Question

What is the duty of care of a trained first aider or trained volunteer in a first aid situation? (In 30-50 words).

Answer 1

First aid is the immediate help given to someone who is ill or injured. A first aider gives this immediate help to the casualty, while making sure that the casualty and those around the casualty (including themselves) are safe.

Sometimes an injury is minor and a workplace first aider can manage this without further help. For example, injuries such as minor burns, cuts and bruises.

For more serious injuries, the first aider must reassure the the casualty while they are waiting for medical help to arrive, either by a doctor, a medical professional or going to hospital.

In an emergency, first aider responsibilities are:

• Manage the incident and ensure the continuing safety of themselves, bystanders and the casualty
• Assess any casualties and discover the nature & cause of their injuries or illnesses
• Arrange for further medical help or other emergency services to attend. Usually by making an emergency phone call to 999 (in the UK) or 112 (worldwide).
• If trained, prioritise casualty treatment based upon medical need
• Provide appropriate first aid treatment that they have been trained to do, and that is reasonable in the circumstances
• If able, make notes and record observations of casualties, ideally monitoring Vital Signs, and SAMPLE information
• Provide a handover when further medical help arrives
• Fill out any paperwork as required following the incident

The first aider is to provide immediate, potentially lifesaving, medical care, before the arrival of further medical help. This could include performing procedures such as:

• Placing an unconscious casualty into the recovery position. Learn how to do this here, in our short video.
• Performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
• Stopping bleeding using pressure and elevation
• Keeping a fractured limb still and supported

A first aider’s overall priority should be to preserve life. Other aims of first aid include preventing the worsening of the patient’s condition and to promote recovery.