RESPONSIBILITIES OF FIRST AIDER

What is Firs Aid?

First aid is the assistance given to any
person suffering a sudden illness or
injury, with care provided to preserve
life, prevent the condition from
worsening, and/or promote recovery.
It includes initial intervention in a
serious condition prior to professional
medical help being available, such as
performing CPR (cardiopulmonary
resuscitation) while awaiting an
ambulance, as well as the complete
treatment of minor conditions, such
as applying a plaster to a cut.
What is a First Aider?
A first-aider is someone who has
undertaken training appropriate to the
circumstances. They must hold a
valid certificate.

Aims of First Aid:

The key aims of first aid can be
summarized in three key points,
sometimes known as 'the three P's':-

Preserve life: The overriding aim of

all medical care which includes first
aid, is to save lives and minimize the
threat of death.

Prevent further harm: Prevent

further harm also sometimes called
prevent the condition from
worsening, or danger of further
injury, this covers both external
factors, such as moving a patient
away from any cause of harm, and
applying first aid techniques to
prevent worsening of the condition,
such as applying pressure to stop a
bleed becoming dangerous.

Promote recovery: First aid also

involves trying to start the recovery
process from the illness or injury, and
in some cases might involve
completing a treatment, such as in the
case of applying a plaster to a small
wound.
Responsibilities of a First Aider:
A first aider has various roles and
responsibilities. It is important first
aiders take these roles and
responsibilities seriously as first aid is
potentially lifesaving in an
emergency situation.

The role of a first aider is to provide

immediate, lifesaving, medical care
before the arrival of further medical
help.

A first aider has various

responsibilities when dealing with an
emergency situation.
 A first aider should:

Manage the incident and ensure the

continuing safety of themselves,
bystanders and the casualty
Assess casualties and find out the
nature & cause of their injuries
Arrange for further medical help or
other emergency services to attend
If trained, priorities casualties based
upon medical need
Provide appropriate first aid
treatment as trained
If able, make notes/observations of
casualties
 Provide a handover when further
medical help arrives
Fill out any paperwork as required
The first aider is to provide
immediate, lifesaving, medical case
before the arrival of further medical
help. This could include performing
procedures such as:

Placing an unconscious casualty into

the recovery position
Performing Cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR)
Using an automated external
defibrillator (AED)
Stopping bleeding using pressure and
elevation
 Keeping a fractured limb still
A first aiders overall aim should be
to preserve life. Other aims of first aid
include preventing the worsening of
the patients condition and to promote
recovery.

It is important to remember that

accidents and illness can happen at
any time. Provision for first aid needs
to be available at all times when
people are at work.