Knowing first aid for common household injuries can make a real difference when something unexpected happens at home.

Burns while cooking, falls, cuts, choking, poisoning and allergic reactions are just some of the emergencies that can happen during everyday life. More serious incidents, including severe bleeding and cardiac arrest, can also happen without warning.

You do not need to be a workplace first aider to learn what to do.

This guide covers some of the most common household injuries and emergencies, the immediate first aid you can provide and when you should call 999 or seek medical advice.

Where an emergency needs more detailed explanation, we have linked to our full first aid guides.

Why Is First Aid Important at Home?

Many people first learn first aid because they need a qualification for work.

However, first aid skills are just as useful outside the workplace.

You could need them while:

cooking at home
looking after children
caring for an older relative
eating a family meal
doing DIY
gardening
playing sport
travelling
attending a community event
simply spending time with friends and family

You may never need to use your first aid skills.

But if something does happen, knowing the basic response can help you stay calmer, make the situation safer and provide appropriate help while professional medical assistance is arranged.

1. Cuts and Bleeding

Minor cuts are among the most common household injuries.

For a small cut, apply pressure with a clean dressing or cloth until the bleeding stops. Clean and cover the wound appropriately.

Severe bleeding is different.

What to Do for Severe Bleeding

If someone is bleeding heavily:

make sure it is safe to approach
expose the wound if necessary
apply firm direct pressure
call 999 for severe or life-threatening bleeding
keep pressure on the wound
monitor the casualty while waiting for help

If blood soaks through the dressing, maintain effective pressure and continue managing the bleeding.

Serious blood loss can become life-threatening very quickly.

What If Something Is Embedded in the Wound?

Do not pull out an object that is deeply embedded in a wound.

Instead, apply pressure around it and seek urgent medical assistance.

Removing an embedded object could make the bleeding significantly worse.

2. Burns and Scalds

Hot drinks, boiling water, pans, ovens, hair straighteners, irons, fires and other hot surfaces can all cause burns or scalds at home.

The most important immediate treatment for an ordinary thermal burn or scald is:

Cool the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes.

Remove loose clothing and jewellery near the injury, but do not pull away anything stuck to the skin.

After cooling, the burn can be covered loosely.

Do not use:

ice
butter
cooking oil
toothpaste
creams or ointments on a fresh burn

Large or deep burns and burns involving areas such as the face or genitals need urgent medical attention. Chemical and electrical burns also require medical assessment. NHS guidance recommends 20 minutes of cool running water for ordinary burns and scalds.

Our complete guide to burns first aid explains cooling, covering, chemical burns, electrical burns and when to call 999.

3. Choking

Choking can happen very suddenly, often while someone is eating.

If the person has an effective cough, encourage them to keep coughing and monitor them.

If their cough becomes ineffective, choking first aid is required.

For an adult or child over one year old, this involves:

Up to five back blows.
Up to five abdominal thrusts if the obstruction remains.
Call 999 if the obstruction has not cleared and continue treatment.

For a baby under one year old, use back blows and chest thrusts, not abdominal thrusts.

If the casualty becomes unresponsive, start CPR.

Current Resuscitation Council UK guidance continues to prioritise coughing, back blows and abdominal thrusts for adults and children, with chest thrusts replacing abdominal thrusts for infants.

Read our full guide to choking first aid for the complete adult, child and baby procedures.

4. Falls and Head Injuries

Falls can happen anywhere in the home.

Young children and older people can be particularly vulnerable, but anyone can trip, fall down stairs or strike their head.

Not every head injury is serious, but symptoms can develop after the initial incident.

Following a head injury, monitor the casualty carefully.

Call 999 for serious warning signs such as:

the casualty being knocked unconscious and not waking
difficulty staying awake
a seizure
new weakness or numbness
problems with balance, speaking or understanding
clear fluid coming from the nose or ears
a serious high-speed or high-impact injury

NHS guidance contains additional warning signs that require urgent assessment.

Our detailed head injury assessment guide explains what to look for and when medical help is required.

5. Sprains, Strains and Suspected Fractures

Trips, falls, DIY, gardening and playing with children can result in injuries to bones, muscles and joints.

A casualty may experience:

pain
swelling
bruising
difficulty moving
loss of normal function
tenderness
deformity in more serious injuries

Do not try to straighten a suspected fracture.

Support the injured area in the position you find it and arrange appropriate medical assessment.

Call 999 for serious injuries, particularly where there is significant trauma, severe deformity, an open fracture or concern about the casualty’s overall condition.

6. Poisoning

Household products can present a poisoning risk, particularly to young children.

Potential hazards include:

medicines
cleaning products
chemicals
alcohol
some plants
pesticides and garden products
fumes and gases

If you think someone may have swallowed, inhaled or come into contact with something harmful, seek medical advice.

Do not deliberately make them vomit.

Do not give them food or drink unless instructed to do so by an appropriate healthcare professional.

Keep the packaging or container if it can be done safely, as this may help healthcare professionals identify the substance involved.

NHS advice is to get medical advice immediately if poisoning is suspected. Call 999 for serious symptoms such as loss of consciousness, breathing problems or seizures.

7. Allergic Reactions and Anaphylaxis

An allergic reaction can range from mild symptoms to a life-threatening emergency.

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can develop rapidly.

Possible warning signs can include:

swelling of the tongue or throat
difficulty breathing
noisy breathing
wheezing
feeling faint or collapsing
rapidly worsening symptoms following exposure to a known allergen

If you suspect anaphylaxis, call 999 immediately.

If the casualty has their prescribed adrenaline auto-injector, help them use it if necessary.

Do not make someone with breathing difficulties stand or walk around.

Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency.

We have a dedicated section of the FAST website covering allergy and anaphylaxis training for organisations that want to improve their knowledge and preparedness.

8. Seizures

Seeing someone have a seizure can be frightening, particularly if you have never witnessed one before.

If someone is having a convulsive seizure:

protect them from injury
remove nearby hazards where possible
cushion their head
note the time the seizure starts
do not restrain them
do not put anything in their mouth

When the seizure stops, assess their condition and breathing.

If they are unresponsive but breathing normally, place them in the recovery position where appropriate and continue monitoring them.

Call 999 when necessary, including for a prolonged seizure, repeated seizures without recovery or when you are seriously concerned about the casualty.

Never put your fingers, a spoon or another object into someone’s mouth during a seizure.

9. Nosebleeds

Most nosebleeds are not serious, but they can look alarming.

Ask the casualty to:

Sit down.
Lean forward.
Pinch the soft part of their nose.
Breathe through their mouth.

Leaning forward helps prevent blood running backwards into the throat.

Do not tell them to tilt their head backwards.

Seek medical assistance if the bleeding is severe, follows a significant injury, continues despite appropriate first aid or you are otherwise concerned about the casualty.

10. Eye Injuries

Everyday activities such as DIY, cleaning and gardening can cause eye injuries.

If a loose particle such as dust enters the eye, it may be possible to rinse it carefully with clean water.

Do not rub the eye.

If an object is embedded in the eye:

Do not attempt to remove it.

Seek urgent medical attention.

Chemical splashes to the eye also require immediate irrigation with plenty of clean water and urgent medical advice.

11. Asthma Attacks

Someone having an asthma attack may experience:

increasing breathlessness
wheezing
coughing
chest tightness
difficulty speaking normally

Help them sit upright and remain as calm as possible.

Help them use their prescribed reliever inhaler according to their personal asthma action plan.

Call 999 if their symptoms are severe, getting worse or are not improving with their emergency treatment.

Our detailed guide to asthma attack first aid explains how to recognise an attack, use different types of reliever inhalers and know when emergency help is required.

12. Cardiac Arrest

Cardiac arrest is one of the most serious emergencies that can happen at home or in the community.

The casualty will be:

unresponsive
and not breathing normally

Current Resuscitation Council UK guidance says that if someone is unresponsive, call 999 as soon as possible. Assess their breathing while waiting for the call to be answered. If they are not breathing normally, start CPR.

For an adult:

call 999
start chest compressions
compress at 100 to 120 compressions per minute
compress approximately 5 to 6 cm
if trained and able, provide CPR at 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths
use an AED as soon as one becomes available

Anyone can use an AED. Switch it on and follow its instructions.

Our seven steps of CPR guide explains the response in more detail.

You can also read how to use an AED so you know what to expect if a defibrillator is needed.

When Should You Call 999?

You do not need an ambulance for every household injury.

However, call 999 for serious or life-threatening emergencies.

Examples can include:

cardiac arrest
severe breathing difficulties
severe choking
severe bleeding
serious burns
suspected anaphylaxis
serious head injuries
some seizures
loss of consciousness
serious poisoning

If you are unsure whether a condition requires urgent medical attention but it is not a life-threatening emergency, NHS 111 can advise you what to do next.

Do not delay calling 999 because you are worried that you might be overreacting to a genuinely life-threatening emergency.

Common Household Injuries First Aid Guide for Emergencies at Home

What Should You Keep in a Home First Aid Kit?

A home first aid kit gives you basic supplies for dealing with minor injuries.

Useful items can include:

disposable gloves
sterile dressings
plasters in different sizes
triangular bandages
eye dressings
cleansing wipes
adhesive tape
scissors
a foil blanket

What you need will depend on your household.

For example, a family with young children may have different requirements from someone regularly taking part in outdoor activities.

Our complete guide to what should be in a home first aid kit looks at what to consider and how to maintain your supplies.

First Aid for Common Household Injuries Starts With Confidence

You do not need to memorise every possible illness or injury.

Good first aid starts with a few important principles:

Stay safe.

Check for danger before approaching the casualty.

Recognise serious problems.

Breathing difficulties, unconsciousness, severe bleeding and cardiac arrest require rapid action.

Call for help when it is needed.

Use 999 for life-threatening emergencies and NHS 111 where appropriate for urgent advice.

Do something useful.

Simple actions such as cooling a burn, applying pressure to severe bleeding, giving choking treatment or starting CPR can make a significant difference.

Most importantly, do not allow fear of doing something imperfectly to prevent you from helping someone who needs you.

First Aid Isn’t Just for the Workplace

One of the reasons we believe first aid for common household injuries is so important is that emergencies do not only happen at work.

People choke while having dinner.

Children fall and hurt themselves.

Someone can suffer a cardiac arrest at home.

A family member can have a severe allergic reaction.

A neighbour can collapse.

First aid belongs in homes and communities as much as it belongs in workplaces.

That principle is also behind the work of First Aid Saves Lives CIC.

Through First Aid Saves Lives CIC, we help make practical first aid skills more accessible to people in the community, including people who may never otherwise have the opportunity to attend first aid training.

Our community workshops are designed to build practical skills and, just as importantly, the confidence to use them.

They include sessions covering subjects such as CPR and AED use, alongside other community first aid initiatives.

The aim is simple:

More people who know what to do when someone needs help.

Community First Aid Workshops

First Aid Saves Lives CIC works with communities and organisations in South Tyneside, Sunderland and the wider area to make first aid education more accessible.

Workshops can bring people of different ages and backgrounds together to learn practical emergency skills in an approachable environment.

You can visit First Aid Saves Lives CIC to find out more about our community work and upcoming opportunities.

Do You Need a First Aid Qualification?

Community first aid knowledge and regulated first aid qualifications serve different purposes.

If you need first aid training for your job or organisation, First Aid and Safety Training provides practical courses leading to regulated Qualsafe Awards qualifications.

These include:

We deliver open courses and onsite training for organisations across the North East.

Explore our first aid training across the North East or contact First Aid and Safety Training to discuss the right training for you.

Our main training centre is at One Trinity Green in South Shields. You can also view our South Shields location and customer reviews on Google Maps.

Real Skills, Real Confidence.