What to Do When Someone Is Choking

Choking can happen to anyone, at any time but it’s most common in young children and older adults. Today, we are asking the question, if someone near you were seriously choking, would you know what to do?

Understanding Choking Risks

If you've spent time around babies and toddlers, you’ll know that they love to explore the world by putting anything and everything into their mouths. It’s a natural part of development, helping them learn about shape, size, and texture - but it also introduces a significant choking risk.

Worryingly, some surveys suggest that many parents wouldn’t know how to respond if their child started choking. This lack of knowledge could turn a preventable incident into a life-threatening emergency.

What Is Choking?

Choking occurs when something becomes lodged in the airway, blocking the normal flow of air to the lungs. This can cause the airway muscles to spasm, making it difficult or impossible to breathe.

There are two types of choking to be aware of:

Mild (Partial) Choking

• The airway is partially blocked.
• The person may be able to speak, cough, or breathe.

Treat your casualty by encouraging them to stay calm and keep coughing — this is the body’s natural way of trying to clear the obstruction.

Severe (Complete) Choking

• The airway is fully blocked.
• The person will not be able to cough, speak, or breathe.

Call emergency services immediately and begin first aid interventions - the emergency services will advise you as to how to proceed if you're not sure.

First Aid for Choking

In cases of severe choking, quick and confident action can save a life. Depending on the age of the casualty, first aid may involve:

• Back blows
• Abdominal thrusts (for adults & older children)
• Chest thrusts (especially for infants & pregnant casualties)
• CPR if the person becomes unresponsive

It’s important to note that the techniques vary depending on age, as a child’s body is more delicate than that of an adult.

Learn These Life-Saving Skills with Help! First Aid Training

At Help! First Aid Training, we believe that preparation is everything. Information is great but it's no substitute for practical experience. That’s why our courses include hands-on, practical training with experienced, qualified instructors who are there to support and guide you — no boring lectures here!

We cover choking procedures thoroughly in the following courses:

• Emergency First Aid at Work
• First Aid at Work
• Re-qualification First Aid at Work
• Paediatric First Aid

You’ll leave feeling confident and ready to act in an emergency — whether at work, at home, or out in public.

Book Your Training Today

Want to learn more or book a course? We’d love to hear from you!

We run regular open courses at our Shildon Business Centre in County Durham, and we can also deliver onsite training at your location. We cover Newcastle to Newton Aycliffe, Darlington to Durham, Hartlepool to Houghton le Spring and everywhere in between.

If you're an employer in the construction industry, don’t forget — CITB grants may cover up to 70% of your training costs.

 📧 Email: info@helpfirstaidtraining.co.uk
🌐 Website: www.helpfirstaidtraining.co.uk

📞 Call us: 01388 417303
🔗 CITB Info: www.citb.co.uk