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Emergency Medicine & First Aid vocabulary · Emergency Assessment (ABC)

Scene safety

Meaning in emergency medicine & first aid, with examples

/ˈsiːn ˌseɪfti/nounCommon term

In emergency medicine & first aid, scene safety means: Checking that the place where someone is hurt or ill is safe to enter, so that rescuers do not become casualties themselves.

In Turkish: olay yeri güvenliği

How it is used

The first step on almost every first aid and ambulance course, before touching the patient. Hazards include traffic, fire, electricity, gas, violence and unstable buildings. Crews say a scene is 'safe' or 'not safe' and may wait for police or firefighters to 'make the scene safe'.

Example sentences

  1. Scene safety first: there's a power line on the ground.

  2. We held back for scene safety until the police confirmed the attacker had left.

Common collocations

  • scene safety check
  • ensure scene safety
  • make the scene safe
  • scene assessment
  • primary surveyA fast, structured first check of a patient, usually in the ABCDE order, to find and deal with life-threatening problems.
  • first responderA person trained to reach an emergency quickly and give early care before or alongside the ambulance, such as a police officer, firefighter, lifeguard or volunteer.
  • mechanism of injuryHow an injury happened and what forces were involved, such as the height of a fall, the speed of a crash or the type of weapon.
  • bystanderA member of the public who happens to be present when someone collapses or is hurt, and who is not part of the emergency services.

More terms: Emergency Assessment (ABC)

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.