Safety, Emergencies, First Aid and Fire Protection
Domain 7 covers what to do when things go wrong on a bus: securing the scene, evacuating passengers, fire, and first aid until the emergency services arrive.
Securing and alerting
- Stop in a safe place, hazard lights on, engine off, parking brake on. Place the warning triangle well beyond 50 m (150 m or more on motorways) and put on the high-visibility vest before leaving the vehicle.
- Call 117 police, 144 ambulance, 118 fire brigade, or 112 from a mobile. Give location, number of injured, type of injuries and hazards, then wait for questions.
Evacuation
- Announce calmly, open the doors, use the emergency release if the pneumatics fail, then windows with the hammer or the roof hatches.
- Lead passengers upwind and well away from the vehicle, keep a group list, and account for children and mobility-impaired passengers first.
Fire
- Engine fire: switch off engine and battery master switch, do not fully open the engine hatch (oxygen feeds the fire), and use the extinguisher through the opening only if the fire is small and safe.
- Passenger compartment: stop, evacuate, and fight the fire only if it blocks escape and you can stay safe. On electric buses never touch orange high-voltage cables; a battery fire needs the fire brigade and can re-ignite.
First aid
- Check responsiveness, airway and breathing. Unresponsive but breathing: recovery position. Not breathing: 30 compressions to 2 ventilations, AED as soon as available.
- Stop bleeding with pressure, leave embedded objects in place, cool burns with water, treat for shock and keep casualties warm. Do not move a casualty with suspected spinal injury unless there is immediate danger.
Worked example
Smoke pours from the rear engine bay with 40 passengers on board. The driver stops on the hard shoulder, switches off ignition and battery, evacuates through front and rear doors, leads the group 100 m upwind behind the barrier, calls 118 and reports the location and that all passengers are out. Only then does he approach the engine bay with the extinguisher.
Traps that cost marks
- Driving on to a "better" place while the fire grows.
- Opening the engine cover fully.
- Re-entering the bus for luggage.
- Forgetting the group list and wheelchair users.