Motorcycle Helmet Removal

Removal of Motorcycle Helmets in the First Aid Setting

G’day everyone and welcome to another blog. The topic for this blog has come about as a result of one of the more common questions that we as first aid trainers get asked: What do you do if a motorcyclist has a helmet on and you need to render first aid after they have crashed? With the help of some family members recruited as models, this should now make things a little bit clearer for you, and if you are a trainer, could be used as an additional reference tool.

First up, let’s have a look at the types of helmets you will encounter.

Management of Motorcycle Crash Victims

As with all road traffic crashes that you attend as a first aider, you must always consider your safety. So in line with your first aid training, DANGER is the first thing we want to consider when approaching the casualty. Hazards to consider include, but are not limited to:

• Traffic
• Bodily fluids
• Weather conditions
• Terrain
• Other people/bystanders
• Power
• Leaking fuel/oil
• Hot surfaces
• Broken glass, broken plastic, bent metal all produce sharp edges
• Any ignition sources

Next up you want to stabilise any movement of the casualty. To do this, we perform a maneuver known as MILS, or Manual In-Line Stabilisation. This is keeping anatomical alignment of the spine by holding on to the head. From this point, we can perform the remainder of our checks in line with DRSABCD.

Manual In-Line Stabilisation (MILS) is demonstrated in the image below.

Responsive Patient

If a patient is responsive and talking to you, it’s fair to say that they have a clear and open airway. If this is the case, simply maintain MILS and continue with secondary survey and any first aid treatment that may be required.

Unresponsive Patient

In an unresponsive patient, airways and breathing must take priority. With most helmets, this must necessitate the removal of the helmet. With half helmets, ¾ helmets and open modular helmets, airways and breathing can be determined to a certain degree, however with full face helmets it is almost impossible to determine accurately. Therefore, for an unconscious patient where you are unable to determine a clear and open airway with breathing, or if you can determine that the patient has a compromised airway and CPR is required, then the helmet must come off.

Helmet Removal

To remove the helmet from your casualty, you want to minimise any additional movement of the cervical spine (e.g. neck). Using two people, this is achieved by undertaking the following steps:

NOTE – IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT, IF A HELMET HAS BEEN REMOVED, IT IS TO REMAIN WITH THE PATIENT THROUGH TO HOSPITAL.

This lets the treating medical staff inspect the helmet to determine any impact or damage that may have occurred to the casualties’  head.

If the patient is in the prone position (i.e. lying on their front), perform a log roll as best you can to move the patient on to their back, then perform the above steps.

Safety Technology

It also pays to be on the lookout for some helmets that contain additional safety technology.