The Team Approach
The Team Approach to road traffic collisions has been around for well over two decades, and has the aim of reducing entrapment times by promoting simultaneous activity (completing several tasks at once) and continuous casualty care.
Each member of the team will have a specific role and responsibility throughout the course of the rescue process. This ensures that the team perform more efficiently, reducing time on scene.
The Team Approach is designed for 5/6 team members, however as attendance at road traffic collisions differs all around the world (as few as 2 persons in some countries, and as many as 18 in others) rescuers must adapt the team approach to their own needs with the emphasis always on safety.
The phases are (see also figure below):
- Safety and Scene Assessment
- Stability and Initial Access
- Glass Management
- Space Creation
- Full Access
- Immobilisation and Extrication
- Evaluation
Remember SAFETY will always come first, but how and when the following phases are completed depends on several factors, principally the condition and location of your casualty.
In my next blog I will look at each of the phases in more detail, but I would be interested to see if this is the kind of approach you adopt in your country.
Ian.
