Think about the dangers the accident site presents. Take notice of the layout of the accident scene and how it may effect your ability to deal with the patient safely. Is it safe /practical for you to approach the casualty ? Can you clear a safe working area ? Consider your own limitations and those imposed on you by the incident scene. Can you overcome any such limitations safely or is it too dangerous to proceed?

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. 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.

Whenever possible protect yourself and the casualty from the risk of cross infection by using barriers such as gloves, resuscitation aids etc. People are naturally concerned about the risk of performing Mouth to Mouth resuscitation however there have been no recorded cases of any person contracting AIDS through carrying out Mouth to Mouth resuscitation, so do not delay resuscitation if a resuscitation aid is not available.