Whether we like it or not, emergency situations happen everywhere, no matter which country, state, city, and/or town we find ourselves living in. Although some locations may have more emergency situations occurring than others, there are bound to be car crashes, fires, collapsed buildings, electrical grids down, and natural disasters happening everywhere at least once in a while. Of course, it isn’t your job to help those around you, but if you feel at all obliged to, there are a few steps you can take that will help to ensure your safety, and the safety of those around you. Show
How to Assess & Respond to an Emergency Situation in 5 Steps1. Assess the SituationThe first thing you should do is assess the situation. Look to see who is at the emergency scene, and find out what others at the scene are doing. If anyone is in danger or hurt, you should immediately take charge of the situation. In high stress situations, people tend to panic if they or someone they know has been injured. Bystanders will often ignore the situation completely if there are many other people around, assuming that someone else must have taken care of the situation already (this is a psychological phenomenon known as the bystander effect). If you feel you are able to help, take steps to lead and delegate to those around the emergency scene. When scared people, who are not used to or have never even thought of dangerous situations taking place, do not know how to react, they oftentimes just shut down. Lead them by giving them direct instructions and often they will step up and follow. 2. Get HelpThe first step to establishing some sort of leadership is to shout out or signal for help. Don’t yell abstract things like, “Why are you just standing there?” Bark out direct orders to specific people – “GO GET HELP,” “YOU, CALL 911.” Keep it simple so they can follow directions easily and so that they can snap out of any shock they may be feeling: and don’t be afraid of raising your voice. Once other bystanders are working on calling the cavalry, you can focus on the tricky task of assessing what can be done until the emergency vehicles get there. 3. Assess the EnvironmentThe initial recon should be of the area, not the people involved. Be aware of your surroundings and of your options for making it safe, both for yourself and anyone else in the vicinity. Don’t perform first aid on an injured person right next to a burning vehicle – this seems obvious, but when there’s not much time to think, it’s possible to quickly turn an incident of one casualty to a crisis of many. Be smart and consider all of the various environmental factors involved before rushing into hero-mode. Be on the lookout for the following things:
4. Triage: Assess the InjuredAt this point, you can perform basic triage and assess the injured people involved in the emergency situation. Look to the most vulnerable individuals first, see if you can help any of the ones with the most immediate medical needs. Ideally, you’d have an EDC bag with a first aid kit on you, or perhaps even a trauma kit in a bug out bag to use. If not, do the best you can with what you have: alcohol in your car or tearing up clothes to use as bandages would be great in these types of situations. Check for loss of consciousness, major bleeds, and asphyxiation, and deal accordingly, again, from the most to least injured. Your goal is never to completely heal victims, but to keep as many of them alive as possible until the physicians arrive. Never forget that. 5. Know Your LimitsDon’t take extreme risks. In periods of high pressure, it can be tempting to go beyond your knowledge or expertise to try to help, but unless you are 100% sure that you need to do something incredibly risky (like a tracheotomy) do not take the risk in doing it yourself and instead wait for professional assistance. That doesn’t mean you should watch someone asphyxiate when you think you could’ve helped, but if it’s possible to get a person breathing by any other means, take the least risky way, or at least keep the casualty alive until the medical staff arrive and are able to do the tracheotomy themselves. Try to react to issues that may arise as calmly as possible, and direct your focus on the immediate dangers – is the victim stable? If yes, move on to someone else who needs help. All you have to do is hold down the fort long enough for the EMTs to arrive. When they finally get there, keep out of their way, courteously explain to them what you’ve been doing, and assist them only if they ask for your help. Once their hands are on the casualties, your job is done and has been successful. Take a step back and let them handle the situation from then on. More First Aid ResourcesWhen it comes to first aid, you need two important things to help you on your quest to keep yourself and those around you safe & healthy: knowledge and (to a lesser extent) supplies. To tackle the prior, take a look through our list of the top 22 emergency & survival first aid books and grab those that you think will best help you gain the knowledge you’ll need. For the latter, take a look at our Ultimate First Aid Supplies List to see if there’s anything you should be adding to your at-home first aid supplies stockpile, or if there’s something you’ve forgotten to add to one of your first aid kits. Do you know how to tell if a cut is infected, whether to use Advil, Tylenol, or Aspirin, and how to quickly assess and address emergency situations? Did you know you can superglue cuts and that Imodium is an excellent tool for survival? If you have some time, you can also quickly browse through all the first aid articles we have on this blog, to see if there’s anything valuable you’ve yet to learn on the topics we’ve written about. Share Your First Aid Experiences With UsHave you come across emergency situations where your experience with first aid has helped? Do you find yourself inclined to help others if it’s within your power, or would you rather just call for help and let the experts deal with the disaster?
For Life Threatening Emergencies dial 000(if phoning from UWA dial 0 for outside line)Also dial UWA Security (+61 8) 6488 2222Useful ContactsEmergency Procedures - Quick Links
DO NOT USE THE LIFTS
Back to top
Keep CalmAbove all - keep calm and do not alarm others
Prolong the call – keep the person talking and ask:
Basic rules:
Persons should be requested to remove all personal belongings (such as briefcases, bags and other personal articles) when evacuating. Lecture theatres/laboratories: It is the responsibility of the lecturer/tutor to maintain control over their class during an emergency until released by the ECO. Back to top
Make as many notes as you can on paper. Keep caller talking – try and obtain as much information as possible Ask the following questions:
Remember keep calm - do not hang up
Back to top
Medical Emergency - minor
Medical Emergency – major
Provide all information
Familiarise yourself with the current First Aid Officers and location of first aid kits in your area. This information is also available from your Safety Officer, Safety and Health Representative or Building Warden. If assaulted
Back to top
Violent / threatening person
Lecture theatre/laboratories. It is the responsibility of the lecturer/tutor to maintain controlover their class during an emergency until released by the ECO. Civil disorder/illegal occupancy
Lecture theatres/laboratories. It is the responsibility of the lecturer/tutor to maintain control over their class during an emergency until released by the ECO. Back to top
Suspicious mail or packageIf suspicious mail or package has not been opened
Advise:
If suspicious mail or package has been opened
If it is suspected that the item is an explosive device
Back to top Radioisotope or biohazard spillRaise the alarm
Isolate the hazard
If unsure of the hazards presented and associated risks to safety and health, consult your supervisor, or Safety Officer, or Safety, Health and Wellbeing prior to taking any action.
Clean-up
Evacuate
In the case of a fire every effort must be made to prevent undue spreading of contamination. However, fire fighting must take precedence over the control of contamination. Lecture theatres / laboratories. It is the responsibility of the lecturer/tutor to ensure that their class is evacuated and to maintain control of the students during the emergency until released by the ECO. Back to top Chemical hazard/ spill / gas leakRaise the alarm
DO NOT ENTER AN AREA WHERE THERE IS A SUSPECTED TOXIC OR NON-BREATHABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ANY REASON
Isolate the hazard
If unsure of the hazards presented and associated risks to safety and health, consult your supervisor, or Safety Officer, or Safety, Health and Wellbeing prior to taking any action.
Clean-up
Evacuate
In the case of a fire every effort must be made to prevent undue spreading of contamination. However, fire fighting must take precedence over the control of contamination. Do not switch any electrical equipment (including light switches) ON or OFF, as these may spark and become an ignition source Lecture theatres / laboratories. It is the responsibility of the lecturer/tutor to ensure that their class is evacuated and to maintain control of the students during the emergency until released by the ECO. Back to top
Extreme / Hazardous weather event:
In the event of an earthquake:
Back to top
DON'T PANIC Social Distancing Requirements during the Pandemic
If the building contains persons currently under mandatory isolation (student accommodation) due to COVID-19 concerns, these persons must evacuate wearing an appropriate face mask and gloves. They must remain separate from the primary assembly area and maintain social distancing at all times. At all times during an emergency follow the instructions of the Building and Area Wardens.
DO NOT USE THE LIFTS
In the event of an earthquake
It is the responsibility of the lecturer/tutor to ensure that their class is evacuated and to maintain control of the students during an emergency until released by the ECO. Cafes/public theatres/public venuesUniversity staff will arrange for and provide information to patrons during emergency situations and evacuations. Back to top COVID-19 Considerations
People’s needs may vary in emergency situations. There may be people who are frail; have a visual or hearing impairment; have mobility problems and use walking aids or wheelchairs; have limited walking or standing ability; are pregnant; have heart conditions or asthma or are prone to panic attacks; or they may get claustrophobic. Responsibility of the person with a disabilityWhether your disability is of a temporary or permanent nature, wherever possible it is important that you know what your needs are and plan ahead for emergency situations and/or evacuation.
Assisting people with physical disabilities
People who may be disoriented or having a panic attack
Back to top Additional information:Evacuation of lecture theatres, libraries, classrooms and teaching laboratoriesThese areas require explicit organisation because of the potential for large numbers of people to be congregated in a small area. The person in charge of the class shall act as the Warden and is responsible for evacuation. Upon hearing an alert or when notified of an emergency the person in charge should direct students to:
These procedures need to be orderly to minimise crowding in aisles and doorways. Back to top ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The objective of these procedures is to ensure, as far as practicable, the safety, health and well being of staff, students, contractors and visitors during emergencies at The University of Western Australia. To comply with relevant Western Australian legislation, codes and guidance materials, emergency procedures are prepared and distributed, emergency warning systems installed in most buildings and an Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) is organised and trained for each workplace. Emergency Control Organisation (ECO)The ECO consists of Building Wardens, Area Wardens and First Aid Officers, as well as outside agencies such as Fire and Rescue Services. The role of the ECO is to ensure the safety of the building’s occupants in any emergency. During emergencies, instructions from ECO personnel (i.e. Wardens and Fire and Emergency Services personnel) overrule the normal management structure. Relevant web linksBack to top Useful Contacts
|