Emergency Procedures and First Aid
This domain tests a fixed, ordered response: protect the scene, call for help, then treat - and knowing what not to do.
At the scene
- Stop, switch off the engine, hazard lights on. Do not smoke.
- Warn other traffic - warning triangle where it is safe to place it, and never step into a live lane.
- Call 112, the single European emergency number for police, ambulance and fire. Give the location, number of casualties and hazards.
- Do not move an injured person unless there is fire, risk of a further collision, or you must open the airway.
Primary survey - DR ABC
Danger, Response (speak and tap the shoulders), Airway (open and clear), Breathing (look, listen and feel for up to 10 seconds), Circulation. Unresponsive but breathing normally: recovery position and monitor. Not breathing: start CPR - 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths, centre of the chest, 5–6 cm deep, at 100–120 per minute.
Specific injuries
- Severe bleeding: press firmly on the wound with a clean pad and keep pressing; raise the limb if possible.
- Burns: cool with clean running water for at least 20 minutes; do not burst blisters or apply creams.
- Suspected spinal injury: keep the head and neck still and wait for the ambulance.
- Motorcyclist in a helmet: leave the helmet on unless the airway cannot be managed without removing it.
- Shock: lie the casualty down, keep them warm and reassure them.
Worked example
A motorcyclist lies in the road, unresponsive but breathing. Traffic is stopped and help has been called. Do not remove the helmet routinely and do not sit them up: keep the head aligned, use the recovery position only if you can protect the neck while doing so, and monitor breathing until the ambulance arrives.
Traps
Giving an injured person food or drink; moving casualties "to be helpful"; pulling off a helmet as a reflex; starting CPR before checking for normal breathing.