Bleeding, burns and breaks

This module is theory preparation only. First aid is a hands-on skill: do an accredited practical course, and always follow the most current official resuscitation guidance — protocols are reviewed and updated over time. Reviewed against Resuscitation Council UK 2021 Guidelines and NHS guidance, June 2026.

Serious bleeding is controlled with DIRECT PRESSURE — a dressing pressed firmly onto the wound, another on top if it soaks through, the limb elevated where practical, and pressure maintained rather than peeked under. For CATASTROPHIC limb bleeding that pressure cannot hold, a tourniquettourniquetThe last-resort band for catastrophic limb bleeding — applied high, time written down, never covered.full glossary → (a real one from the kit, applied high, tightened until the bleeding stops, the TIME written down and never covered) is the modern last resort that travels with the casualty. The boat’s contribution is mess and motion: gloves from the kit, the casualty seated or lying before shock sits them down for you, and the working area made safe. A casualty who is pale, clammy, faint — shocked — lies down, legs raised, kept warm, and gets the radio consultation early.

Galley burns are the classic boat injury, and the treatment is patience: COOL with running water for a full twenty minutes (a boat has an ocean; cool seawater is acceptable for cooling unbroken skin), remove rings and watches before swelling, then cover loosely with a clean non-fluffy dressing or cling film. No creams, no butter, no ice. The twenty minutes feels excessive precisely when it is doing the most good — burns keep cooking until cooled.

Suspected fractures and sprains afloat are managed, not fixed: immobilise in the position found — splint to the boat or the body, padding generously — and treat the BOAT as part of the treatment: a casualty in pain is tormented by slamming; slow down, change course for comfort, and weigh evacuation honestly. Head injuries earn special suspicion: any loss of consciousness, worsening headache, vomiting or confusion is a radio call, not a wait-and-see. And where the MECHANISM suggests the spine — a fall from height, the boom at speed — the rule becomes minimal movement: support the head in line, move the casualty only by coordinated log-roll and only when the boat or airway forces it.

Heart attack and stroke — recognise and call

Two land emergencies that do not stay ashore. A HEART ATTACK classically announces itself as crushing central chest pain, possibly spreading to arm, neck or jaw, with grey, sweaty, frightened skin — sit the casualty down in a supported half-sitting position, keep them still and warm, and make the urgency call IMMEDIATELY; time is heart muscle, and evacuation decisions are far easier in daylight. A STROKE is screened with FAST: Face drooping on one side, Arm weakness, Speech slurred or strange — any one sign means Time to call, noting WHEN symptoms started, because treatment ashore is time-critical. In both cases your job is recognition, position, reassurance and the radio — the boat’s course and speed become part of the casualty’s care.