UK Risk Assessment for Submersion

Question 1

What is the first step in a risk assessment for submersion?

Answer 1

Is the person submerged?

Question 2

You perform a risk assessment for submersion and determine that the patient is not submerged, what do you do?

Answer 2

Consider appropriate rescue operations

Question 3

You perform a risk assessment for submersion and determine that the patient is submerged, what is your next step?

Answer 3

Start a clock
Gather information
Perform a dynamic risk assessment

Question 4

When performing a risk assessment for submersion what information would you gather upon discovering a submerged patient?

Answer 4

Body size/weight of patient
Water temperature
Time last seen

Question 5

After performing a dynamic risk assessment you determine the scene as a ‘GO’, what should you do next?

Answer 5

Attempt rescue operations
Analytical risk assessment
Is clinical advice available?
How dangerous are conditions to rescuers?

Question 6

How long after starting the clock should an analytical risk assessment have been performed by?

Answer 6

30 minutes

Question 7

After performing a dynamic risk assessment you determine the scene as a ‘NO GO’, what should you do next?

Answer 7

Consider recovery operations

Question 8

After failing to rescue the patient you perform an analytical risk assessment and determine the scene as a ‘GO’, what should you do next?

Answer 8

Consider…
Is the patient young or small?
Is the water ice cold?

(Estimated time line of 60 minutes)

Question 9

After performing an analytical risk assessment you determine the scene as a ‘NO GO’, what should you do next?

Answer 9

Consider recovery operations

Question 10

You determine that the patient is not young/small and is not in ice cold water, what is your next step?

Answer 10

Consider recovery operations

Question 11

You determine that the patient is both young/small and in ice cold water, what is your next step?

Answer 11

Perform rescue operations for a further 30 minutes, 90 in total
At 90 minutes perform an incident review before resorting to recovery operations if the patient has still not yet been rescued

Question 12

At every 30 minute interval someone is submerged a multi-agency meeting is performed, what should this typically include?

Answer 12

Clinical decision on survivability

Risk-based decision on actions to take