First Aid - Emergency care for the injured

Here are few paragraphs from the book:

Protecting yourself First aiders are never required to place themselves in a situation which might put them in danger. Remember, you cannot help a victim if you become a victim yourself. When a first aider is called upon to deal with a victim, they must always remember to safeguard themselves in the first instance and then assess the situation. Only after these steps are completed can treatment of the victim begin. When called to a scene, remember that personal safety is paramount. Before you enter a scene, put on personal protective equipment, especially impermeable gloves. As you approach a scene, you need to be aware of the dangers which might be posed to you as a first aider, or to the victim. These can include obviously dangerous factors such as traffic, gas or chemical leaks, live electrical items, buildings on fire or falling objects. While many courses may focus on obvious dangers such as these, it is important not to neglect everyday factors which could be a danger. (ex. Gas fires, where in getting close to a victim could result in burns from the heated vapor.) There are also human factors, such as bystanders in the way, victim not being co-operative, or an aggressor in the vicinity who may have inflicted the injuries on the victim. If these factors are present, have the police called to control the situation. Always remember the big D for Danger. Once you have made your first assessment for danger, you should continue to be aware of changes to the situation or environment throughout your time with the victim. If there are dangers which you cannot mitigate by your actions (such as falling masonry), then STAY CLEAR and call the emergency services. Remember to never put yourself in harms way.

What has happened?

As you approach, try to gain as much information as possible about the incident. Try and build a mental picture to try and help you treat the victim. Assess the Scene - Where are you? What stores, clubs, public buildings, etc. are nearby? Has anything here caused the injury? What time of day is it? Get some History - If there are witnesses, ask them what’s happened "Did you see what happened here?" and gain information about how long ago it happened "How long have they been like this?", but start your assessment and treatment of the victim while you are doing this.

Be sure to Listen - While working on a victim you may overhear information from witnesses in the crowd. An example of this would be an old man falling on the sidewalk, as you approach the scene you can hear someone say "He was just walking and his legs went out from under him." But you may not see the person saying this. Everything should be taken into account should no witnesses want to become involved or you cannot ask questions. Note what is said and continue treatment.