Government statistics recently showed that in the UK, more than 3,000 people a year experience electric shocks in their home. A smaller number of people are killed after contact with power lines outside the home. Electric shocks can cause a person's heart or breathing to stop, can also cause burns and are potentially fatal. It is essential for people to learn basic first aid techniques to deal with such emergencies. What to do? If you are the first person to reach someone who has had an electric shock, don't touch them! If they are still holding the appliance that has given them shock (e.g. a hair dryer), unplug it or turn off the power at its source. _  If you can't turn off the power, use a piece of wood, like a broom handle or a chair, to separate the victim from the appliance or the power source. You may even be able to do this with a folded newspaper. The victim must remain lying down. If they are unconscious, victims should be placed on their side. But they should not be moved if there is a possibility of neck or spine injuries unless it is absolutely necessary. It is essential to maintain the victim's body heat, so make sure you cover him or her with a blanket before you do anything else. If the victim is not breathing, apply mouth-to-mouth resuscitation . Keep the victim's head low until professional help arrives. If the electric shock has been caused by an external power line, the dangers to the victim and to anybody providing first aid are much greater. If you can't turn off the power, you cannot separate the victim from the appliance or the power source by using   _  .
a folded newspaper a blanket a broom handle a chair