First aid, fire protection and emergency procedures
This domain tests the sequence you follow when things go badly wrong with passengers on board: securing the scene, calling for help, first aid, and evacuating a burning minibus.
Getting help and securing the scene
- Call 112. Give the road name or number, the nearest junction, direction of travel, number of casualties and any hazards such as fire, fuel spill or children on board.
- Motorway emergency phones locate you automatically - use them if you can reach one safely.
- Switch on hazard lights, engine off, handbrake on, warning triangle out (about 100 m behind on a motorway), and put on a reflective vest before leaving the vehicle.
First aid priorities
- Own safety first. Check response and breathing; if the casualty is breathing but unconscious, place them in the recovery position.
- Not breathing: CPR, 30 compressions to 2 breaths, 100–120 compressions per minute, 5–6 cm deep, and get an AED as soon as one is available.
- Severe bleeding: firm direct pressure. Burns: cool with water for about 20 minutes, do not remove clothing stuck to the burn. Shock: keep the casualty warm and lying down.
Fire in a minibus
- Stop safely, switch off the engine, evacuate passengers upwind and away from traffic, do a headcount and call 112.
- Use a powder or CO2 extinguisher on fuel or electrical fires; never water on burning fuel or live electrics.
- Engine fire: do not open the bonnet fully - release the catch a little and aim the extinguisher through the gap. A sudden rush of air feeds the fire.
- Know the exits: cab door, passenger door emergency release, break-glass hammers at the marked windows, roof hatch.
Worked example
Smoke comes from the engine while you carry 12 passengers on a rural road. Correct order: stop in a safe place clear of traffic, engine off, evacuate everyone upwind and well away from the vehicle, headcount, call 112. Only then, and only if the fire is small and you have a clear escape route, tackle it through the partly opened bonnet. Otherwise keep everyone back - a minibus fire develops fast and the fuel tank is behind you.
Traps that cost marks
- Opening the bonnet fully on an engine fire.
- Using water on a fuel fire.
- Moving an injured casualty who is not in immediate danger.
- Evacuating passengers onto the traffic side, or forgetting the headcount.