Thermal foil, also known as isothermal foil, thermal insulation foil, NRC foil, emergency or anti-shock blanket, is one of the necessary elements of equipment for every emergency first aid kit. How to use it?
Thermal foillooks very inconspicuous. It is a thin sheet made of plastic with standard dimensions of 210 cm by 160 cm, which when folded takes up little space.
The material it is made of was developed in the 1960s by the US National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) for the Apollo program. Nowadays, it is used primarily in emergency medical services, but also, among others, in mountain tourism, sailing, and competitive sports.
Thermal foil: how to use?
The use of thermal foil is simple. One side is silver, the other is golden and depending on the needs of the injured person, we can use one or the other side.
If we want to warm or protect the person we are helping from the cold, we wrap them with the silver side to the body. In this way, we prevent heat loss from the body, at the same time we protect it against other adverse external conditions, e.g. wind or moisture.
It should be remembered that if the injured person has wet clothes, he should take them off before using the emergency blanket.
However, if we want to protect the injured against overheating of the body (e.g. in the case of exposure to the sun, when there is a risk of sunstroke), then the silver side must be outside, because it will not reflect and retain the heat coming from the injured.
It should be remembered that the person we are helping should be tightly wrapped or covered with thermal foil, preferably whole, around, so that his body, e.g. when lying down, does not touch the ground.
It is not enough just to cover it, because then the foil does not fulfill its function. Only the head and face of the person to whom help is needed should be outside the boundary of the emergency blanket.
An additional advantage of the use of isothermal foil is that both the silver and gold sides are metallizing, thanks to which the person wrapped in it is very clearly visible.
This is a signal e.g. forarriving at the scene of the emergency services, who is the victim and requires further specialized medical actions.
Thermal foil: when to use?
Thermal foil works in many cases, especially when we deal with transport, tourist, construction accidents, with injured persons, who have suffered a sudden shock or are exposed to excessive stress. heat source or cooling.
Increasingly, a rescue blanket is also an indispensable element of equipment for people who practice mountain hiking, climbing, sailing or competitive sports, because it simply serves to ensure thermal comfort - it protects against cooling down or overheating in situations such as changing weather conditions, such as: cold, rain, wind, heat.
Thermal foil, due to its versatile use, is sometimes called a life foil.
It should be included in every emergency first aid kit, including home and car first aid kit, especially as it costs little - around 5-7 zlotys.
It has an indefinite period of validity, but in case of use, you need to get a new one, because it is single-use.