Must-Know Simple First Aid Skills: Because Moving Home is Dangerous

Downsizing your possessions in preparation for your move, writing packing lists, organising removal company quotes, finding packing materials, safely packing all your fragile and valuable items, writing a removal company review, getting to know your local area, child-proofing each room, reviewing your home security and fire precaution plans, organizing your home warming party, maybe even dealing with relocation depression – wow.

The list of tasks and things you have to think about and deal with to relocate to a new home seems endless.

You and your family are likely to be exhausted after all that hard, often stressful work.

And when we are tired, and our mind is preoccupied, that is when accidents happen.

How Dangerous is the Home?

According to figures published by ROSPA, 6,000 people per year are killed in home accidents and 2.7 million have to attend A&E after an accident at home.

Even more shocking is that 67,000 children under the age of 4 are injured in the kitchen every year, whilst 58,000 children have accidents on the stairs.

Your home is a dangerous place, and start moving heavy and large pieces of furniture about, and moving home can make it even more dangerous.

From paper cuts to pulled muscles, and bruises to broken fingers and toes, there are plenty of hazards that can cause us an injury.

Often self-moves are far more costly than just a damaged piece of furniture or two.

So knowing how dangerous our homes can be, it begs the question:

Do you know what to do in the case of a medical emergency in the home?

Do you know what to do if someone has a heart attack?

Do you know what to do for a burn victim?

In this emergency first aid guide, we will give you advice on administering basic first aid within the home as recommended by the British Red Cross or St John’s Ambulance.

It would be a good idea to print these sheets out and tape them to the fridge so that they are easily accessible should you ever need them.

The Golden Rule: DR. HELP! ABC

If you come across any medical emergency: The golden rule, always, is Stop. Then think: DR. HELP. ABC

STOP. Put your hands in your pockets or fold your arms. This will ensure you do not do anything without thinking first.

Danger. Look around. Check for danger, for example, bare electrical wires, or glass on the floor. Ensure that before you approach the injured person, you are not putting yourself, or them, in further danger. Do not approach the casualty if it is unsafe to do so.

Response. Call their name. Are they responding? This will determine what first aid you administer.

HELP. Before you do anything else, call for help if some other person is in the house, or if a neighbour can hear you. They can then help you to treat the patient or call the emergency services if required. They can also keep a note of any information that may be useful to the emergency services.

In the case of a non-responsive person, do the following:

A – Airway.

• Check that the person’s airway is not blocked.
• If they are unconscious, tilt the head back and lift the chin to open the airway.

B – Breathing.

• Establish if the casualty is breathing by putting your face close to theirs. You will feel their breath on your cheeks.
• If they are breathing normally but are unresponsive, place them in the recovery position.
• If they are unconscious and not breathing, call 999 before you start a resuscitation attempt.

C – Circulation.

• Look for severe blood loss.
• Apply pressure to the wound and raise the limb above the heart.
• Continually monitor the person for signs of shock.

So that is the basics covered. But as with any emergency situation, ensure your own safety first, you cannot help anyone if you too are injured. Secondly, if in any doubt, call the emergency services.

First Aid is exactly that, the first person on the scene to administer aid to a person in need. If your only action is to call the emergency services, you have been the first aider.

In the next section of this guide, we will look at specific responses to common first-aid emergencies that may occur within the home.

These are deliberately fast, and basic reactions to each situation. You are not training to be a paramedic, only to administer vital first aid.

First Aid for a Non-Breathing and Unresponsive ADULT Casualty

• Check for breathing by tilting the head backward. You will feel or hear if they are breathing as well as being able to see their chest moving.
• Call 999 or get your helper to do so immediately.
• Administer chest compressions by pressing down firmly in the middle of the chest, and then releasing the pressure, at a rapid, regular rate, until help arrives.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk   

First Aid for a Non-Breathing and Unresponsive BABY Casualty

• Check for breathing by tilting the head backward. DO THIS FOR NO LONGER THAN 10 SECONDS. You will feel or hear if they are breathing as well as being able to see their chest moving.
• Call 999 or get your helper to do so immediately.
• Give the baby 5 rescue breaths by gently tilting their head backward. Seal your mouth over their mouth and nose and blow 5 times into the baby.
• Next, give 30 chest compressions. Using 2 fingers press down on their chest so that the chest goes down, then release.
• Then give a further 2 rescue breaths.
• Repeat in cycles of 2 rescue breaths and 30 chest compressions.
• Repeat continuously until consciousness is regained or help arrives.

Learn more and see instructional videos at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for a Non-Breathing and Unresponsive CHILD Casualty

• Check for breathing by tilting the head backward. DO THIS FOR NO LONGER THAN 10 SECONDS. You will feel or hear if they are breathing as well as be able to see their chest moving.
• Call 999 or get your helper to do so immediately.
• Give the child 5 rescue breaths by gently tilting their head backward. Seal your mouth over their mouth and nose and blow 5 times into the baby.
• Next, give 30 chest compressions. Press down on their chest with one hand so that the chest goes down, then release.
• Then give a further 2 rescue breaths.
• Repeat in cycles of 2 rescue breaths and 30 chest compressions.
• Repeat continuously until consciousness is regained or help arrives.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for an Unresponsive but breathing ADULT Casualty

• Check for breathing by tilting the head backward. You will feel or hear if they are breathing as well as be able to see their chest moving.
• Roll the person onto their side and tilt their head back.
• Call 999 or get your helper to do so.
• Continually check for breathing, and ensure the head remains tilted backward.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for an Unresponsive but breathing BABY Casualty

• Check for breathing by tilting the head backward. DO THIS FOR NO LONGER THAN 10 SECONDS. You will feel or hear if they are breathing as well as be able to see their chest moving.
• Hold the baby on their side and tilt their head back.
• Call 999 or get your helper to do so.
• Continually check for breathing, and ensure the head remains tilted backward.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for an Unresponsive but breathing CHILD Casualty

• Check for breathing by tilting the head backward. DO THIS FOR NO LONGER THAN 10 SECONDS. You will feel or hear if they are breathing as well as be able to see their chest moving.
• Place the child on their side and tilt their head back.
• Call 999 or get your helper to do so.
• Continually check for breathing, and ensure the head remains tilted backward.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for a Choking ADULT

• Encourage the choking person to cough
• Bend the person forwards
• Hit the choking person up to 5 times firmly on their back, between the shoulder blades, with the palm of your hand.
• If there is still a blockage administer abdominal thrusts by holding the person around the waist, just above the belly button, and pulling inwards and upwards.
• If you are unable to dislodge the blockage, call 999.
• Repeat the above procedures until help arrives.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for a Choking BABY

• Place the baby face down along your thigh with their head lower than their bottom.
• Support their head.
• Hit them firmly on their back between the shoulder blades up to five times.
• If still choking turn the baby over so that they face upwards.
• Place two fingers in the middle of their chest, just below the nipples.
• Push firmly downwards up to five times.
• If you are unable to dislodge the blockage, call 999.
• Repeat the above procedures until help arrives.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for a Choking CHILD

• Hit the choking child up to 5 times firmly on their back, between the shoulder blades, with the palm of your hand.
• If there is still a blockage administer abdominal thrusts by holding the child around the waist, just above the belly button, and pulling inwards and upwards.
• If you are unable to dislodge the blockage, call 999.
• Repeat the above procedures until help arrives.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for Heavy Bleeding

• Put pressure on the wound using folded clothing, or whatever is available, to help slow down, or stop, the flow of blood.
• Call 999 or get a helper to do so.
• Keep pressure on the wound until help arrives.
• If it is a limb injury, try to raise it above the level of the heart. This will slow the blood flow.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for a Burn Injury

• Cool the affected area by running it under cold water for at least 10 minutes.
• Cover the wound with cling film to prevent infection and clothes sticking to the wound.
• Seek medical attention if the wound is severe.
• When a child or baby is a burn victim always seek medical advice

First Aid for a Broken Bone

• If possible get the injured person to support the limb with their hand or use clothing/blankets/cushions to help prevent any movement of the limb.
• Call 999 or get a helper to do so as soon as possible.
• Ensure the limb is well supported until the emergency services arrive.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for a Heart Attack

• The person will experience severe chest pains which will spread to their arms, neck, jaw, back or stomach.
• Call 999 immediately.
• Sit the patient on the floor in a comfortable position with their back against the wall or a chair.
• Do not leave the patient until the emergency services arrive.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for a Stroke

Think FAST.

F – Face: Is there weakness on the side of the face?

A – Can they raise both arms?

S – Can they speak clearly?

T – Time to call 999

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

First Aid for Poisoning or Consumption of Harmful Substances

• Record the following information: What they have swallowed, how long ago, and what quantity was swallowed. Give this information to the emergency services.
• Call 999.
• Do not make the person vomit, nor let them drink other fluids.
• If possible retain the packaging of the substance.

Learn more at www.redcross.org.uk

The first aid advice above is recommended by the British Red Cross and you may like to visit their website for more information. https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid

Home First Aid Kit Checklist

It is a good idea to have a fully stocked First Aid Kit at home, and that everyone knows exactly where it is.

Your home first aid kit should at a minimum include:

• Sterile wound dressings
• Sterile eye pads
• Adhesive dressings or plasters
• Roller bandages
• Triangular bandages
• Tubular bandages
• Adhesive bandage tape
• Scissors
• Safety pins
• Tweezers
• Foil blanket
• Disposable gloves
• Thermometer
• Cleansing wipes
• Eyewash
• Antiseptic cream
• Antihistamine cream or spray
• Basic first aid instructions

Remember to regularly check your first aid kit to ensure the contents are still in date or that they have not been used and need replacing.

Local Medical Emergency Contact List

It is also worth keeping a list of the telephone numbers for your local A&E and Doctors’ surgeries displayed where all the family know where to find them.

You can find your local services below:

• NHS 111 Online service   
• Find Doctor’s surgeries in your area    
• Find your local A&E unit   
• Find a local pharmacy  

Keeping Your Family Safe at Home

As with fire, theft, or intruders, we hope none of these emergencies ever happen.

It is better to plan to prevent such incidents before they happen and if they do happen, to be prepared to respond to that situation.

I have been a trained first aider for 40 years and have attended many such courses including training with the Army Medical Corp. It is a life skill well worth acquiring.

I would encourage everybody to enroll in a local first aid course, there are courses aimed at all age groups, and what better way to meet new people in your new area?

You can find local first aid courses at:

• www.sja.org.uk   
• www.redcross.org.uk   

And don’t forget your pets as well.

There are often local first aid courses to treat your pets in an emergency.

You may also like to check out these First Aid apps that have lots of useful information, video tutorials, and interactive quizzes. 

The apps work offline so even if you have no internet connection you can access life-saving information.

• Redcross First Aid App   
• St Johns Ambulance First Aid App  

You may also like to read these guides which will help keep you and your family safe, not only in your new home but as you prepare to move and on moving day.

• 14 Things to Know About Moving Home Safely – From being ripped off by a scam removal firm to things being damaged during the home move. We risk assess your relocation so you can have as safe a home move as possible.
• How to Childproof Your New Home in which we go through each room ensuring that any hazards are made safe.
• Top Tips for Securing Your New Home in which we look at how to make your home secure against intruders.
• Fire Safety in the Home in which we look at ways to prevent fires in the home, how to create a fire evacuation plan, and basic fire precautions in the garden.

As we said earlier, prevention is better than cure, so to prevent the fatigue and stress that is often associated with moving home, and is a factor in the cause of many household accidents, you should seriously consider hiring the services of a reputable removal company.

A full-service removal company will carry out all the tasks associated with your home move in a safe and efficient manner whilst you concentrate on keeping safe and enjoying the first day of your new life.

We wish you a safe and happy future in your new home.