Unit 4

Safety English: Warnings, Hazards, and Emergencies

Workplace English for Nursing Assistants

Meet Daniela

Watch the video about Daniela. Watch what happens.

Case Study Video — Daniela

Daniela — A Transfer Done Alone

Talk about it

  1. What factors caused the fall and the injuries?
  2. What could Daniela have done to prevent this?
  3. What lifestyle choices help a healthcare worker avoid back injuries?
  4. To whom must Daniela report this accident?
  5. What documentation must she complete afterward?

Warm-Up — The Acronyms

Three panels showing the unit's three jobs: moving clients, emergencies, and reporting.
Figure 4.1 — Three Ways to Stay Safe: This unit has three jobs: move safely, act fast, report it.

These four acronyms appear all through the unit. Match each one to its meaning.

  • 1. RACE
  • 2. PASS
  • 3. SDS
  • 4. EAP
  • A. How to use a fire extinguisher: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
  • B. Free, confidential help for workers and their families
  • C. What to do in a fire: Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish/Evacuate
  • D. A sheet with information and first aid for each chemical

Moving Clients Without Injury

Chattybot · FlashcardsScan to drill these words out loud.
Moving clients safely
TermPlain meaning
ErgonomicsAdapting your work and workspace to be safe and reduce strain.
Body mechanicsUsing your body the safe way to move and lift.
Gait beltA belt around the client's waist that you hold to help them stand or walk.
Pivot discA turning disc for a client who can bear weight but cannot step or turn easily.
Mechanical liftA machine that lifts a client who cannot help — you must be trained to use it.
⚠ Key Rule — Safe Lifting

Lift with your legs, hips, and thighs — never your back. Keep the client close to your body. Feet apart (wide base), knees bent. Never twist your back while lifting.

Follow the care plan. If it says two-person assist, get help — never do it alone.

Two panels comparing safe lifting posture with unsafe bent-back lifting.
Figure 4.2 — Safe and Unsafe Lifting: Lift with your legs. Keep the load close. Never twist.

Also protect against slips and falls: keep walkways and rooms clear of objects, clean up spills right away, and never put bags on the floor.

Moving a client is teamwork, and teamwork is talking. You count out loud ("One, two, three — stand"), you tell the client what is coming, and you warn your partner if something goes wrong.

🗣 Speaking Toolbox: Warning during a transfer
Two panels contrasting a short urgent warning with a calm polite hazard warning.
Figure 4.3 — Danger Now or Hazard Later

Two speeds of warning. Something is happening NOW → short and loud ("Watch out!"). Something COULD happen → calm and polite ("Go slowly, please").

Practice 1

1.1 Match the term to its meaning

  • 1. Ergonomics
  • 2. Body mechanics
  • 3. Gait belt
  • 4. Pivot disc
  • 5. Mechanical lift
  • A. Using your body the safe way to move and lift
  • B. Adapting your work and workspace to be safe
  • C. A machine that lifts a client who cannot help
  • D. A belt you hold to help a client stand or walk
  • E. A turning disc for a client who can bear weight but cannot step

1.2 Safe or Unsafe? Write "Safe" or "Unsafe."

  1. Lifting with your back bent and knees straight. __________________________.
  2. Keeping the client close to your body. __________________________.
  3. Twisting your back while you lift. __________________________.
  4. Getting help when the care plan says two-person assist. __________________________.
Language Focus: Instructions — the command form (imperative)

Safety rules use the command form — the verb comes first, with no subject:

"Lift with your legs." "Get help." "Never twist your back." "Report it to the nurse."

Protecting Yourself: Exposure & Chemicals

Chattybot · FlashcardsScan to drill these words out loud.
Exposure and chemical safety terms
TermPlain meaning
Blood-borne pathogensGerms carried in blood and other body fluids (vomit, saliva, urine, feces, drainage).
Sharps boxA hard, puncture-proof container for used needles; prevents needlestick injuries.
SDS (Safety Data Sheet)A sheet for each chemical: what it is, first aid for exposure, and how to store and use it.
Hepatitis B vaccineA vaccine OSHA requires employers to offer to workers who may be exposed.
Incident reportThe form you fill out after any accident, injury, fall, or exposure.
Four numbered steps showing wash, report, medical evaluation, and incident report.
Figure 4.4 — After an Exposure: Four Steps: If you are exposed, follow these four steps in order.

Practice 2

2.1 Match the term to its meaning

  • 1. Blood-borne pathogens
  • 2. Sharps box
  • 3. SDS
  • 4. Hepatitis B vaccine
  • 5. Incident report
  • A. A hard, puncture-proof container for used needles
  • B. Germs carried in blood and other body fluids
  • C. The form you fill out after an accident or exposure
  • D. A sheet with chemical information and first aid
  • E. A vaccine OSHA requires employers to offer at-risk workers

2.2 Put the exposure steps in order (1–4)

Fire Safety: RACE & PASS

Chattybot · FlashcardsScan to drill these words out loud.
⚠ RACE — what to do in a fire

R — Rescue: move clients to safety, behind the fire door. (This is your FIRST job.)

A — Alarm: activate the fire alarm.

C — Confine: close doors to contain the fire.

E — Extinguish or Evacuate.

Four steps spelling RACE: rescue, alarm, confine, extinguish or evacuate.
Figure 4.5 — RACE: What to Do in a Fire: RACE is the order in a fire. Rescue people first.
⚠ PASS — how to use a fire extinguisher

P — Pull the pin.

A — Aim at the base of the fire (not the flames).

S — Squeeze the handle.

S — Sweep along the base of the fire.

A fire extinguisher labelled with the four PASS steps and the aim point at the fire's base.
Figure 4.6 — PASS is the way to use an extinguisher. Aim at the base.

In a fire you will not only follow instructions — you will give them, to frightened clients and visitors who do not know where to go.

🗣 Speaking Toolbox: Directing people in an emergency

In an emergency, keep sentences short.

Practice 3

3.1 Write the word for each letter

RACE — what to do in a fire:

PASS — how to use a fire extinguisher:

3.2 Apply it

  1. You see smoke coming from the kitchen. What is your FIRST action?

    ______________________________________________________________

  2. When you use the extinguisher, where do you aim?

    ______________________________________________________________

Other Emergencies & Staying Safe

Chattybot · FlashcardsScan to drill these words out loud.
Other emergencies and safety terms
TermPlain meaning
Emergency codesColor codes announced so staff know an emergency without alarming clients.
Run, Hide, FightThe three choices in an active-shooter event: run if safe; hide if you cannot; fight only as a last resort.
EAP (Employee Assistance Plan)Free, confidential help for workers and families (stress, family issues, mental health, substance use).
Workplace violenceHarm or threats at work — more common in healthcare than most jobs.

Codes vary by facility — Common examples: Red = fire, Blue = adult medical emergency, Gray = combative person, Orange = hazardous spill. The colors let staff respond quickly without frightening clients.

Three panels showing the run, hide, and fight choices in order of preference.
Figure 4.7 — Run, Hide, Fight: Run if you can. Hide if you cannot. Fight only last.
🗣 Speaking Toolbox: Asking about a code you don't know
🗣 Speaking Toolbox: Repeating the instruction back

Practice 4

4.1 Match the term to its meaning

  • 1. Emergency codes
  • 2. Run, Hide, Fight
  • 3. EAP
  • 4. Workplace violence
  • A. Free, confidential help for workers and families
  • B. Color codes that alert staff without alarming clients
  • C. Harm or threats at work — common in healthcare
  • D. The three choices in an active-shooter event

4.2 Active shooter: Run, Hide, or Fight?

  1. There is a safe, clear exit near you. _______________________________
  2. You cannot leave; there is a room with a thick, locking door. ______________________________
  3. There is no escape and you must protect yourself as a last resort. _________________________

After the Emergency: Reporting

Every accident, injury, fall, exposure, or spill ends the same way: you tell the nurse, and you fill out an incident report. Say it short and in order.

🗣 Speaking Toolbox: Reporting what happened, briefly
Check Your Knowledge Chattybot · Check Your KnowledgeScan to answer these questions out loud.
  1. Which muscles do you lift with? Which do you never lift with?
  2. The care plan says "two-person assist" and no one is free. What do you do?
  3. A client starts to slide during a transfer. What exactly do you say?
  4. A visitor is about to step in a puddle. Which kind of warning?
  5. You notice a frayed cord behind a bed. Which kind of warning?
  6. Rewrite "I'm so sorry, would you mind moving?" for a falling IV pole.
  7. Put the four exposure steps in order.
  8. Where do used needles go?
  9. What does an SDS tell you?
  10. You see smoke in the kitchen. What is your FIRST action?
  11. Where do you aim the extinguisher?
  12. What does the C in RACE mean?
  13. What are the three choices in an active-shooter event?
  14. Why do facilities use color codes instead of plain words?

Dialogue Practice

Read these dialogues out loud with a partner.

Two people having a scripted workplace dialogue.

Dialogue 1Two kinds of warning in one hallway

Chattybot · DialogueScan to read this script out loud.

You are walking down the hall with Priya, a new healthcare worker.

You: Be careful — there's water by the fountain. Someone spilled a jug.

Priya: Oh. I'll walk around it.

You: Walking around isn't enough. That's dangerous. Get the wet-floor sign and I'll mop it.

A linen cart begins to roll down the sloped hallway toward Priya's back.

You: Priya — look out!

Priya: (jumps aside) Oh! It almost hit me.

You: Sorry I shouted. There was no time to say it nicely. The cart brake wasn't set.

Priya: No, thank you. I didn't hear it at all.



Two people having a scripted workplace dialogue.

Dialogue 2A code you don't know

Chattybot · DialogueScan to read this script out loud.

An overhead announcement: "Code gray, second floor. Code gray, second floor." You work on the second floor.

You: Excuse me — what does "code gray" mean here?

Supervisor: Combative person. Someone is being aggressive near the day room.

You: What should I do when that code is called?

Supervisor: Take your clients into their rooms, close the doors, and stay with them. Security handles the person.

You: So — clients into rooms, doors closed, and I stay with them. Is that right?

Supervisor: Correct. Don't go toward the day room.

You: I understand. And after — do I write anything?

Supervisor: If a client was upset or anything happened, yes. Incident report.

Roleplays

Work with a partner (or the practice bot).

A visitor pushing a wheelchair, looking at her phone.

Roleplay 1The cluttered hallway

Chattybot · Role PlayScan to rehearse this roleplay out loud.

Situation

A visitor has left a suitcase in the hallway and is pushing a wheelchair toward it while looking at her phone. There is also a frayed lamp cord plugged in near the wall. Handle both — one is urgent, one is not.

Your Goals:

  1. Use ONE urgent warning (short, loud, no "please") for the immediate danger.
  2. Use ONE calm warning for the hazard.
  3. FIX or report the hazard — do not only warn about it.
A coworker in scrubs beside a supply cart.

Roleplay 2A new chemical

Chattybot · Role PlayScan to rehearse this roleplay out loud.

Situation

Housekeeping leaves a new disinfectant on your cart. The label says "CORROSIVE — do not mix with bleach. See SDS." You do not know two of these words, and a coworker is about to pour it into a bucket that already has bleach in it.

Your Goals:

  1. Use ONE urgent warning to stop the coworker BEFORE you ask any questions.
  2. Use at least TWO Clarification Requests for Meaning.
  3. Ask where the SDS binder is kept.
  4. Use ONE Confirmation Check on what you were told.

Cumulative Review

Multiple Choice

Vocabulary Review Tip

Cover the answers, try from memory, then cross out the choices you know are wrong.

1. Blood-borne pathogens can be present in

  1. urine and feces
  2. wound drainage
  3. vomit and saliva
  4. all of the above

2. A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) tells you

  1. the client's care plan
  2. how to store and dispose of a chemical
  3. the fire evacuation route

3. A client's care plan says "assist of two," but you are alone and the client is weak. You should

  1. transfer the client by yourself
  2. find a coworker to help you
  3. let the client walk alone

4. You see smoke coming from the kitchen. Your FIRST action is to

  1. pull the fire alarm
  2. get the extinguisher
  3. move clients behind the fire doors

5. To lift safely, use your

  1. back muscles
  2. hip and thigh muscles
  3. arms only, load far from the body

6. When using a fire extinguisher, you should

  1. aim and sweep at the base of the fire
  2. aim and sweep at the flames
  3. aim at the base and hold still

7. Healthcare workers are trained on the facility's emergency plans

  1. at the 3-month review
  2. at the time of hire
  3. only on the evening shift

8. During an evacuation, a healthcare worker may have to

  1. go with clients to the new area
  2. take on laundry or kitchen duties
  3. care for more clients than usual
  4. all of the above

9. An EAP (Employee Assistance Plan) provides

  1. free, confidential help for workers and families
  2. extra pay for night shifts
  3. new uniforms

10. A box is falling toward a coworker's head. The BEST thing to say is

  1. "Excuse me, could you please be careful?"
  2. "Look out!"
  3. "That could be dangerous."

Back to Daniela

Read the case and answer in complete sentences. Use the sentence starters if you wish.

The Case: Daniela

Daniela is a healthcare worker on the evening shift at a nursing home. Tonight it is hard to find a coworker to help. A client's care plan says "two-person assist," but Daniela tries to move the client from the wheelchair to the toilet alone. During the move, the client becomes unsteady and falls. Daniela tries to stop the fall and hurts her back. The client now complains of hip pain.

1. What factors caused the fall and the injuries?

______________________________________________________________

2. What could Daniela have done to prevent this?

______________________________________________________________

3. What lifestyle choices help a healthcare worker avoid back injuries?

______________________________________________________________

4. To whom must Daniela report this accident?

______________________________________________________________

5. What documentation must she complete afterward?

______________________________________________________________

For the instructor — not part of the student pages

Instructor Answer Key

Unit 4 — Safety English: Warnings, Hazards, and Emergencies

This unit develops the language nursing assistants need to protect clients, coworkers, and themselves. Learners study safe client movement, workplace hazards, blood and chemical exposure, fire response, emergency codes, workplace violence, and incident reporting. A case study about Daniela shows how ignoring a two-person-assist instruction can lead to injuries for both the client and the worker. Through illustrated readings, flashcards, knowledge checks, dialogues, and role-plays, learners practice giving urgent warnings, asking what an emergency code means, repeating instructions back, and reporting an accident clearly and in order.

Practice 1–4 and Review

Warm-Up: 1-C, 2-A, 3-D, 4-B.

Practice 1.1: 1-B, 2-A, 3-D, 4-E, 5-C. Practice 1.2: 1. Unsafe 2. Safe 3. Unsafe 4. Safe.

Practice 2.1: 1-B, 2-A, 3-D, 4-E, 5-C. Practice 2.2 order: 1. Wash the area 2. Report to supervisor 3. Get a medical evaluation 4. Fill out an incident report.

Practice 3.1: RACE = Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish/Evacuate. PASS = Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep. Practice 3.2: 1. Rescue clients / move them behind the fire doors 2. At the base of the fire.

Practice 4.1: 1-B, 2-D, 3-A, 4-C. Practice 4.2: 1. Run 2. Hide 3. Fight.

Multiple Choice: 1-d, 2-b, 3-b, 4-c, 5-b, 6-a, 7-b, 8-d, 9-a, 10-b.

Back to Daniela Case Study (sample): (1) Working alone, not following the "two-person assist" care plan, no equipment or help, and possibly a rushed transfer. (2) Get a coworker, use a mechanical lift or gait belt, follow the care plan, and use good body mechanics. (3) Exercise for a strong core, keep a healthy weight, and wear supportive shoes. (4) Her nurse or supervisor. (5) An incident report.

R3: Part 1: Rescue → Alarm → Confine → Extinguish/Evacuate. Part 2 answers vary; check each starts with a verb. Part 3: 1. Urgent (e.g., "Look out!" / "Stop the chair!"). 2. Calm ("Be careful — the floor is wet"). 3. Urgent ("Watch out!"). 4. Calm ("That's dangerous — let me move it"). Accept any correct phrase; what is scored is the U/C judgment.

Suggested drill — volume drill rehearsal

Most learners will say "Look out!" too quietly and too politely the first ten times. Stand across the room and have students warn you at real volume. It feels rude to them; tell them plainly that it is not.