PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN FOR BOMB BLASTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 19, 20 February 1942, Page 5

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN FOR BOMB BLASTS

Tin a letter to a Dunedin business man, an English doctor has given an idea of the danger of concussion through bursting bombs. He has outlined the following precautions to be taken against death, or injury from concussion: 1. Always have some cotton wool in your bag or in a small tin. Ram this quickly in your ears after you are in a shelter.. 2. Keep your mouth open. Chew sweets or gum. Alternatively, have a small square of india-rubber handy to place between the teeth to prevent the jaws closing. This precaution will prevent concussion, which may burst the lungs in serious cases, and permanently affect the hearing in less serious cases. 3. Do not lean against solid walls or partitions. Ground vibrations after explosions of bombs 200 yards away can transmit "shock waves" oowerful enough to stun or even kill a human being in contact with wall transmission. Air space acts as a buffer and is flexible. Let it do its work. 4. Relax after local detonations for four to five minutes. Nobody is normal or fit to think immediately after nearby explosions. 5. If caught in open fields or wide roads and unable to reach shelter, lie down, but keep your head and shoulders off the ground. Concussion may choke you unless you remember this, even though you escape injury from blast or debris.