Emergency First Aid at Work key terms

A person trained and nominated at a workplace to give immediate, basic life-saving care and first aid within the limits of their training until professional help arrives.

The legal and moral obligation to act reasonably, safely and in the casualty's best interests, never exceeding the skills you have been trained and assessed in.

Permission given by a responsive casualty before you touch or treat them; for an unresponsive casualty the law assumes consent to life-saving treatment.

A failure to provide the standard of care a reasonably trained first aider would give, causing harm; acting within training and recording actions helps protect against such claims.

The linked steps that give the best chance of survival from cardiac arrest: early recognition and call for help, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced medical care.

A rapid first check of a casualty using the DR ABC approach to find and treat immediate threats to life before anything else is done.

A memory aid for the primary survey: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation; it structures the first moments of any incident assessment.

A scale for recording responsiveness: Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain, Unresponsive; used to describe and monitor a casualty's level of consciousness.

The way the injury happened, such as a fall from height or a heavy impact, which helps you predict hidden injuries and decide whether to suspect spinal damage.

A head-to-toe check for injuries, plus history and vital signs, carried out only after life-threatening problems found in the primary survey have been dealt with.

A written account of an incident kept by the first aider, including time, place, casualty details, treatment given and who was informed; it supports legal and insurance needs.

A report to the enforcing authority of certain serious workplace incidents, such as specified injuries, dangerous occurrences or absence over seven days, made by the responsible person.

Checking for hazards to yourself, the casualty and bystanders before approaching, so that you do not become a second casualty and can keep helping effectively.

The call to 999 or 112 giving location, what happened, number and condition of casualties, and hazards present; stay on the line until told to hang up.

A safe side-lying posture for an unresponsive casualty who is breathing normally, keeping the airway open and allowing fluids to drain from the mouth.

The passage from the mouth and nose to the lungs; it must be opened, usually by head tilt and chin lift, before you can check whether a casualty is breathing.

Occasional, slow, noisy gasps seen in the first minutes of cardiac arrest; they are not normal breathing and mean CPR must be started immediately.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: chest compressions, with rescue breaths if trained, given to a casualty who is unresponsive and not breathing normally to keep blood moving.

Rhythmic pressure on the centre of the chest, at least 5 cm deep and 100 to 120 per minute, that manually pumps blood around the body during cardiac arrest.

A breath given into the casualty's mouth or via a pocket mask, lasting about one second, to deliver oxygen when they are not breathing normally.

Automated external defibrillator: a portable device that analyses the heart rhythm and delivers a shock when needed; it is safe to use and gives spoken prompts.

Adhesive electrode pads applied to the bare, dry chest to connect an AED to the casualty; correct placement lets the device read the heart rhythm.

Blockage of the airway by an object or food; if the casualty can cough forcefully, encourage coughing, and give back blows and abdominal thrusts if the airway becomes severely blocked.

A sharp inward and upward pull just above the navel, given when back blows fail to clear a severe choking blockage; medical advice is needed afterwards.

Heavy blood loss that will not stop and can quickly lead to shock; control it with firm direct pressure, a dressing, and elevation or pressure points as needed.

Pressing firmly on a bleeding wound, ideally with a sterile dressing and gloved hands, to slow blood flow and allow a clot to form.

A life-threatening state where the circulation cannot deliver enough oxygen to the body, shown by pale clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, thirst and anxiety.

Placing a shocked or injured casualty flat with legs raised, keeping them warm and still, to support blood flow to vital organs while help is on the way.

A band tightened above a limb wound to stop catastrophic bleeding when direct pressure fails; the time of application must be recorded and passed to medical staff.

Damage to skin from heat, chemicals, electricity or radiation; cool it with running water for at least 20 minutes and cover loosely with cling film or a clean non-fluffy dressing.

A burn caused by hot liquid or steam; treat like any burn by cooling with running water and removing jewellery or clothing near the area unless stuck to the skin.

A sterile or clean pad placed over a wound to control bleeding or protect it from infection, usually held in place with a bandage.

Sudden narrowing of the airways causing wheeze, cough and difficulty breathing; help the casualty sit upright, use their reliever inhaler, and call 999 if it does not improve.

A severe, rapid allergic reaction with swollen airways, breathing difficulty and falling blood pressure; use the casualty's adrenaline auto-injector and call 999 immediately.

Blockage of a coronary artery causing chest pain, breathlessness and sweating; sit the casualty down, keep them calm, and call 999 without delay.

Interruption of blood flow to part of the brain, causing sudden face droop, arm weakness or slurred speech; note the time symptoms began and call 999.

Low blood sugar in a diabetic casualty, causing sweating, confusion and aggression; if they can swallow, give sugary food or drink and monitor them.

A sudden burst of abnormal brain activity causing fitting or altered awareness; protect the casualty from injury, do not restrain them, and time how long it lasts.

Barrier items such as disposable gloves, apron and a pocket mask worn to protect the first aider and casualty from contact with blood and body fluids.

Hygiene measures that reduce the spread of infection, including hand washing, covering cuts, safe disposal of sharps and contaminated waste, and cleaning equipment.

A small face shield with a one-way valve used for rescue breaths, reducing contact with the casualty's mouth and protecting both people during CPR.