Learning a few essential first aid skills can make a real difference when someone becomes seriously ill or injured. You may need to help a family member, colleague, friend or complete stranger before professional medical help arrives.

First aid is not about diagnosing every medical condition. It is about recognising when something is wrong, getting appropriate help and taking simple actions that can prevent a casualty’s condition from becoming worse.

From performing CPR to controlling severe bleeding, here are 10 essential first aid skills everyone should know.

1. Assessing an Emergency Safely

One of the most important essential first aid skills is knowing how to assess an emergency without putting yourself in danger.

Before approaching a casualty, check the area for hazards.

These might include:

moving traffic
electricity
fire or smoke
chemicals
machinery
broken glass
aggressive behaviour
other environmental dangers

A first aider who becomes injured cannot effectively help the original casualty.

Once it is safe to approach, check the casualty and quickly identify any immediately life-threatening problems.

Current first aid guidance uses a structured ABCDE approach to help identify and treat life-threatening conditions:

A – Airway
B – Breathing
C – Circulation
D – Disability
E – Exposure

Call for emergency help early when the casualty is seriously ill or injured.

2. Recognising Cardiac Arrest and Performing CPR

CPR is one of the most important lifesaving skills you can learn.

If you find an adult who appears to be unresponsive, check that it is safe to approach and try to get a response.

If they are unresponsive, call 999 immediately.

If possible, put your phone on speaker so you can continue assessing the casualty while speaking to the ambulance service.

Assess whether they are breathing normally while waiting for the call to be answered.

Slow, laboured, irregular or gasping breaths should not be mistaken for normal breathing.

If the casualty is unresponsive and not breathing normally, assume cardiac arrest and begin CPR.

For an adult:

place your hands in the centre of the chest, on the lower half of the breastbone
give chest compressions at 100 to 120 per minute
compress the chest by at least 5 cm but no more than 6 cm
allow the chest to fully recoil between compressions
minimise interruptions

If you are trained and willing to give rescue breaths, use 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths.

If you are unable or unwilling to provide rescue breaths, continue chest compressions and follow the ambulance service call handler’s instructions.

Our guide to the seven steps of CPR explains the process in greater detail.

3. Using an AED

Knowing how to use an Automated External Defibrillator is another of the essential first aid skills that can help someone in cardiac arrest.

An AED analyses the casualty’s heart rhythm and, when appropriate, delivers a controlled electrical shock.

You do not need to be medically qualified to use one.

In fact, anyone can use an AED.

As soon as an AED becomes available:

Turn it on.
Expose the casualty’s chest.
Attach the pads to bare skin in the positions shown on the pads.
Follow the AED’s spoken or visual instructions.
Make sure nobody is touching the casualty while the AED analyses the heart rhythm.
If a shock is advised, make sure everyone is clear and follow the device’s instructions.
Immediately restart chest compressions when instructed.

Continue following the AED until the ambulance service takes over or the casualty shows clear signs of life.

Using an AED alongside CPR can significantly improve the chances of survival from cardiac arrest.

4. Helping Someone Who Is Choking

Choking occurs when an object blocks the airway.

A person with a mild obstruction may still be able to speak, breathe and cough effectively.

Encourage them to keep coughing and watch for deterioration.

If the cough becomes ineffective and the airway obstruction is severe, call 999 and take action.

For a conscious adult:

give up to 5 back blows
if these do not clear the obstruction, give up to 5 abdominal thrusts
continue alternating 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts if necessary

If the casualty becomes unresponsive, start CPR.

Do not perform blind finger sweeps inside the casualty’s mouth. Only remove an obstruction if you can clearly see it and can remove it safely.

Choking treatment differs for babies, because abdominal thrusts are not used for infants.

Learning these techniques practically is one of the reasons hands-on first aid training is so valuable.

5. Controlling Severe Bleeding

A casualty can lose a dangerous amount of blood very quickly.

Recognising and controlling severe bleeding is therefore another of the essential first aid skills everyone should understand.

If someone is bleeding heavily:

make sure it is safe to help
call 999 for life-threatening bleeding
expose the injury if necessary so you can identify where the blood is coming from
apply firm direct pressure to the wound
use an appropriate dressing where available
continue monitoring the casualty

Where life-threatening bleeding has been identified as a risk, additional equipment and techniques may be appropriate.

These can include wound packing and tourniquets, particularly where direct pressure alone cannot control the bleeding.

First aiders should receive appropriate training in any specialist bleeding-control equipment provided within their workplace.

Severe blood loss can also cause shock, so continue monitoring the casualty for signs of deterioration while waiting for emergency help.

6. Essential First Aid Skills for Burns and Scalds

Correct first aid can limit the damage caused by a burn or scald.

Cool a thermal burn with cool running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible.

Remove clothing and jewellery from around the affected area where possible, but do not remove anything stuck to the burn.

After cooling, the burn can be loosely covered with cling film. Lay the film over the burn rather than wrapping it tightly around a limb.

Do not apply:

ice
butter
creams
oils
toothpaste
other home remedies

These can cause further damage or interfere with subsequent treatment.

Large or deep burns, burns affecting areas such as the face or genitals, and burns caused by chemicals or electricity require urgent medical assessment.

The NHS provides further guidance on burns and scalds.

7. Recognising and Treating Shock

Shock is a potentially life-threatening condition where the body’s tissues and vital organs do not receive an adequate supply of oxygenated blood.

It can occur following:

severe bleeding
serious burns
major trauma
anaphylaxis
severe fluid loss
serious illness
heart problems

Signs can include pale, cold or clammy skin, sweating, weakness, dizziness, rapid breathing, a rapid pulse, increasing confusion and reduced responsiveness.

If you suspect shock:

treat an obvious life-threatening cause where possible
call 999 or 112
help the casualty to lie down if their condition and injuries allow
keep them warm
reassure them
continue monitoring their breathing and level of response

Our detailed guide to shock first aid explains the signs, causes and appropriate response in more detail.

8. Recognising Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.

Symptoms can develop quickly.

Warning signs may include:

difficulty breathing
wheezing or noisy breathing
swelling of the tongue or throat
difficulty swallowing
dizziness
collapse
signs of shock

Skin changes such as hives, flushing or swelling can occur, but a severe reaction should not be ruled out simply because obvious skin symptoms are absent.

Adrenaline is the first-line emergency treatment for anaphylaxis.

If someone is experiencing suspected anaphylaxis and has their adrenaline auto-injector, help them to use it or administer it if appropriate and within your training.

Call 999 and tell the ambulance service you suspect anaphylaxis.

Our allergy and anaphylaxis training information provides further information about recognising and responding to serious allergic reactions.

9. Recognising a Stroke

Recognising a stroke quickly is another important first aid skill.

The FAST approach can help you remember some of the main warning signs:

F – Face: Can the person smile? Has one side of their face drooped?

A – Arms: Can they raise both arms and keep them there?

S – Speech: Is their speech slurred, confused or difficult to understand?

T – Time: If you notice any of these signs, call 999 immediately.

Other symptoms can occur, including sudden vision problems, weakness or numbness, confusion, dizziness and a severe headache.

Stroke requires urgent hospital treatment.

Do not give aspirin to someone because you think they are having a stroke.

Not every stroke is caused by a blood clot. Some are caused by bleeding in or around the brain, so medication should be left to healthcare professionals unless specifically directed otherwise.

Note the time the symptoms started, or the last time the person was known to be well, if this information is available.

10. Helping an Unresponsive Casualty

Knowing what to do when someone becomes unresponsive completes our list of essential first aid skills.

If you find an adult who is unresponsive, call 999 immediately and assess their breathing while waiting for the call to be answered.

If they are not breathing normally, start CPR and use an AED as soon as possible.

If they are breathing normally, maintain their airway and continue monitoring them.

For an unresponsive casualty whose reduced responsiveness is caused by medical illness or non-physical trauma, and who is breathing normally, placing them on their side in the recovery position can help maintain an open airway.

Continue checking their breathing.

If their breathing becomes abnormal or stops, roll them onto their back and begin CPR.

A casualty with suspected serious physical trauma may need different management, so follow the advice of the ambulance service.

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Why These Essential First Aid Skills Matter

Emergencies rarely happen when we expect them.

A cardiac arrest could happen at work. Someone could choke in a restaurant. A child could suffer a burn at home. A colleague could experience anaphylaxis or a serious injury could result in life-threatening bleeding.

Having essential first aid skills does not mean you need to diagnose every problem.

Instead, good first aid is about being able to:

recognise when something is seriously wrong
call for the right help
protect the casualty from further harm
provide appropriate immediate treatment
monitor them until professional help arrives

Confidence matters too.

People are far more likely to act effectively when they have practised the skills rather than only read about them.

Learn Essential First Aid Skills Through Practical Training

Reading about essential first aid skills is a useful starting point, but practical training allows you to practise CPR, AED use, choking management, bleeding control and casualty assessment in a controlled environment.

First Aid and Safety Training delivers regulated workplace first aid qualifications awarded by Qualsafe Awards, an Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation.

Our Emergency First Aid at Work course provides practical training in essential emergency first aid skills.

For workplaces requiring a broader level of first aid provision, the First Aid at Work course covers a wider range of injuries and medical emergencies.

Employers can also arrange onsite first aid training across the North East, allowing groups of employees to train together at their workplace.

Not sure which course your organisation needs? Contact First Aid and Safety Training and we can help you choose appropriate training based on your requirements.

You can also see our South Shields training location and customer reviews on Google.