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Personal Safety First Aid Airway Bleeding Spinal Injuries Burns Fractures Summary Introduction This guideline is not meant to be an exhaustive manual. It has been written to make you think about what you should do and outlines the steps involved. It does not contain a detailed description of techniques and manoeuvres necessary, these should be learnt at a proper training session (s), such as those organised by St John Ambulance, Red Cross, St Andrew's Cross and the Order of Malta. This is the most important factor ! You do not help the situation by becoming a casualty yourself STOP AND THINK - THEN ACT ! => Protect yourself and the scene from oncoming traffic => Use warning signs, vehicles and lookouts as appropriate. => Remember that crashed cars are sharp and jagged; => They may be hot and may contain (or leak) corrosive liquids. => Certain other materials used in car manufacture may be corrosive, => Suitable gloves should be worn. => Fire is a possible hazard, so no smoking and isolate the electrics. => Assess the situation. => What type of assistance is required, how are you going to summon this help ? => In motorsport, as elsewhere, it is often better to spend a few minutes evaluating the nature of the problem => Then present concise and accurate information. => This will help those in charge to provide the correct help more quickly. There is no substitute for practice ~ think seriously about a first aid course. In general the more noise a casualty is making, the less likely they are to die in the next few minutes. Therefore, when you make your initial assessment look for quiet casualties and inspect them first. 1, Is the casualty conscious ? (if they are talking they must be breathing) 2, If not, are they breathing ? (feel for warm breath coming from mouth or nose) 3, No breathing - clear the airway * * This may need removal of helmet which ideally should be a two person task with neck stabilisation. CARE - unconscious accident victims may have a neck injury, so twisting and flexing of the neck are potentially dangerous. Extension of the head and neck should be kept to the minimum necessary to maintain the airway 4, Still no breathing ? Then artificial ventilation (mouth to mouth respiration) Obvious bleeding may be controlled by direct pressure upon the wound. Use a clean pad, handkerchief, etc. Remember that blood is potentially infective so try and avoid contaminating your skin if possible, especially if you have an open wound or cut yourself. Elevation of a bleeding limb, if possible, will also help. REMEMBER, do not apply tourniquets or clamp bleeding vessels. Unconscious patients; those complaining of pain in the back or neck; those complaining of abnormal sensation (e.g. pins and needles), may have a spinal injury. Apart from manoeuvres necessary to establish an airway they should not be moved without medical or rescue advice. => Small burned areas (e.g. hand, arm or leg) are best treated by immediate application of cold, => clean water, this will reduce pain and halt the burning process. => Clothes contaminated with chemicals should be removed and the surface washed with large quantities of clean water. => Burned limbs may placed in a clean plastic bag to reduce fluid loss. These are broken bones, generally obvious by pain at site. There may be deformity of the limb, without medical advice it is generally better not to attempt to straighten the limb. If medical or rescue help is not readily available, splinting may reduce discomfort. Remember that the sound limb or patients body, with some padding (e.g. clothing), makes a useful temporary splint. PERSONAL SAFETY REMEMBER - quiet casualties first. => Act calmly as this will help everyone. => Don't be afraid to stop and think. => The last thing you need is several people running around like headless chickens => Reassurance, this is perhaps the most important. => Introduce yourself, explain who you are and that help is coming. => Talk to the casualty and try and gain their confidence. => If you wish to know more, consider a first aid course. => Alternatively develop your marshalling skills, => or if you could, even become a licensed rescue crewman or woman.
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