Motorcycle First Aid

Way back in 1999 Mark Harris was riding his bike on the M8 when he suffered a horrendous front wheel blow out which resulted in him and the bike taking a different path to the road. Laying there he suddenly realised he had a problem when the first people on scene had not got the first idea about first aid; let alone how to deal with an injured motorcyclist.

At that time he was a training manager for the Red Cross and because he was conscious and still able to talk, he directed his helpers in the best course of action. Today he is fit and healthy, but it could have been a totally different story, he could have just been a name on the Government list of killed and seriously injured.

Now although you might not know Mark, you may know other riders who have not been so lucky. You might be thinking how terrible that people did/do not know what to do, but would you really know what to do if you came across a rider down?

Imagine the Sunday club run in some deserted country area devoid of speed cameras. One rider gets ahead and as you crest the brow of a hill or come round a bend, the bike is all over the road and the rider is motionless in a ditch and he or she is your best friend.

Could you cope and would you know where to start in assessing the scene and working out the priorities? Even if you have some first aid training through work, this normally relates to the workplace where there are phones, first aid kits and plenty of people on hand to help. The ambulance is probably not more than ten minutes away as well!

You are now on a country road, sod's law states that your mobile has no signal and your friend's survival depends on you. Struggling? Well help is now at hand thanks to Mark Harris and the team at ITC (Immediate Temporary Care) who have devised a first aid course for motorcyclists.

It could be said that Mark’s incident in ’99 altered his perspective on life. But instead of just thinking he was lucky to still be here and living each day to the full, he devised a course aimed at dealing with similar and more serious situations. Having gone to work with a company who provide first aid training to hill walkers, pot holers and anybody involved in an active outside environment, he got full backing to develop the idea.

After several pilots and input from interested parties, the course is now up and running.

Because ITC have connections with the FE sector, NHS Ambulance trusts; mountain rescue and are also an HSE licensed First Aid Training organisation, it was possible to get help to develop the course with sound clinical and educational principles.

Designed as a full one day course, it differs from most in that you are expected to spend the day in your motorcycle kit. This means that when you act you have the same disadvantages that would have in a real life situation and of course all the ‘casualties’ are just as awkward to deal with!

For a very reasonable fee they take you through the whole scenario of dealing with a motorcycle casualty from the moment you find them to the point you hand them over to medically qualified personnel. As they are at pains to point out, the course does not qualify you to do anything more than to provide immediate temporary care and improve the person’s chances of survival!

Courses are run all over the country, but to find out how the course differed from other first aid courses, I joined several others, who like me were all qualified first aid trainers, in Clevedon, Somerset.

The small class actually consisted of a local traffic police officer, a local fire services trainer, a paramedic and me, the journalist.

The day kicked off at nine with a quick introduction from Mark himself and the other two trainers who were assisting. Having got the introductions out of the way we started off with the scene and scene safety emphasising that safety begins with our own!

From there we gradually went through various aspects that may or may not be present like impact injuries, broken bones, cuts, burns etc. As you might expect a great deal of time was spent on spinal injuries and the thorny subject of helmet removal. At all times though the lessons were gradually building up to the final session and exam, with constant recapping of the various procedures.

Finally the day ended with airway management and CPR. Although the famous rubber dummies were used for this, we all ended up performing the role of casualty up to this point. Similarly, it was our crash helmets that were removed from our own heads so we knew how it felt when somebody got it wrong!

You also began to realise that putting somebody in the ‘recovery position’ when they have a riding suit with body armour, is not as easy as doing it to somebody in ordinary work clothes. Likewise a check of a persons body for any signs of bleeding or breaks is equally difficult when the clothing is bulky, or in the case of leathers, tight fitting.

Equally noticeable was the fact that your own kit also restricted movement, although some of the riding equipment was useful in other ways, like providing padding and support.

By 18.30 we had all managed to pass the final assessment, but all felt tired. Everybody admitted that despite previous knowledge and experience, the course had opened our eyes to the problems involved at the side of the road with an injured biker.

The course is intensive, it is a pass or fail, but you do get a certificate that lasts for three years when it is recommended you go back for some more training. It might also be a strange thing to say, but it is also quite good fun as well, probably even more so if you do it with a few mates.

As a result of attending the police officer, a regular at RTC’s, suggested to his bosses to put all traffic patrol officers through the course and the paramedic has incorporated some if it into his training!

It is a similar story with all that take part though, MAG, BMF, “THINK” Campaign and many other prestigious organisations are now supporting it. MAG, BMF, and IAM members also benefit from discounted prices. It is highly likely that during 2006 this course will receive the support of a major UK educational awarding body as their preferred course to be offered to motorcyclists.

But irrespective of any of that, put yourself in Marks shoes, you could save your own life, that of your partner or best mate if you have done the course. For no other reason than purely selfish ones, it is worth doing!

Ian Kerr