Emergency situations can be daunting and frightening. If you ever find yourself in an emergency first aid situation you should remember the priorities of first aid to help you structure your initial actions.

So what are the priorities of first aid? Here’s our list of the top priorities for a first aider at any emergency situation

Ensure you are safe – your safety comes first! Always check for any hazards and assess their risk to yourself and bystanders

Make a quick assessment – what has happened? Try and build a picture of the events leading up to the situation

Assess the casualty – Follow a structure when assessing the casualty. One common technique is DR ABC

– Danger

– Response: are they awake?

– Airway: ensure the airway is open

– Breathing: check to see they are breathing normally (maximum 10 seconds)

– Call for help: call for emergency medical help

Give appropriate first aid treatment – once you’ve assessed the casualty, you can give appropriate first aid treatment such as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) or the recovery position

Ensure help has been called – make sure the appropriate emergency help has been called. Remember multiple emergency services may be required

These are our list of first aid priorities. Think we’ve missed one? Feel free to leave a comment