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ACCIDENTS - WHAT TO DO

Apply basic first aid principles:

  1. Assess the situation for danger - is anyone else at risk?
  2. Identify the illness or injury as quickly as possible (is help needed?)
  3. Organise help (PLB, mobile phone, SPOT, signal or send for help; check the group's first aid kits)
  4. Manage the casualty

ENVIRONMENT (lost, bad weather, fire, etc)

Plan first - check weather reports and to make sure that the group has suitable equipment (clothes, shelter, food, water). Even with the best planning, the unexpected may happen, such as flood, fire, snow, excessive heat or unexpected difficult terrain. Walk planning should also consider alternate routes - sometimes called 'escape routes'. These are routes which can be taken should it be necessary to abandon the planned walk. The basic first aid principles are a good start:

  1. Assess the situation (is it dangerous to proceed, do you have food and water, enough shelter, do you know where you are, etc)
  2. Identify the alternatives (can you stay another day, change the route, return, use an escape route or shorter route home)
  3. Organise help if needed (PLB, mobile phone, SPOT, some kind of signal - your space blanket may help)
  4. Continue to assess the situation and be prepared to re-asses if conditions change.

OTHER EMERGENCIES

No set of guidelines can cover all emergencies. As a leader or a participant, you should stop and think, and consider the alternatives.

It is important that someone knows where you have gone, and when to expect you back. For this reason, a route plan (appropriate to the event) should be left with a person who can act if you don't return on time. Club policy requires that you have left information with the Training Officer about who your responsible person is.

In the event of an overdue party, someone has to raise the alarm. The club committee has basic details of all listed
activities (short notice and program activities), but cannot be responsible for search and rescue.

In the event of an overdue party, the police should be contacted. The more information your responsible person has, the more capable they are of making a decision about calling for help.

Useful Club Documents

Download a printable copy of this information: