To help you understand the extent of the person’s injury and what you need to do, follow the St John DRSABCD Action Plan.

If the first aid situation is severe or life-threatening — for example, if the person is experiencing heavy bleeding or haemorrhagic shock — call Triple Zero (000) immediately for medical assistance.

For minor cuts and scrapes, clean the wound and surrounding skin, removing any foreign material (e.g. gravel); this may be best achieved by irrigation or gently flushing the wound with sterile saline.

Apply a sterile, non-adhesive gauze or bandage and direct pressure to the wound if there are no foreign bodies visible. If you don’t have one on hand, you can use a clean piece of material that doesn’t have loose fibres.

If the cut or scrape is bleeding, raise the affected area above heart level and clean around the injury with water or a sterile wipe. Pat the area dry and apply a sterile dressing.

For severe bleeding, apply pressure to the affected area with a sterile dressing or clean piece of material. Do not try to remove anything stuck in the wound but apply pressure on either side. Put a bandage on top of the dressing and call Triple Zero (000) for medical assistance.