Tag: safety vest

POLICE fear a high-visibility vest being sold on the internet matches their vests so closely it could be used to impersonate an officer.

NSW Police said they only became aware of the vests when what was thought to be a highway patrol officer riding a white motorcycle in Sydney turned out on closer inspection to be a rider in a vest marked “Polite”.

The man said the vest had been ordered over the internet and he had not intended to imitate a police officer. He was released without charge but a war of words has now broken out between NSW Police and the vests’ UK-based manufacturer Equisafety.

Managing director Nicky Fletcher said the company has been selling the line into Australia for six years.

“Equisafety has sold and will continue to sell the Polite range,” she said. “It comes in yellow and pink, with either blue or black reflective tape.”

“I would like to point out that not one Australian police officer has contacted me.”

Police spokesman said police had contacted the company and also had legal advice­ that wearing the safety vest could be illegal in NSW.

“The clothing in our view breaches the Police Act here in NSW and we are well aware of the ongoing concerns of law ­enforcement in the UK,” the spokesman said.

“This particular range uses long-established police markings such as the chequered band and coloring that is associated with police in NSW.”

“A member of the public could easily mistake this clothing for that of a police officer.”

Ms. Fletcher said she believed she was legally entitled to continue selling the line.

There is no doubt that a reflector can protect against a traffic accident, injury, or even save a life. Nevertheless, often the light-reflecting element is hung, but it is not considered whether it is visible. This is why there are cases when it is still impossible to notice a person with a reflector in the dark.

There is more than one mistake that is made. For example, often a strip-shaped reflector is wrapped not on the arm or leg, as it should be, but on the handle of the backpack or handbag. Hanging reflectors on handbags and backpacks are also often hung in such a way that they hide, so these light-reflecting devices are not visible to car drivers. How pedestrians make mistakes There are times when people know how to hook a reflector correctly, but forget that it cannot be covered with various objects. This is especially common among students when, for example, a backpack with light-reflecting elements is covered by a sports bag without reflectors.

Danger also arises when a pedestrian walking on a country road wears a brightly colored vest with reflective elements but covers it with a backpack. It may be almost impossible for the driver of the oncoming vehicle to notice the person walking on the road, as only the edge of the vest can shine from under the backpack at best. There are cases when purchased vests, reflectors, are of poor quality and do not reflect light. Before buying such safety devices, it is suggested to make sure that they work. The easiest way is to use a flashlight to illuminate a reflector or a safety vest in a dark room, even if you are on the phone. This way it will be immediately clear if the light is reflected. If brightly colored vests that reflect light are used for a long time, are frequently washed, they will lose their properties over time. The same happens with trailed or worn reflectors that are affected by temperature changes, sunlight, precipitation. It would, therefore, be worthwhile replacing existing safety measures with new ones every few years.

Important and instructions for use It is important not only to have a reflector but also to use it properly. Pedestrians on the highway, if there is no sidewalk or footpath, must walk on the curb in front of the direction of travel. When walking on the highway on the left side of the road, the reflectors-strips should be worn on the right hand just above the wrist or the right foot below the knee. Suspended reflectors should be mounted so that they swing freely at the height of the car’s headlights. It is best to attach hanging reflectors to the outer garments on the right side. Those who want to take maximum care of their safety and visibility, in an unlit road, should wear not only reflectors, but also a vest, or carry a switched-on light, illuminate with a mobile phone flashlight. Moreover, it is advisable to wear a brightly colored vest even when you have to go on a country road during the day. After all, in autumn, when the weather conditions are constantly changing, even during daylight hours, it can be extremely unsafe.

It can also be difficult to spot a pedestrian during the day if heavy rain starts to form or thick fog forms. It is because of such threats that pedestrians should choose brighter clothing and avoid dark colors, as well as take care of a brightly colored vest. The latter will not reflect the headlights in the day as it does at night, but will certainly help to keep a pedestrian out of the environment, making it much easier for the driver to notice. The information was prepared in cooperation with the Lithuanian Road Administration under the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

A first-aid box is part of the must-have equipment in a car, but how many of us know what’s in there and how to use that material?

According to the latest packing ordinance, there should be 16 items of medical supplies that are sufficient to provide first aid to all those in need, says the Red Cross of Montenegro.

“In the first-aid package, you will find sterile gauze, bandages of various sizes, triangular scarves, leucoplasts … All the necessary materials that you need to provide first aid,” says Igor Jokanovic, first aid coordinator at CKCG.

However, to use this material, you need to know some basics, so this is a mandatory part of the driving test. However, very little attention is paid to this matter, we learn from high school representatives, and it mostly comes down to a set of well-established theory questions.

So here we explain the most important rules. First and foremost, when assisting the injured, you must not endanger your safety, as it also endangers the safety of other road users.

“First of all, we need to shut down the motor vehicle, secure the vehicle by activating the parking brake, put on a safety vest and put a safety triangle at a safe distance,” Jokanovic explains. “After that, we can do triage, the degree of injury ranking and evaluate what we can do there.”

A very important step to follow is to call the police, the ambulance and, if necessary, the fire department, depending on the situation. All this in Montenegro, but also in Europe, we can do by calling 112.

Then it goes to showing help. One of the most common mistakes is that the injured person is immediately pulled out of the vehicle.

“In a collision, it can injure the cervical spine, and by not examining the injured person and finding out what type of injury we are dealing with, we can cause permanent damage, disability, and even death,” says Jokanovic. If there are injuries to the cervical spine, we will determine by touching the injured person on the legs and arms and asking him if he feels the touch.

“If the injured person is unconscious and unable to answer questions, it is best to wait for immediate medical attention and possibly try to stop the bleeding on the spot.

In the Red Cross, they say that sometimes it is enough to talk to the injured while an ambulance arrives because it is better not to give help than to give it the wrong way.

Sterile gauze should be occasionally renewed

Before you rush to renew your first aid kit in your vehicle, first check its contents, as you may find all the necessary items.

For example, we looked at the contents of the box that came with the Volkswagen Passat, manufactured in 2003, at the factory, and found that it had more than necessary. The only thing that needs to be restored is sterile gauze that loses its sterility after five years. So check the shelf life of the individual components in the package.

Here are some examples of how to deal with a particular type of injury, with the help of CKCG volunteers.

1. The first example is a low-speed traffic accident where an unattached driver hits his / her head on the steering wheel and the passenger tries to assist him (top row photos). After all the above-mentioned security steps, the first visual contact you have found is nosebleeds, which is not too serious and the person is not life-threatening. Then we check for damage to the neck of the spine and only then pull the injured one out of the car. We then pull the gloves out of the PP box and place the person in the proper position. In this case, this is the so-called elbow-knee position. It is recommended to hold sterile gauze on the nose and the person should breathe on their mouth and speak as little as possible.
2. The second case. After completing all the necessary steps to secure the accident site, we found that there was an injury to the arcade with severe bleeding and a fracture of the forearm, which we nonetheless put into the background. If it is a head injury with severe bleeding, it means that the person is at risk of life, so that injury is a priority. We place the person in the so-called shock position that applies in the case of severe bleeding – lying down with arms raised and half-bent legs. To stop bleeding as quickly as possible, direct pressure is applied to the wound with sterile gauze, and fixation of the gauze with a bandage.

For bone fracture treatment, it is recommended that the person move as little as possible. We can put cold linings on the fracture site to reduce the swelling. We can also fix the fracture site after the injured person bends his arm to the threshold of pain. Then there is the connection with the triangle scarf.

Here’s what the first aid kit contains:

1. Self-adhesive elastic band (for fixing sterile gauze that is screwed to the wound)

2 First bandage sterile (bandage wrapped around sterile gauze)

3. Sterile gauze (larger gauze used to buffer major injuries)
4. Burn bandage (bandage used to bandage burns with ribbon)
5. Burn aluplast (metalized side of the aluplast is placed on the burn)
6. Calico bandage (smaller bandage)
7. Isothermal cover (used to cover the injured to protect against heat or cold)
8. Curved scissors (used to cut necessary material)
9. Sterile gauze compress (sterile gauze pieces that are screwed directly to the wound to stop bleeding while protecting against infection)
10. Antiseptic cartridge patch (intended for minor scratches and cuts)
11. Spool on the spool (used to wrap around the injured finger)
12. Triangle scarf (used for immobilization, but also sterile dressing (MVI 3416)
13. Gloves (used to protect the person helping the injured)
14. PVC bag (bag used to pack amputated body parts or evidence)
15. Packaging – box with zipper
16. Instruction manual

Elnora Williams has been a crossing guard for the city of Palmetto for 17 years.

The portable breathing machine is strapped to her back, the tubes connected to her nose. She is not sure what is wrong. Maybe they will tell her to the doctor on Friday. Hopefully, it’s nothing. After all, she doesn’t want to end up “stone and lonesome,” which is how she describes dead.

Who would cross the kids then?

Her name is Elnora Williams. She is 81 years old and is a crossing guard at the corner of 10th Street West and 14th Avenue West in Palmetto. Each morning — and again in the afternoon — she helps elementary school students — and the occasional mother duck and her ducklings — cross the street safely.

She wears black pants, a white shirt and the lime-green safety vest she keeps on a clothes hanger near the front door of her home. To wear it “makes me feel important,” she said.

She drives to Palmetto from Bradenton each morning in a car with Betty Boop seat covers. On the front is a license plate frame that says “Foxy Cougar,” which was a gift from her granddaughter. The back license plate frame reads “Air Force Wife.”

She said her husband served in the Air Force and they lived in places like England, Spain, South Dakota, and Arkansas until he retired in 1992. Then they moved to Bradenton. He passed away four years ago.

She has four children, ages 54-60. Crossing the kids at Palmetto Elementary reminds her of taking her kids to school. Where did the time go? It was picture day last week. The kids were all dressed up. Another reminder of when she did the same to her own.

She works for the city of Palmetto and has been a crossing guard for 17 years. Across the street from her post is a cemetery. There is life on her side, death on the other, and the message is clear: Keep moving, or wind up “stone and lonesome.”

After the last person was crossed Tuesday morning — a child riding on the back of his father — she drove home to clean before she had to return to her corner in the afternoon.

She’ll be there tomorrow as well, holding out her stop sign, hooked to her oxygen tank, wearing her lime-green crossing guard vest and feeling important all over again.