though
theremaybepeoplesufferingfrom
physicalinjuries,itslikelythatmostpeople
atthescenewillbesufferingfromshock.
Psychologicalshockcanalsotrigger
physicalsymptoms,suchaspalpitations,
nauseaanddizziness.Someonesuffering
frommildshockmightfeelunbalancedon
theirfeetandstunnedforawhile,but
shouldeventuallyreturntonormal.
Thebestwaytotreatshockinthiscase
istoreassurethepatient,havethemlay
downorsitdownputtingtheirheadbetween
theirlegs,toallowthebloodandoxygento
flowmoreeasilythroughthebody.
Concussion
Asidefromcutsandbruises,one ofthe
morecommoninjuriessomeonemight
sustainduringanaccidentoremergencyis
aconcussion.
Aconcussionisa traumaticbrain
injurythatcanaffect apersonslevelof
alertnessorconsciousness.It temporarily
interfereswiththeway thebrainworks,
affectingmemory,judgment,reflexes,
speech,coordinationandbalance,and
sleeppatterns.
Whilerecoveringfromaconcussion,
thepatientmaybewithdrawn,orhave a
hardtimeconcentrating.
Symptomsofaconcussioncanrange
frommildtosevere. Theycanincludebeing
drowsyorhavingan alteredlevelof
consciousness.Thepatientmaybe
confused,haveaheadacheandhavesome
memoryloss.It isalsocommonfor
someonesufferingfromaconcussionto
feelnauseous.
Shock and Concussion Need Special Attention
Braininjuriesand thetemporary instability
ofshockare commonafer accidents.
1stamong causes
of death in under
21-year-olds
worldwide is
accidental injury
1%of Indonesians
15 and above
have had a traffic
accident, the
WHO estimates
IfyouwerepartofacommonscenelikethisonJakartasdangerousroads,wouldyouknowwhattodotohelptheinjured?
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