Day 4: Health and safety
Prepared for the bad days, so they stay small.
Today's goal
By the end of today you can choose the right help when ill, stock a medicine kit, check a home for safety, make an emergency plan and handle a difficult phone call.
Agenda
- Warm-upWho do I call?10 min
- LearnChoosing the right help15 min
- ActivityYour sick-day plan25 min
- ActivityMedicine cabinet and first aid kit audit25 min
- BreakBreak15 min
- ActivityHome safety walk-through30 min
- ActivityYour emergency plan20 min
- ChallengePhone call and complaint role-plays25 min
- ReflectSafety check-in10 min
- QuizDay 4 quiz5 min
The session
Who do I call?
In a crisis, people lose time because they do not know who to contact.
- Write these situations on cards: a sore throat, a burnt hand from a pan, chest pain, a power cut, a stolen phone, a smell of gas, a fever at midnight, a kitchen fire.
- Sort them into: deal with yourself, pharmacy, doctor or advice line, emergency number.
- Write the emergency numbers for the UAE and for the country where you plan to study.
Solo
Sort the cards alone, then check with the next block.
Group
Flats race to sort the cards, then compare and discuss any disagreements.
Related lessons: Pharmacy, 111, urgent care, A&E or 999: choosing the right help, Power cuts and water outages
Choosing the right help
Using the right service gets you help faster and leaves emergency lines free for emergencies.
- In the UAE, the government lists 999 for police, 998 for ambulance and 997 for the fire department (Civil Defence), with 991 for electricity failure in most emirates (Abu Dhabi's distribution company has its own number).
- In the UK, the NHS says to use 111 when you need medical help now but it is not an emergency, for example when your GP is closed.
- The NHS says to call 999 for signs of a life-threatening illness, and 111 may tell you to call 999 or go to A&E.
- For minor illnesses, a pharmacist is often the quickest first step.
- Register with a doctor as soon as you arrive somewhere new, before you are ill.
- Know the red-flag symptoms that always need urgent help.
Related lessons: Pharmacy, 111, urgent care, A&E or 999: choosing the right help, Registering with a doctor where you study, Health insurance decoded: cards, networks and co-pays, Red flags: sepsis, meningitis and when to get urgent help
Your sick-day plan
Being ill alone is much easier when you decided what to do while you were well.
- Write who you will tell if you are ill (a flatmate, a family member, your tutor) and how.
- List the foods and drinks you will keep in for sick days.
- Note where your nearest pharmacy, clinic and emergency department are (for your future city if you know it).
- Record your blood group if known, allergies, regular medicines and insurance details for a medical ID.
- Write how you will catch up with studies after missing classes.
Solo
Complete the plan and ask a parent to fill in any medical details you do not know.
Group
Students write plans individually; flats then swap plans and check each one has a named contact and a nearby pharmacy.
Related lessons: Being ill on your own: make a sick-day plan before you need it, Recovering and catching up on your studies, Your personal medical record: blood group, allergies and medical ID, Booking and preparing for an appointment
Medicine cabinet and first aid kit audit
A small kit means you are not walking to a pharmacy with a fever at midnight.
- An NHS self-care page suggests a medicine cabinet with painkillers (such as paracetamol or ibuprofen), antihistamines, oral rehydration sachets, antiseptic cream, anti-diarrhoea medicine, indigestion treatment and sunscreen of at least factor 30.
- The same page lists a first aid kit with bandages, plasters, antiseptic, a thermometer, sterile dressings, medical tape, tweezers and eyewash.
- With a parent, check your household kit against both lists.
- Check expiry dates. The NHS advises taking expired medicines to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
- Read the dose and age instructions on two medicines and note that you should never exceed the stated dose. If you are 15 or under, ask a pharmacist, as adult doses may not apply.
- Write your own student kit list with estimated prices.
Solo
Do the audit at home with a parent. Do not take any medicine as part of this activity.
Group
The facilitator brings an empty first aid box and pictures of items; flats build an ideal kit within a set budget. Students audit their home kit with a parent later.
Related lessons: Your medicine cabinet and first aid kit, Using over-the-counter medicines safely, Colds, flu, sore throats and fever
Break
Step outside or stretch.
- Drink water.
- Move around for a few minutes.
Home safety walk-through
Walk through your home like a safety inspector and fix what you can.
- Locate every smoke alarm and press the test button with a parent's permission. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service advises testing alarms at least monthly.
- The London Fire Brigade advises fitting a heat alarm, not a smoke alarm, in the kitchen, and smoke alarms in rooms where a fire could start.
- Agree a fire escape plan your whole household understands. The fire service message is: get out, stay out, call the emergency number.
- Check chargers, extension leads and batteries for overloading or damage.
- Check doors and windows lock, and note where the keys are kept.
- Find the main electricity switch and water stop tap (look only, do not use).
Solo
Walk through your home with a parent and write a list of three things to fix.
Group
Flats inspect the venue with the facilitator, using a checklist. Students repeat it at home with a parent.
Related lessons: Home safety: fire, smoke alarms and gas, Locking up properly: doors, windows and keys, Small fire habits: candles, chargers and batteries, Visitors, tradespeople and landlord visits, Knowing your limits: what never to DIY
Your emergency plan
A one-page plan turns panic into a list of next steps.
- Set up ICE (in case of emergency) contacts and medical ID on your phone.
- List what goes in a small emergency kit for a student room: torch, power bank, water, snacks, copies of key documents, basic first aid.
- Agree with your family how you will contact each other if phones or internet fail, and a time zone plan for calls.
- Note how you will get official alerts in your future city.
- Add steps for power or water cuts, and extreme weather in your future city.
Solo
Write the plan and agree the family part with a parent.
Group
Each flat writes a plan for a different city and weather risk (heat in Dubai, snow in Edinburgh, floods), then shares one key step.
Related lessons: Your personal emergency plan and ICE contacts, Why prepare: thinking ahead about emergencies, Building an emergency kit for a student flat, Extreme heat in the GCC, Staying informed: official alerts and apps, A family communication plan when you live far away, Power cuts and water outages
Phone call and complaint role-plays
Many young adults avoid calls. Practise now so it feels routine later.
- Role-play 1: book a doctor's appointment by phone. Have your details ready before you dial.
- Role-play 2: call an internet provider whose service has been down for three days.
- Role-play 3: make a formal complaint about a faulty item. Citizens Advice suggests following the company's complaints procedure, putting the complaint in writing and keeping copies of everything.
- After each call, write a short record: date, name of person, what was agreed, next step.
- Swap roles so everyone plays the caller and the company.
Solo
Role-play with a parent or sibling, then make one real, low-stakes call this week (for example, checking a shop's opening times).
Group
In threes: caller, company and observer, rotating every 7 minutes. The observer notes one strength and one improvement.
Related lessons: Beating phone anxiety and making the call, Calling to book, cancel or ask, Customer service: getting results, Making a formal complaint that gets taken seriously, Following up and keeping records
Safety check-in
Notice how prepared you feel now.
- Which part of today would you most want ready before leaving home?
- Which call do you still feel nervous about, and why?
- Update your audit scores.
Solo
Reflect in your notebook.
Group
Quiet writing, then one word each to describe how prepared you feel.
Day 4 quiz
Five questions on health, safety and getting help.
- Answer alone, then check the explanations.
Block timer
Your journal
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Day 4 quiz
Score 80% or more to complete Day 4.
1. Which number does the UAE government list for an ambulance?
2. When does the NHS say to use 111?
3. How often does Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue advise testing smoke alarms?
4. What does the NHS self-care page advise for expired medicines?
5. Which step does Citizens Advice recommend when complaining to a company?
Overnight challenge
Set up ICE contacts and medical ID on your phone, and tell your two ICE contacts that you have listed them.
Sources
- u.ae (UAE Government): Handling emergencies
- NHS: When to use 111
- NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin: Your medicine cabinet
- Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service: Smoke alarm testing and escape planning
- London Fire Brigade: Smoke alarms and heat alarms
- Citizens Advice: Solve an ongoing consumer problem