First Aid for Severe Bleeding: A Complete Safety Guide

Severe bleeding can become life-threatening quickly, so the priority is simple: control the bleeding, call for help, and manage the risk of shock while you wait. Here's how to work through it.

Step 1: Protect yourself

If you have protective gloves available, put them on before you start, this helps prevent infection passing between you and the casualty.

Step 2: Apply direct pressure

Apply firm, direct pressure to the wound using a sterile dressing if you have one, or a clean, non-fluffy cloth if not. If there's an object embedded in the wound, don't remove it, apply pressure around it instead.

Step 3: Call 999

Ask someone else to call 999 or 112 while you keep pressure on the wound. Give the call handler clear details: where the wound is and how severe the bleeding looks.

Step 4: Secure the dressing

Bandage the wound firmly enough to maintain pressure, without cutting off circulation. Check by pressing a fingernail beyond the bandage until it pales, colour should return within about two seconds. If it doesn't, loosen the bandage slightly.

Step 5: Manage the risk of shock

Significant blood loss can lead to shock, so while you wait for help:

• Help them lie down.
• Raise and support their legs so they're above the level of their heart.
• Loosen any tight clothing.
• Keep them warm with a blanket or coat.

Step 6: Keep monitoring

Check the dressing and circulation roughly every 10 minutes, and reapply pressure or a fresh dressing if bleeding comes through. Keep monitoring their level of response until help arrives, if they become unresponsive at any point, be ready to start CPR.

This is a core skill on our workplace courses

Severe bleeding is covered hands-on in both our Emergency First Aid at Work and First Aid at Work courses, with real dressings and bandaging practice.

View workplace first aid courses

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