SJAM First Aid at Workplace cheat sheet

Primary survey order is DRABC - Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Correct each problem before moving to the next step, and reassess continuously.

Scene safety comes before casualty contact: control traffic, electrical, fire, chemical, structural and violence hazards, or move the casualty only when the current location is more dangerous than moving.

Out-of-hospital chain of survival: early recognition and call for help → early CPR → early defibrillation → advanced life support → post-resuscitation care.

In-hospital chain of survival: surveillance and prevention → recognition and call for help → rapid response team → resuscitation → post-resuscitation care.

Emergency call content: exact location with landmarks, number and condition of casualties, type of incident, hazards present, and a callback number; stay on the line until released.

Consent: obtain it from a conscious adult; implied consent applies to unconscious casualties, children without a guardian present, and immediately life-threatening emergencies.

Standard precautions: gloves as minimum PPE, eye and splash protection when fluids may spray, a barrier device for ventilation, and hand hygiene before and after contact.

Mechanism of injury - fall height, vehicle speed, blast, crush - predicts the injury pattern and guides spinal immobilisation and transport priority.

Adult CPR: 30 compressions to 2 breaths, rate 100–120 per minute, depth 5–6 cm, full chest recoil, and interruptions kept under 10 seconds.

Compression point: heel of one hand on the centre of the chest (lower half of the sternum), second hand on top with fingers interlocked, arms vertical and shoulders above the hands.

Child CPR (1 year to puberty): 30:2 for a single rescuer, 15:2 for two trained rescuers; depth about one third of chest depth, roughly 5 cm.

Infant CPR (under 1 year): 30:2 using two fingers or the two-thumb encircling technique; depth about 4 cm or one third of chest depth.

Hands-only (compression-only) CPR is acceptable for untrained or unwilling rescuers and for telephone-guided CPR; trained rescuers add ventilations.

AED sequence: switch on, follow voice prompts, bare and dry the chest, attach pads (right infraclavicular and left mid-axillary around the fifth intercostal space), clear everyone, deliver the shock, then resume CPR immediately for 2 minutes.

Special AED situations: remove transdermal patches, dry a wet chest, shave a very hairy chest if pads will not adhere, keep pads 8 cm from an implanted device, use paediatric pads or attenuator for children under 8 years or about 25 kg.

If the AED advises 'no shock', do not press the shock button; resume compressions at once and continue until the device reanalyses or emergency services take over.

Continue CPR until emergency services take over, the casualty shows signs of life, the AED instructs otherwise, or the rescuer is physically unable to continue.

Severe bleeding: apply firm direct pressure with a dressing; if it soaks through, add further dressings on top and maintain pressure - never remove the original pad.

Tourniquet indications: life-threatening limb bleeding not controlled by direct pressure. Place 5–7 cm proximal to the wound, not over a joint, tighten until bleeding stops, record the time, and never loosen it.

Haemostatic gauze is packed directly into deep or junctional wounds, followed by at least 3 minutes of firm direct pressure.

Amputation: control bleeding, wrap the part in sterile gauze, seal it in a plastic bag, and place the bag in an ice-water slurry; never place tissue directly on ice.

Shock signs: pale, cold, clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, rapid shallow breathing, thirst, anxiety or restlessness, and a falling level of consciousness.

Shock management: lie the casualty flat, raise the legs about 30 cm unless fracture, spinal, pelvic or head injury is suspected, keep warm, give nothing by mouth, and monitor ABCs.

Impaled object: leave it in place, pad around it, stabilise it, control bleeding and transport - removal increases bleeding and tissue damage.

Open abdominal wound with evisceration: do not replace the organs; cover with a moist sterile dressing plus an occlusive layer, flex the knees, and arrange urgent transport.

Nosebleed: sit the casualty up, lean them forward, and pinch the soft part of the nose for 10 minutes without releasing; seek help if bleeding continues beyond 20 minutes.

Burn depth: superficial (red, painful, no blisters), partial thickness (blisters, moist, painful), full thickness (white or charred, leathery, painless because nerves are destroyed).

Adult Rule of Nines: head 9%, each arm 9%, anterior trunk 18%, posterior trunk 18%, each leg 18%, perineum 1%; the casualty's palm including fingers is about 1%.

Cool burns with cool running water for 20 minutes, ideally started within 3 hours; never use ice or ice water, especially on children.

Remove jewellery and loose clothing from the burned area before swelling, but leave anything stuck to the burn in place; cover with cling film or a non-adherent dressing.

Chemical burns: brush off dry powder first, then irrigate with copious running water; flush a chemically burned eye for at least 20 minutes and remove contact lenses.

Electrical injury: isolate the power source before touching the casualty, then assess ABC, look for entry and exit wounds, and monitor for cardiac arrest.

Fracture care: immobilise in the position found, splint to include the joints above and below, and check circulation, sensation and movement before and after splinting.

Suspected spinal injury: keep head, neck and trunk aligned; move only for immediate danger, using a log roll with a designated leader and enough helpers.

Soft tissue injury RICE: rest, ice for 15–20 minutes wrapped in cloth, compression bandage, and elevation; avoid heat, alcohol and massage for the first 48 hours.

Stroke: FAST - Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call. Record the time symptoms began, give nothing by mouth, and use the recovery position if consciousness is impaired.

Heart attack: central chest pain lasting over 15 minutes, radiating to arm or jaw, with sweating and nausea. Rest the casualty, loosen clothing, call emergency services, and give 300 mg aspirin to chew if there is no allergy or bleeding risk.

Hypoglycaemia in a conscious casualty: give fast-acting oral sugar and recheck in 10–15 minutes; if unconscious, give nothing by mouth, use the recovery position and call emergency services.

Seizure: protect the head, do not restrain the casualty or put anything in the mouth, and time the event; use the recovery position afterwards and call emergency services if it lasts over 5 minutes or repeats without recovery.

Anaphylaxis: call emergency services, lay the casualty flat with legs raised, and give an adrenaline auto-injector into the outer thigh without delay.

Workplace first aid needs are set by a documented risk assessment: workforce size, shift patterns, hazards, distance from emergency services and vulnerable workers determine first aider numbers and kit contents.

First aid kits must be stocked to match the risk assessment, checked at scheduled intervals and after every use, with expired items replaced and checks recorded.

Incident records capture date, time, location, casualty details, mechanism, treatment given and the provider's name; they are confidential and retained per legal requirements.

Workplace emergency plan: posted emergency numbers, named first aiders and deputies for each shift, accessible and signed AED and kit locations, and practised evacuation and response drills.