First aid - After an incident (2024)

If someone is injured in an incident, first check that you and the person who is injured are not in any danger. If you are, make the situation safe.

When it's safe to do so, assess the person who is injured and, if necessary, dial 999 for an ambulance. You can then carry out basic first aid.

Assessing an injured person

The 3 priorities when dealing with a casualty are commonly referred to asABC, which stands for:

  • Airway
  • Breathing
  • Circulation

Airway

If the person appears unresponsive, ask them loudly if they're OK and if they can open their eyes.

If they respond, you can leave them in the position they're in until help arrives.

While you wait, keep checking their breathing, pulse and level of response:

  • Are they alert?
  • Do they respond to your voice?
  • Is there no response to any stimulus (are they unconscious)?

If there's no response, leave the person in the position they're in and open their airway.

If this is not possible in the position they're in, gently lay them on their back and then try to open their airway.

To open the airway, place 1 hand on the person's forehead and gently tilt their head back, lifting the tip of the chin using 2 fingers. This moves the tongue away from the back of the throat.

Don't push on the floor of the mouth, as this will push the tongue upwards and obstruct the airway.

If you think the person may have a spinal injury, place your hands on either side of their head and use your fingertips to gently lift the angle of the jaw forward and upwards, without moving the head, to open the airway.

Take care not to move the person's neck. But opening the airway takes priority over a neck injury. This is known as the jaw thrust technique.

Breathing

To check if a person is still breathing:

  • look to see if their chest is rising and falling
  • listen over their mouth and nosefor breathing sounds
  • feel their breath against your cheek for 10 seconds

If they're breathing normally, place them in the recovery position so their airway remains clear of obstructions, and continue to monitor normal breathing.

Gasping or irregular breathing is not normal breathing.

If the person isn't breathing or is not breathing normally, call 999 for an ambulance and then begin CPR.

Circulation

If the person isn't breathing normally, you must start chest compressions immediately.

Agonal breathing is common in the first few minutes after a sudden cardiac arrest (when the heart stops beating).

Agonal breathing is sudden, irregular gasps of breath. This shouldn't be mistaken for normal breathing and CPR should be given straight away.

If the person isn't breathing, call 999 for an ambulance and then begin CPR.

First aid courses

The advice given on this page only covers common first aid situations and is not a replacement for taking a first aid training course.

Basic first aid courses are run regularly in most areas around the UK.

Organisations that offer courses include:

Page last reviewed: 15 March 2022
Next review due: 15 March 2025

First aid - After an incident (2024)

FAQs

What should a first aider do after an incident? ›

What to do
  • Assess the situation quickly and calmly. Safety: check whether you or the casualty are in any danger. ...
  • Protect yourself and them from any danger. ...
  • Prevent infection between you and them. ...
  • Comfort and reassure. ...
  • Assess the casualty and give first aid treatment. ...
  • Arrange for help if needed.
Jan 29, 2024

What is first aid best answer? ›

First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred. It often consists of a one-time, short-term treatment and requires little technology or training to administer.

What should be your first response in every situation requiring first aid? ›

As a first responder to any situation, you first priority should be to preserve life. You may need to perform CPR, stop bleeding or take other action to preserve the victim's life. Start with C-A-B—circulation, airway, and breathing.

What is the first step for a response when giving first aid help? ›

If someone is unconscious or unresponsive, the basic principle of first aid that you need to know is ABC: airway, breathing, and circulation. Airway: If someone's not breathing, the first thing you need to do is open their airway.

What should you do after an incident or injury occurs? ›

  • Seek medical attention. The first priority after an accident is to seek medical attention. ...
  • Report the accident. ...
  • Document the incident. ...
  • Collect contact information. ...
  • Follow up with medical care. ...
  • Cooperate with any investigations. ...
  • Reporting procedures. ...
  • Workplace hazards.
Apr 12, 2023

What are the steps to follow when responding to an incident? ›

Follow your workplace incident management procedures, including: record what you have seen and heard, including the details of any witnesses • give your manager or supervisor any notes you have taken • do not interview the person who is allegedly responsible for the incident. that their wishes are made known.

What are the five rules of first aid? ›

The Golden Rules of First Aid: Essential Knowledge for Every Individual
  • Personal safety comes first.
  • Assess the situation and victim.
  • Call for help.
  • Control bleeding.
  • Treat for shock.
  • Be mindful of head and spinal injuries.
  • Attend to burns.

What are the four P's of first aid? ›

Treatment should always be guided by the 4Ps: Preserve life. Prevent further injury. Promote recovery.

What is first aid 2 line answer? ›

1. First aid is an application of skills to preserve life, Prevent deterioration and Promote recovery. 2. It is a vital skill, that requires learning 3.

What are the 3 C's of first aid? ›

Check, Call, and Care are the three basic Cs. The three Ps of first aid— Preserve Life, Prevent Deterioration and Promote Recovery —must always be kept in mind.

What are the 3 P's of first aid? ›

The three Ps in first aid is an easy framework for responding to a medical emergency. The three P's stand for preserving life, preventing deterioration, and promoting recovery.

What are the 3 steps of first aid response? ›

To take appropriate actions in any emergency, follow the three basic emergency action steps — Check-Call-Care.

What is the most important when providing first aid? ›

Perhaps the most well-known, and most important first aid skill—CPR. Learning CPR is very simple, it takes about five minutes, and it could save a life. CPR is short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation—it provides artificial ventilation that can preserve brain function, blood circulation, and breathing in a person.

What is first aid in your own opinion? ›

First aid is what we term immediate medical assistance offered to any ill or injured person, irrespective of the severity of the illness, to save a person's life till medical help or ambulance arrives. This is critical to prevent the situation from getting worse and to assist the injured person in recovering quickly.

What is the most important first aid? ›

Perhaps the most well-known, and most important first aid skill—CPR. Learning CPR is very simple, it takes about five minutes, and it could save a life. CPR is short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation—it provides artificial ventilation that can preserve brain function, blood circulation, and breathing in a person.

What is the basic of first aid? ›

First aid is as easy as ABC – airway, breathing and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). In any situation, apply the DRSABCD Action Plan. DRSABCD stands for: Danger – always check the danger to you, any bystanders and then the injured or ill person.

What is the 5 importance of first aid? ›

The 5 Main Objectives Of First Aid Training. The aims of first aid include preserving life, preventing injury from getting worse, aiding recovery, relieving pain, and protecting the unconscious. The main objective is to save lives.

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