First Aid
First Aid: DR ABC Primary Survey
The DR ABC primary survey — Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation — for construction site first-aiders. Includes recovery position, CPR ratio, severe bleed control and UAE emergency numbers.
Learning Objectives
- Perform a DR ABC primary survey on a collapsed casualty.
- Place an unconscious breathing casualty in the recovery position.
- Deliver adult CPR at 30:2 with correct depth and rate.
- Control a life-threatening bleed with direct pressure and a tourniquet.
- Call the correct UAE emergency numbers and hand over cleanly to the ambulance.
Training Video
ProPreview
8-minute video
Unlock this training video
The first 3 modules are free. Upgrade to Pro to watch every module, save progress, and issue certificates.
Upgrade to ProModule Content
1. Danger
Before touching the casualty, check for danger to yourself, the casualty and bystanders: live electrical wires, moving plant, hot surfaces, chemicals, unstable structures, traffic. Make it safe or move the casualty (as last resort) only if the danger cannot be removed.
2. Response
Shout and gently shake the casualty's shoulders: 'Are you alright?' Alert (talking normally), Voice (responds to voice), Pain (responds to pinch), Unresponsive — the AVPU scale. Any level below Alert = call 998 immediately.
3. Airway
Tilt the head back, lift the chin (head-tilt / chin-lift). This opens the airway. Look inside the mouth for obvious obstructions (vomit, blood, foreign body) and remove only if visible. Do NOT do a blind finger sweep.
4. Breathing
Look, listen, feel for up to 10 seconds. Look at the chest, listen at the mouth, feel breath on your cheek. Normal breathing (regular rise and fall) → place in recovery position and monitor. Absent or agonal (gasping) → start CPR.
5. Circulation & CPR
Adult CPR: 30 chest compressions to 2 rescue breaths. Depth 5–6 cm, rate 100–120 per minute (to the beat of 'Stayin' Alive'). Compressions on the centre of the chest, arms locked, minimise interruptions. Use an AED as soon as it arrives — follow the voice prompts.
6. Bleeding & Handover
For catastrophic bleeding, take precedence over Airway (the C-ABC / M-ARCH approach): direct firm pressure, elevate, and apply a CAT-style tourniquet 5–7 cm above the wound if pressure fails. Note the time of tourniquet application on the casualty's forehead. Handover to the ambulance using SBAR: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.
Knowledge Assessment
1. DR ABC stands for:
2. Before touching the casualty, the first-aider must:
3. The correct adult CPR compression-to-breath ratio is:
4. Adult CPR compressions should be delivered at a rate of:
5. Correct adult compression depth is:
6. An unconscious casualty who IS breathing normally should be:
7. A blind finger sweep of the airway is:
8. The UAE emergency number for ambulance is:
9. Catastrophic (life-threatening) bleeding is controlled first with:
10. The correct handover format to the ambulance is:
Certificate
Pass the quiz (8 / 10) to unlock your certificate.
Acknowledgement
By signing below, you confirm you have watched the training video, understood the material, and will apply these controls on site.