General Fire Safety Guidance First Aid Guidance If you know what to do in case of emergency you could:
- Save a Life;
- Stop an Injury Getting Worse; and
- Promote Recovery.
Remember:
- Stay calm and reassure the casualty;
- Never put yourself in danger; and
- Call for assistance as soon as possible.
5 Step Plan to First Aid
If in any doubt Call 999 and get help.
1. Assess the Situation
Find out what has occurred
How many casualties are there?
Are there any dangers present?
2. Remove any Danger (if safe to do so)
Can you make the area safe? - both from existing dangers e.g. electricity and, further dangers e.g. stopping traffic
3. Diagnosis
Prioritise the casualties according to the severity of the injuries
Decide the best course of action to treat the casualty
4.Treatment
Perform Life Saving First Aid
Perform First Aid to Prevent Injuries deteriorating
Perform First Aid to Aid Recovery
5. Handover of the Casualty
Either pass the casualty over to a trained professional e.g. a Doctor or Ambulance crew. Or advise the casualty to seek medical advice themselves (depending on the severity of the injury). Unconscious casualties must be attended to first, follow the A,B,C guide:
- Airway: check to see that the casualty's air way is not blocked and able to allow air through
- Breathing: check to see if the casualty is breathing
- Circulation: Check to see if the casualty has a heartbeat
The only way to really learn first aid is with practical experience. Go on one of our courses, or St John's Ambulance, St Andrews Ambulance Service in Scotland and the British Red Cross who can teach you other aspects of first aid.
For more advice on resuscitation and detailed first aid, please use the following websites:
Resuscitation Council
BBC Health Site
First Aid for Burns and Scalds
- Burns are caused by contact with flame, hot objects, chemicals, electrocution, radiated heat, frozen surfaces, friction or radiation.
- Scalds are caused by contact with boiling fluids or steam.
Burns are classified as either:
- Superficial - Reddening (like sunburn), outer layer of skin only;
- Partial Thickness - Blistering, damage to deeper layers of skin; or
- Full Thickness - Whitish or blackened areas, damage to all layers of skin, plus underlying structures and tissues. The severity of burns is dependent on certain factors such as; the age of the casualty, the depth of the burns, the part of the body burnt and the area affected.
Symptons
Red, blistered, white or blackened skin, pain in superficial and partial thickness burns, shock, breathing difficulties, hoarse voice and/or snoring sound when breathing.
Care and treatment
Cool (using clean water if possible). Resist using other substances, for up to 20 minutes for thermal or radiation burns; 20-30 minutes for chemical burns and 30 minutes for bitumen burns. (Consider scoring or cracking bitumen if it is encircling a limb). Cover with a clean, non-adherent burn dressing (or plastic wrap etc.) Remove tight clothing and objects, eg. jewelry. Call 999 for an ambulance.
Treat for shock
If the burn is severe, ensure that contaminated clothing is removed, unless it is adhering to the burn. Flush chemicals from the skin, pay special attention to eyes.
Do not break blisters. Ensure that the cooling process does not become excessive and cause shivering.
Burns to the face inevitably have an effect on the casualty's breathing and these effects may take some time to appear.
It is important that any casualty who has inhaled smoke, fumes or superheated air, or has been burnt on the face, should seek medical aid as soon as possible after the incident.
Remember - Severe burns can lead to shock and massive infection if not treated properly.
Disclaimer
All content within this page is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.
County Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue Service is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this website.
County Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue Service is not liable for the contents of any external Internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.
Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health.
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