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Scene safety and dynamic risk assessment — DIPIMC MCQ

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HardScene Safety and MedicolegalScene safety and dynamic risk assessmentDIPIMCDipIMC

You are first to arrive at a report of a collapsed person inside a house where there is a strong smell of gas. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

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Correct answer: C — Do not enter; withdraw and await specialist services

Scene safety comes before patient care, captured by the sequence of self, scene, then casualty; a suspected gas leak carries risks of asphyxiation and explosion, so the correct action is to keep clear, stop others entering, raise the alarm and let the appropriate specialist services make the scene safe. Entering the hazard, holding your breath, or operating electrical switches that could create a spark all risk producing a second casualty and worsening the incident. A dynamic risk assessment is continuous and may change as conditions change. Pearl: a rescuer who becomes a casualty adds to the problem and removes a responder, so an unsafe scene is not entered until it is controlled.

Reference: JESIP Joint Doctrine; Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care (RCSEd)