Accident and Emergency
GRAMMAR IN AN EMERGENCY
And other Health and Safety terms (to be expanded)
Created by Malcolm Pemberton on OpenOffice.org Writer/Web
This is primarily about accidents, not illnesses.
‘Casualty’ is short for –
A&E = Accident and Emergency (Br.)
ER = Emergency Room (Am.)
What steps would you take in case of fire? Great big ones!
In the event of fire, head immediately for the nearest fire-exit.
Yesterday, one of the workers fell off a ladder and broke his leg.
The storage unit fell over. (It had been standing on the floor.)
The storage unit fell down. (It had been bolted to the wall.)
He ran down the corridor and bumped into me, making me fall over.
The delivery truck crashed into the wall.
Two vehicles were involved in a collision near the factory gates.
Two vehicles collided with each other near the factory gates.
Two vehicles collided near the factory gates. (no preposition)
He banged his knee against the machine and sustained cuts and bruising.
The crate burst open, spilling its contents all over the floor.
The hot molten metal dripped onto rubbish, causing it to burst into flames.
The man was taken ill and had to be rushed to hospital.
The worker had to take time off work because of RIS (Repetitive Injury Strain).
‘Mouse hand’ is a common form of RIS.
Jane cut her finger on a sharp edge, so she washed the cut, dabbed it with antisceptic and put a plaster on it.
Henry was not so lucky. He gashed his hand deeply on a rusty nail. He had to be rushed to Casualty, where they cleaned the wound, gave him four stitches and bandaged his hand. He was also given an injection against tetanus.
On his way to work on his bicycle, Fred skidded on black ice and he crashed into a car. Somebody called an Ambulance. Fred’s leg was broken and he received minor cuts and bruises. At the hospital, they first took an X-ray, then gave Fred a general anaesthetic whilst they set his leg and put it in plaster / put a plaster cast on it. The doctor was a bit worried about Fred’s condition, so he decided to keep him in hospital overnight for observation.
NOTE: The correct prepositions are important:-
Fred is in hospital with a broken leg (he is staying overnight).
Henry was at the hospital today, getting stitches in a bad gash. he was able to go home after.
The Doctors, nurses and other staff work at the hospital.
