In Australia, road accidents are growing at an alarming rate, with many occurring in regional and remote areas. In these situations, trucks drivers often find themselves as the first to arrive at the scene, stepping up to provide critical assistance before emergency services can reach the location. These situations are often stressful and unpredictable, so having the knowledge and first-aid skills to respond to an emergency can mean the difference between life and death.
Would you know what to do if you were the first on the scene? Let's break down the essential steps and first-aid skills every truck driver needs to handle these critical moments.
1. Prioritise safety
Stay calm: Panic only increases confusion and makes it difficult to think clearly. Take a deep breath to steady yourself and reduce anxiety before you act.
Assess your safety: Before stepping out of your vehicle or entering an area, check for potential dangers such as traffic, fire, leaking fuel or even fallen powerlines. Your safety comes first; if it seems too risky to move, stay inside your vehicle until help arrives.
Wear High-Visibility clothing: If you have a reflective vest or any other high-visibility clothing in your car, put it on to ensure that others can see you, especially in low light or at night.
Signal your location: Make yourself visible to other drivers by using hazard lights or setting up road flares or cones if you have them. This alerts others to your presence and helps prevent further accidents.
2. Assess the scene
Evaluate victims: Count the number of vehicles involved and check for injured individuals. This step helps you understand the scope of the emergency and assess how many people may need assistance.
3. Call Emergency Services
Every minute counts in saving lives and reducing injuries.Unless the injury or illness appears to be minimal, you or a bystander should call for an ambulance, following these simple steps.
Dial Emergency Number: In Australia, call 000; in other locations, call the local emergency number immediately.
Provide key information: Clearly share important details such as your exact location, the number of vehicles and people involved, any visible injuries, and potential hazards, like emanating smoke. This helps responders prepare for the situation before they arrive.
Stay on the line: Do not hang up until the operator instructs you to do so. They might have vital instructions for you to follow that could make a significant difference for those involved.
4. Check Victims
Focus on assessing the most critical and life-threatening injuries, using bystanders wherever possible. Try and adhere to triage principles; prioritising care based on the severity of injuries, ensuring the most urgent receive attention first.
Grab your first aid kit: Have a first-aid kit in your car? Grab it. Got gloves? Put them on.
Tip: St John Ambulance and NatRoad Australia have collaborated on this Truckie First Aid kit designed to meet the first aid needs of truck drivers on the road.
Other resources:
https://www.trafalgar.com.au/products/heavy-vehicle-first-aid-kit
https://firstaidkitsaustralia.com.au/first-aid-kits/transport
Approach cautiously: Always make sure it is safe before approaching anyone who may be hurt. Your safety must remain a priority.
Observe victim: Look for any of the following:
- Bruising
- bleeding
- wounds
- swelling
- deformity
Assess responsiveness: Introduce yourself and start a conversation with the victim. Who are they? How do they feel? Were they alone?
Use the ‘AVPU’ code to help with your observations of their health.
- Alert: are they alert and responsive to you?
- Voice: Do they respond to your voice?
- Painful: If they cannot response to verbal cues, do they respond to a pain stimulus, such as squeezing fingers?
- Unresponsive: they do not respond to any eye, voice or motor response to voice or pain.
Perform First Aid:
If necessary, perform first aid; you can use the ABC Principe to guide you.
- Airway: Ensuring the injured person’s airway is clear.
- Breathing: Checking for signs of breathing
- Circulation: Assessing for severe bleeding and applying pressure.
• If the victim is unresponsive and not breathing, start CPR. Give 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths.
• For severe bleeding, use a clean cloth or bandage to apply direct pressure to the wound until professional help arrives.
Tip: According to RedCross Australia, fewer than 5% of people in Australia are trained in first aid, one of the lowest rates in the world. Familiarise yourself with basic first-aid techniques, including CPR and how to stop severe bleeding. St John Ambulance and the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) are offering a free online first aid training for all truck drivers, recognising their status as regular first responders to an accident.
You can also download the FREE Australian Red Cross Essential First Aid Guide here. Or, find more information on how to respond with first aid here.
Position victims safely: If a person is unconscious but breathing, place them in the recovery position to keep their airway clear and prevent choking. Do not attempt to move victims if they are in a difficult position, as you may injure them further.
Communicate with the injured: Offer Comfort and keep them informed: Provide verbal reassurance to victims stabilise emotions. Continually update them at the arrival of emergency services, and inform them of any first aid actions you might take.
6. Follow up
Ensure professional help arrives: Wait at the scene until emergency responders get there. You may need to guide them or give them a summary of what happened.
7. Check in
The stress and trauma associated with these "first responder" roles can compound mental health issues among truck drivers. It can contribute to issues like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), so getting help for your own wellbeing is a priority.
Reach out for help: You can get mental health support from operations that specialise in the wellbeing of truck drivers like Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds and offer workshops and counselling services. For regional areas, you can find support from Rural Outreach Counselling.
Overarchingly, the quick thinking and resourcefulness of truck drivers in these critical scenarios can make a significant difference to the outcomes. Beyond first-aid knowledge, understanding the right steps to take—such as securing the scene, calling for help, and prioritising life-threatening injuries—can make all the difference.
By being prepared and knowing how to act, truck drivers play an invaluable role in supporting accident victims and fostering safety on our roads.