Staying Safe
Safety considerations should always be at the forefront of your mind when witnessing an accident. There is a primal instinct in many people to dash to the rescue of those in need. Regardless of how serious the circumstances appear of whatever terrible accident or injury you may witness, it is very important that you try and maintain a reasoned outlook and stay safe.
Safety here refers to an awareness of your surroundings and a healthy fear of unstable situations. By its very nature, an emergency is an unstable situation but you don’t want to risk your own safety by rushing in blindly and needing to be rescued yourself.
Fundamental First Aid Basics
Everyone should have a basic understanding of first aid techniques, as it could be the difference between life and death. On this page we have put together some simple guidelines which should give you the confidence to act, wherever or whenever an emergency arises.
CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, known as CPR, describes a lifesaving technique which can be used if someone’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped.
Before you begin CPR
It’s important to remember these basic steps before you begin CPR:
Stay safe
Safety should be your highest priority before you give basic life support - be aware of your surroundings.
Evaluate the situation
Is the person awake?
Determine responsiveness
If they are not awake, tap them on the shoulder and ask them “Are you OK?”
Call the emergency services
If there is no response, shout for help and make sure someone dials the emergency services 999.
Giving CPR
The advice for an adult, who suddenly collapses, is for you to first give them chest compressions. You should ‘push hard and fast’ in the center of the chest and continue this until help arrives.
Compressions should be at least 5cm deep in adults, allowing the chest to rise completely after each compression.Compressions should be given at the rate of at least 100/min. Remember to continue CPR until there are signs of movement or medical personnel arrive.
