Color-Coded Safety Glossary

First Aid/CPR - Health/Well-being - Home and Workplace Safety - Lifeguarding/Water Safety - Swimming/Aquatics

A-B C-D E-F G-H I-J K-L M-N O-P Q-R S-T U-V W-X-Y-Z

O

obesity

An excess of body fat (i.e., a body mass index-BMI-of 30 or greater, or about 30 pounds or move over ideal body weight). Extreme obesity is a BMI of 40 or more. People who have too much fat, especially in the waist area, are at a higher risk for high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

obstetric pack

A specialized first aid kit for assisting with emergency childbirth. An obstetric pack may contain personal protective equipment, towels, trauma pads, clamps, ties, sterile scissors, and a bulb syringe.

obstruction

Any submerged or partially submerged hazard, including a ledge, pier, piling, rock, sandbar, tree stump, etc.

obstructive shock

A type of medical shock caused by mechanical factors that interfere with filling or emptying of the heart or great blood vessels, including tension pneumothorax, cardiac tamponade, or a pulmonary embolism.

Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA)

A federal organization (part of the Department of Labor) that ensures safe and healthy working conditions for Americans by enforcing standards and providing workplace safety guidelines and training requirements. Click to go to the OHSA website.

off course

Swimming in the wrong direction in an open-water race.

omega-3 fatty acids

Essential fats that your body doesn’t make but needs to function properly. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, have been shown to benefit the heart. They can decrease the risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), decrease triglyceride levels, slow the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque and lower blood pressure. Good sources are seafood such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel or shellfish, as well as walnuts, flaxseed, and canola and soybean oils.

on course

Swimming in the correct direction in an open-water race.

open fracture

A broken bone that has pierced the skin, causing external bleeding.

open water

Any large, outdoor body of water, such as an ocean, bay, lake, reservoir, rowing basin, or river.

open-water lifeguard

Another name for a beach lifeguard or, sometimes, a waterfront lifeguard.

open-water swimming

Swimming in natural or man-made bodies of water such as oceans, bays, lakes, reservoirs, rowing basins, and rivers; generally understood to be longer than 1 kilometer in distance. Also known as marathon swimming, rough-water swimming, and long-distance swimming.

BleedingWound-300x225 — Open wound (laceration)

open wound

An injury to soft tissue that includes a break in the skin and bleeding. Open wounds can be any of the following:

Abrasion
Amputation
Avulsion
Crush injury
Incision
Laceration
Puncture/penetration

opportunistic infection

A disease that affects people with a weakened immune system.

OPQRST

An abbreviation and mnemonic to help remember six questions to ask patients during the secondary assessment about the pain they feel:

Onset-Did the pain come on suddenly? Gradually? Have you had it before or is it a new pain? What do you think is the cause?
Provocation-What makes the pain feel worse? What makes the pain feel better?
Quality-What is the pain like? Burning? Crushing? Dull? Sharp? Tearing? Throbbing? Etc.?
Region-Where is the pain located? What is the extent? Is it radiating to other parts or is it localized? Is it skin-deep or internal? Etc.?
Severity-From 1 to 10, 1 being a pin-prick and 10 being the worst pain you have ever felt, what number would you give this pain you feel?
Time-What time did the pain start? (Note the time.)

Take notes in the patient’s own words and include this information in he accident report and the communication exchange with EMS personnel or other medical personnel.

organ

A structure of similar tissue that performs specific functions and contributes to the health and functioning of the body. Organs work together as body systems.

ORP

Oxidation/reduction potential.

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

overdose

The use of an excessive amount of a drug, which results in an adverse reaction ranging from hyperactivity and hysteria to coma and death.

overweight

A person with a body mass index between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. A BMI of 25 corresponds to about 10 percent over ideal body weight.

oxidation/reduction potential (ORP)

A measurement of the chemical activity of a sanitizer (e.g., chlorine) in water, more specifically its oxidating power, expressed in millivolts (mV). For water treatment applications, ORP is the most relevant measurement since sanitizers are used for their biological activity (i.e. their ability to kill germs and bacteria), which has been shown in many studies to be related to their oxidizing activity. This means that ORP is a more direct measure of water quality in swimming pools and spas than free chlorine residual since the latter value does not express oxidating power.

Oxidation and reduction (also called redox) are part of a common chemical reaction that involves the transfer of electrons from one molecule to another. The molecule losing electrons is being oxidized, and the molecule gaining electrons is being reduced (its charge is becoming more negative). In swimming pool chemistry, dirt, pathogens, chemical byproducts, etc. are all oxidized (chemically destroyed) by chlorine (which is being reduced by those materials).

Note: Although it sounds like “oxidation” has to involve oxygen, it does not. Oxygen readily accepts electrons, so oxidation means that the oxidizing agent in a chemical reaction has done what oxygen very readily does—accept electrons.

A minimum ORP reading of 650 mV is recommended for swimming pools. (650 mV to 850 mV is considered optimal.) To read more about ORP, check out the following links:

oxygen

A nonmetallic, chemical element that exists in nature as a colorless and odorless diatomic gas with the formula O2. Diatomic oxygen gas constitutes 20.8% of the Earth’s atmosphere. However, monitoring of atmospheric oxygen levels show a global downward trend, because of fossil-fuel burning. Oxygen accounts for nearly half of the mass of the earth’s crust, two-thirds of the mass of the human body, and nine-tenths of the mass of water. It is a highly reactive element, capable of combining with most other elements. It is required by most living organisms for life and is necessary for most forms of combustion. Oxygen is a component of hundreds of thousands of organic compounds.

In nature, free oxygen is produced by the light-driven splitting of water during oxygenic photosynthesis. According to some estimates, green algae and cyanobacteria in marine environments provide about 70% of the free oxygen produced on Earth, and the rest is produced by terrestrial plants. An adult human in rest inhales 1.8 to 2.4 grams of oxygen per minute. Annually, this amounts to more than 6 billion metric tons of oxygen inhaled by humanity.

The air we exhale contains about 14% to 16% oxygen (i.e., we do not use up all the oxygen we inhale). This is the reason that rescue breaths given with CPR are beneficial to the patient. Certain patients, especially those who are hypoxic or who are have respiratory or cardiac problems may benefit from a higher concentration of oxygen, such as that provided by emergency oxygen administration.

oxygen therapy

A medical treatment that provides a patient with extra oxygen, a gas that the body needs to work well. Normally, the lungs absorb oxygen from the air. However, some diseases and conditions can prevent patients from getting enough oxygen.

Oxygen therapy may help a patient function better and be more active. Oxygen is supplied in a metal cylinder or other container. It flows through a tube and is delivered to the lungs in one of the following ways:

Through a nasal cannula, which consists of two small plastic tubes, or prongs, placed in both nostrils.
Through a face mask, which fits over the nose and mouth.
Through a small tube inserted into the windpipe through the front of the neck. A doctor will use a needle or small incision (cut) to place the tube. Oxygen delivered this way is called transtracheal oxygen therapy.

Oxygen therapy can be done in a hospital, another medical setting, or at home. If you need oxygen therapy for a chronic (ongoing) disease or condition, you might receive home oxygen therapy.

Oxygen therapy differs from emergency oxygen administration in several ways. Emergency oxygen is given to a patient who has acute breathing difficulties brought on by injury or sudden illness. It is provided by a trained professional during emergency response to stabilize the patient and possibly continued during transport to the emergency room.

In contrast, oxygen therapy is often for chronic respiratory problems (e.g., COPD), prescribed by a doctor, and used by the patient long-term. Patients may be hospitalized with constant oxygen administration (including devices that breathe for the patient), they have an oxygen delivery system at home, or they may have a portable oxygen delivery system.

To read more about oxygen therapy, go to these webpages:

P

pacemaker

An electrical device implanted in the chest to keep a heart beating at the right speed and rhythm. It is needed when a person’s natural pacemaker either doesn’t work properly or the impulse is not transmitted adequately to the ventricles for the heart to contract. Pacemakers are typically used for hearts that beat too slowly or irregularly.

packaging

The process of getting a patient ready to be transferred safely from the emergency scene to an ambulance or helicopter.

pack-strap carry

An emergency move in which the patient is supported upright across the responder’s back. To see how to position the patient from the floor to this carry, check out this Philippine nursing school video of the pack-strap carry. (The language is Tagalog.)

The pack-strap carry should be used to move a patient to safety who is either unresponsive or responsive but unable to walk. It should not be used if a head, neck, or back injury is suspected, or if lifting the patient causes any pain.

pain

An unpleasant sensation that indicates possible infection, illness, or injury. Pain is the most common reason people visit their doctor.

Pain may be sharp or dull, intermittent or constant, or throbbing or steady. Sometimes pain is very difficult to describe. Pain may be felt at a single site or over a large area. The intensity of pain can vary from mild to intolerable. in first aid or medical situations, the mnemonic OPQRST can be used to ask questions to help patients to describe their pain.

People differ in their ability to tolerate pain. One person may not be able to tolerate the pain of a small cut or bruise, but another person will well tolerate pain caused by a major accident or knife wound with little complaint. The ability to withstand pain varies according to mood, personality, and circumstance. In the excitement of an athletic match, an athlete may not notice an injury but is likely to be very aware of the pain after the match, particularly if the team lost.

Pain due to injury begins at special pain receptors scattered throughout the body. These pain receptors send signals as electrical impulses along nerves to the spinal cord and then up to the brain. Sometimes the signal evokes a reflex response. When the signal reaches the spinal cord, a signal is immediately sent back along motor nerves to the original site of the pain, triggering the muscles to contract without involving the brain. For example, when people inadvertently touch something very hot, they immediately pull away. This reflex reaction helps prevent permanent damage. The pain signal is also sent to the brain. Only when the brain processes the signal and interprets it as pain do people become conscious of pain.

Pain receptors and their nerve pathways differ throughout the body. For this reason, pain sensation varies with the type and site of injury. For example, pain receptors in the skin are plentiful and capable of transmitting precise information, including where an injury is located and whether the source was sharp, such as a knife wound, or dull, such as pressure, heat, or cold. In contrast, pain receptors in internal organs, such as the intestine are limited and imprecise. The intestine can be pinched, cut, or burned without generating a pain signal. However, stretching and pressure can cause severe intestinal pain, even from something as relatively harmless as a trapped gas bubble. The brain cannot identify the precise source of intestinal pain, which is difficult to locate and is likely to be felt over a large area.

Sometimes pain felt in one area of the body does not accurately represent where the problem is, because the pain is referred there from another area. Pain can be referred because signals from several areas of the body often travel through the same nerve pathways in the spinal cord and brain. For example, pain from a heart attack may be felt in the neck, jaws, arms, or abdomen.

Pain may be acute or chronic. Acute pain begins suddenly and usually does not last long. Chronic pain lasts for months or years. When severe, acute pain may cause anxiety, a rapid heart rate, an increased breathing rate, high blood pressure, sweating, and dilated pupils. Usually, chronic pain does not have these effects, but it may result in other problems, such as depression, disturbed sleep, decreased energy, a poor appetite, weight loss, decreased sex drive, and loss of interest in activities.

palpation

An examination of a part of the body by touch.

palpitation

A noticeably rapid, strong, or irregular heartbeat due to agitation, exertion, or illness.

panic

The sudden, unreasoning, and overwhelming fear that grips a person in the face of real or imagined danger. Panic is often the emotion felt by distressed or drowning victims.

panic attack

The sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear, anxiety, or sense of impending doom accompanied by increased autonomic nervous system activity and by various constitutional disturbances, depersonalization, and derealization.

panic disorder

Recurrent panic attacks that occur often and unpredictably. Also known as generalized anxiety disorder.

paradoxical breathing

An abnormal type of breathing that can occur with a chest injury, characterized by one area of the chest moving in opposition to the rest of the chest.

paramedic

A public safety professional with more education, training, and experience than an emergency medical technician (EMT) or an advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT) who is trained to do field medical work, especially emergency first aid, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and pediatric advanced life support (PALS).

paranoia

Exaggerated feelings of persecution and notions of perceived threats. Paranoia may be drug-induced or part of a mental health disorder.

Submerged_Victim — Submerged passive victim

passive drowning victim

An unresponsive drowning victim either submerged or at the surface of the water. A submerged passive victim may be difficult to see due to cloudy, murky water, wave action at the surface, glare, etc.

pathogen

A disease-causing agent, such as bacteria, protozoa, or virus.

pathophysiology

The study of the abnormal changes in the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of the body caused by injury or illness.

PCC

Poison Control Center.

pediatric

Of, or pertaining to, the medical care of infants and children. For the purposes of first aid and CPR, an infant is from birth to 1 year old and a child is from 1 year old to puberty (about 11 years old).

pediatric assessment triangle

A quick medical assessment of a child based on observing the child’s appearance, breathing, and skin characteristics.

pediatrics

The branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents.

penetrating wound

A wound caused by a sharp object that pierces the skin. Also called a puncture wound.

perfusion

Blood flow.

peripheral nervous system

The parts of the nervous system outside the central nervous system, that is, outside of the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system includes:

The nerves that connect the head, face, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and muscles to the brain.
The nerves that connect the body to the spinal cord.
More than 100 billion nerve cells throughout the body.

personal flotation device (PFD)

A wearable or throwable buoyant devices designed to keep a person afloat in the water. For more information about PFDs, go to the US Coast Guard website.

personal protective equipment (PPE)

Equipment worn or used by workers to protect themselves from exposure to hazardous materials or conditions. The major types of PPE include respirators, eye protection, ear protection, gloves, hard hats, and protective suits.

pH

A measurement of the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution using a scale of 0 to 14, based on the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH-) in the solution. A larger concentration of hydrogen ions makes the solution acidic, the stronger the acid, the lower the pH value. A larger concentration of hydroxide ions makes the solution basic, the stronger the base, the higher the pH value. Acids have pH values between 0 and 7, and bases (alkalis) have pH values between 7 and 14. Distilled water is neither acidic or basic and has a pH of 7.0. (For basic information about acids and alkalis, check out Acids and Bases Are Everywhere by Chem4Kids.com.)

Adding chemicals to swimming pool water affect the pH, meaning that the water becomes too acidic or too basic. This can lead to poor water quality.

pH level	Swimming Pool Water Quality (based on CDC table/information)
> 8.0	Poor disinfection of pool water; eye irritation; skin irritation
7.8 to 7.2	Ideal for eye and skin comfort (the pH of the eye is about 7.2); ideal for disinfection of pool water
< 7.0	Corrosion of metal pipes and fixtures; eye irritation; skin irritation

physician

A person who is trained in the art of healing; a medical doctor.

pike position

A diving position in which the body is bent at the hips, with the legs straight and the thighs brought close to the chest.

pink algae, pink slime

A pinkish, slimy bacterial growth (in the genus methylobacterium) that can occur in swimming pools and that resembles algae growth (although it is not related to algae at all). Like other species in its genus, pink algae is a methane-consuming bacterium. It has an affinity for the matrix of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and will attach itself to both the inside and the outside of PVC materials inside of the pool. Pink algae infestation in a pool often occurs alongside an infestation of white water mold.

For more information, go to How to Get Rid of Pink Slime and White Water Mold in a Pool (Swim University).

pitch

The angle of the hands as a swimmer’s arms move through the water.

placenta

An organ attached to the uterus and unborn baby through which nutrients are delivered. The placenta is expelled after the baby has been delivered.

platelet

An element in blood that aids in blood clotting.

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

A lung disease caused by the inhalation of fine silica dust.

poison

A substance that can cause irritation, injury, or death when introduced to the body.

Poison Control Center (PCC)

A specialized health center that provides information on toxic substances and suspected poisoning emergencies. In the United States, the PCC can be reached by calling 1-800-222-1222.

pond

An area of still water surrounded by land and usually smaller than a lake.

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

The development of characteristic long-term symptoms following a psychologically traumatic event outside the range of usual human experience. PTSD symptoms include persistently reexperiencing the event, avoidance behaviors of experiences reminiscent of the event, numbed responsiveness to environmental stimuli, depression, anxiety, sleepinessness, excessive use of alcohol, etc. For more information about PTSD, go to:

powered industrial truck

A fork lift or lift truck.

PPE

Personal protective equipment.

preemployment lifeguard testing

Recommended knowledge and skill examination of prospective lifeguard candidates prior to hiring and placement on the job. At a minimum, preemployment testing should include an oral interview, written exam, swimming skills, in-water rescue and victim removal skills, and first aid/CPR skills.

psychogenic shock

A type of medical shock caused by overwhelming emotional factors associated with something that the patient sees, feels, or hears that affects the patient negatively (i.e., causes fear, dread, disgust, etc.). This, in turn, causes blood vessels to suddenly dilate, reducing blood flow to the brain and causing the patient to faint.

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder.

public address (PA) system

An electronic amplification system, used at an aquatic facility so that announcements can be easily heard by patrons.

pulmonary

Of or having to do with the lungs.

pulmonary edema

Fluid accumulation in the lungs usually due to failure of the left ventricle of the heart. This condition may lead to impaired gas exchange and respiratory failure.

pulmonary embolism

The sudden blockage of a major artery in the lung, usually by a blood clot. In most cases, the clots are small and are not deadly, but they can damage the lung. If the clot is large and stops blood flow to the lung, however, it can be deadly. Quick treatment could save the patient’s life or reduce the risk of future problems.

The most common symptoms are:

Sudden shortness of breath.
Sharp chest pain that is worse when upon coughing or taking a deep breath.
A cough that brings up pink, foamy mucus.

Pulmonary embolism can also cause more general symptoms. For example, the patient may feel anxious or on edge, sweat a lot, feel lightheaded or faint, or have a fast heart rate or palpitations.

If you observe these signs and symptoms and suspect a pulmonary embolism:

Call 911 or the local emergency number.
Monitor the patient’s consciousness and breathing. Give CPR if breathing stops.
Care for shock by:
- Having the patient lie still with feet elevated 8–12 inches (20–30 cm).
- Maintain normal body temperature.
- Stay with the patient and provide comfort and reassurance.

pulse

Also called heart rate. It’s the number of times your heart beats per minute. Normal heart rate varies from person to person and is normally 60 to 100 times a minute. The best places to find your pulse are the wrists, the inside of your elbow, the side of your neck and the top of the foot. To get the most accurate reading, put your finger over your pulse and count the number of beats in 60 seconds.

pulse oximeter

A device that clips to a finger, earlobe, or other body XZpart to measure the percentage of oxygen saturation in a patient’s blood. Normal saturation is about 95% to 99%; mild hypoxia is 91% to 94%, moderate hypoxia is 86% to 90%, and severe hypoxia is ≤85%.

pulse oximetry

A test used to measure the oxygen level (oxygen saturation) of the blood. It is an easy, painless measure of how well oxygen is being sent to parts of your body furthest from your heart, such as the arms and legs. The New England Journal of Medicine created a video to explain pulse oximetry.

puncture wound

An open wound caused by a sharp, pointed object (e.g., nail splinter, knife, etc.) that pierces the skin. An arrow shot from a bow or a bullet fired from a gun also causes a puncture wound when it hits its target. Also called a penetrating wound.

PVC

Polyvinyl chloride.