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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 2001-02: VUWAE 46

*ACCIDENTS, INCIDENTS OR HAZARDS

page 5

*ACCIDENTS, INCIDENTS OR HAZARDS

Accident #1: Occurred at Scott Base, 3pm Fri 9 Nov at the bottom of the administration stairs outside entrance. Karyn Hopkins slipped and fell on ice at the base of the stairs. Initially her ankle was sore, but 1-2 hours later it became swollen and was diagnosed by the Scott Base nurse as a moderate sprain for which it was treated. On Mon 12 Nov, Hopkins was medically cleared for AFT provided a splint was applied to the ankle. The timing of this accident was such that it caused no delay to the event.

Accident #2: Occurred at Arena Valley camp 8pm Thurs 22 Nov in a Scott Polar tent. While attempting to open a frozen can of mushroom soup, Sarah Tammik cut the middle finger of her right hand. The cut was about 2.5 cm long and 3-4 mm deep. Although medical supplies were frozen, the wound was washed with boiled water, dried and bound with plastic suture strips. It was dressed with antiseptic cream and wrapped with gauze. Because the cut would not heal properly without stitches, Tammik was medivacked to McMurdo Station at 10p the next day. Due to a weather delay at Marble Point, she did not arrive at McMurdo until 4p that day. Because it had been significantly longer than 12 hrs since the incident, the doctor on duty decided not to stitch the wound, which would now require daily cleansing. Consequently, Tammik did not return to the field until Wed, 28 Nov. During her absence, Dickinson and Hopkins were able to carry out field work in Arena Valley with only minor inconveniences of not having our third member of the event.