Brief overview
- What does securing the scene of an accident mean? Making the scene of the accident visible to other road users at an early stage, e.g. by means of a warning triangle and hazard warning lights.
- Securing the accident scene – here’s how: Park your own vehicle at the side of the road if possible, switch on hazard warning lights if necessary, put on a high-visibility vest, set up a warning triangle at a sufficient distance from the scene of the accident.
- In which cases? In the event of traffic accidents, but also in a modified form in the event of accidents at home, in companies, schools, kindergartens, etc. (e.g. turn off the power, switch off the machine).
- Risks: If the first aider is inattentive at the scene of the accident, he or she may be hit by a passing vehicle.
Caution!
- In the event of a traffic accident, anyone whose behavior may have contributed to the accident is legally obliged to stop. Hit and run is just as punishable as failure to render assistance.
- First aiders should think of their own safety first, behave calmly and prudently at the scene of the accident and, if possible, only move to the side of the road and/or behind the crash barrier.
- If a first aider starts rescuing the injured person or administering first aid without securing the accident scene, they are endangering themselves, the accident victim and other road users!
- The emergency call should only be made and first aid administered after the accident scene has been secured.
Secure the accident site – this is the first thing you should do as a first aider in the event of a traffic accident if no other first aider or the emergency services are on site. Only then should you provide first aid at the scene of the accident. How to secure the scene of an accident:
- Keep calm! If you run around headlong at the scene of an accident, you will only endanger yourself.
- Park your vehicle: If possible, park your vehicle at the side of the road, turn off the engine and switch on the hazard warning lights. The latter is particularly important at dusk or in the dark.
- Safety vest and protective gloves: Put on the safety vest and put on medical gloves to protect yourself from possible infection in the event of contact with the injured person(s).
Drivers are obliged to wear a high-visibility vest if they have to leave their vehicle due to an accident or breakdown on highways, in blind spots and in poor visibility. One high-visibility vest must be carried per car.
Securing the accident site – further steps
As soon as you have secured the scene of the accident, you should get an overview of the scene. After all, you can only provide first aid if you know “what’s what”. You will also notice any potential sources of danger and can either eliminate them (e.g. switch off the engine) or get to safety.
Making an emergency call
Now make an emergency call. It is important that you state:
- where the accident happened,
- what has happened,
- how many people are injured,
- what type of injuries are involved and
- who is calling.
Do not hang up immediately afterwards, but stay on the line in case there are any further questions. The emergency services will end the call. Don’t be afraid of the call: the experienced staff at the rescue coordination center will question you step by step and guide the call.
You can also ask other road users who have stopped to take over the emergency call or warn oncoming traffic.
Rescue the injured
Keep your distance from deployed airbags when rescuing casualties. They are hot immediately after deployment and can cause burns. If the inflation gas has escaped from the airbag, you can push it to the side. Even if the airbags were not deployed in the accident, you should keep your distance to be on the safe side. They can deploy subsequently and injure first responders or catapult objects through the car.
There are many electrically controlled components in modern vehicles (power windows, adjustable seats, etc.). Under certain circumstances, these functions can help to rescue people from the vehicle. Then switch off the vehicle, but leave the key in the ignition.
Check whether the victim’s legs are trapped. If possible, pull the victim out of the vehicle – depending on the means of transportation involved in the accident. You can also use the rescue handle (also known as the Rautek handle or Rautek rescue handle) to rescue heavier people from vehicles. If a person is trapped in the vehicle, talk to them and calm them down as much as possible. If possible, do not leave the trapped person alone.
If you are unconscious, remove the helmet as follows: Support the back of your head with one hand. With the other hand, grasp the lower edge of the helmet and carefully pull it off. The head should be moved as little as possible. This works best with a second helper. One supports the head and neck, the other carefully pulls the helmet off from above. Avoid any unnecessary strain or movement afterwards. First aid measures should only be initiated once the helmet is down.
If an injured person is lying outside a vehicle, you should also rescue them from the danger zone, also using the rescue handle. Approach the victim from the head end, slide your forearms under their head, neck and spine and carefully straighten their upper body. Reach around the victim and grab an arm (elbow on one side of the body, wrist on the other) and pull it up and out of the danger zone.
Provide first aid
If the victim is unconscious but breathing, place them in the recovery position. If they are no longer breathing, you must start resuscitation immediately (cardiac massage and rescue breathing).
When do I secure an accident scene?
According to the law, anyone whose behavior may have contributed to the accident in any way is considered a party to the accident. Everyone involved in an accident is obliged to stop, secure the accident scene, get an overview of the consequences of the accident and provide the necessary first aid after the emergency call.
Securing the scene of an accident may not only be necessary in the case of traffic accidents, but also in the case of accidents at school or kindergarten, at home or at work. Securing the scene of an accident includes, for example, turning off the power, switching off running machinery and/or removing unsecured objects from the danger zone.
Securing risks at the scene of an accident
As a first aider, you should always think about your own safety when securing the scene of an accident. For example, if you walk along the edge of the road instead of setting up the warning triangle, you could be hit by moving traffic. If you do not check whether the vehicle involved in the accident is running out of fuel before you approach it, you could put yourself in danger from an impending explosion.
When rescuing casualties, take care not to burn yourself on the deployed airbags. Also keep your distance from airbags that have not been deployed. They can subsequently explode and injure you or catapult parts of the car through the vehicle.
