Accident Scene Safety

• When an accident occurs the most important objectives are the safety of accident victims, emergency personnel and other road users. 
• The first hour after an accident is called the Golden Hour – physicians say seriously injured car crash victims need to reach comprehensive medical care within 60 minutes to ensure a good chance of survival. At the accident scene, this scenario leaves about 12 minutes for rescuers to extricate the wounded and speed them toward the hospital. 
• It is priority that the accident scene be secured and pre-warning of traffic takes place. This is undertaken with the patrol vehicles, blue rotating lights, headlamps and hazards etc. 
• In some instances more than one pre-warning vehicle will be required with the officers kitted in their reflective jackets and the red flags used for motorist’s immediate attention. Sign trailers must be erected with the appropriate message displayed distance from the collision so that motorists adjust and reduce speeds timorously. 
• Incident Management System is the process to efficiently manage road accidents and to restore traffic flow to normal as quickly as possible. IMS is also used to establish an agreed set of formalised alternative routes to use in the event of a road closure. 
• In the event of heavy motor vehicles having been stacked, and a route diversion initiated for light vehicles, restoration to the flow of heavy motor vehicles will be given propriety when lanes become available. 
• We need to prevent material evidence from being removed or relocated in any way. This is especially true if the accident is a fatal injury that might trigger an accident investigation. 
• Learning from past accidents can prevent accidents from happening again.
• Persons having direct authority must preserve and mark for identification, materials, tools or equipment necessary to the proper investigation of an accident, so it's important that material evidence does not "walk off" the scene. 
• Sensitive, competent handling of victims in the immediate aftermath of the accident can have a tremendous impact on both the victim’s subsequent psychological recovery and on law enforcement efforts to solve the case.

• Size-up and assess the scene from all angles – Take notice of the layout of the accident scene and how it may affect your ability to deal with the scene safely. 
• Look at the flow of traffic at the scene. Does it pose a danger to you or others, including the casualty? 
• If so, can the traffic flow be safely controlled by bystanders or should it be stopped altogether? 
• Before you stop the traffic, consider the effects this will have on emergency vehicles trying to get to the scene. 
• If people are available, get someone up road and down road to wave down traffic. This is especially important in tight turns where they may not have time to stop after seeing the accident site. 
• If the accident occurred at night, turn on hazard lights and ignite flares to warn oncoming motorists of the danger.
• Think about the positioning of any vehicles involved in the incident and what possible risks they may pose (such as rolling forwards / backwards etc). Think safety - continuously re-assess the safety of the scene, particularly if relying on others to keep you safe. 
• Turn off all vehicles involved in the crash. There is no way to know the kind of damage the cars have sustained and if there is any kind of puncture in the gas tank, the slightest spark from the engine could ignite a fire, thus increasing the danger posed to passengers, drivers and passers-by. 
• Take care to note any hazards or additional damage away from the initial approach. 
• People and vehicles will slip on hazardous material spills such as petrol, oil, brake fluid etc. If ambulance personnel slip on oil while carrying the victim, it could be fatal. Either clean it off the road or indicate to everyone where it is. 
• Establish a few people around the immediate accident scene to help direct traffic, to point out fluid spills, and to warn people who may want to light up.
• Control access to the scene - Keep foot traffic through the scene to a minimum. Allow only necessary personnel into the perimeter. 
• Do not allow more people than is necessary into the crime scene. They can leave hair fibres, clothing fibres, footprints or other deposits that can interfere with any evidence at the scene. 
• People who smoke tend to light up under stress. Ask these people to either extinguish their smokes or move away from the flammable materials and/or bikes. It is easy to forget something obvious like this in a stressful situation like an accident scene. 
• Do not adjust or modify the scene (Exception: Removal of victims) of a vehicle accident
• The first priority is to assess the condition of all patients. Be aware that patients may have been ejected from the vehicle. 
• Stabilize the vehicle - trapped victims are in direct contact with the vehicle structure, so the substructure must be blocked and supported so there's no movement during rescue operations. 
• Check for injured persons and perform first aid, if necessary, within the limits of your training and experience. Arrange for medical assistance. 
• Never move an injured person unless you absolutely have to for their own safety or to perform CPR. They could have broken bones or internal injuries that could be made worse from movement.
• Never go near an accident scene or try to help a victim if there are downed power lines. You could risk your life doing so. 
• Never touch blood with your bare hands and risk transferring disease.