Choking can happen quickly, quietly, and without warning. Whether it’s during a family dinner, at a café, or even in the workplace, knowing the correct first aid for choking can be the difference between life and death.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through the essential steps for helping someone who is choking, to help you feel confident and ready to act in an emergency.

Recognise the Signs of Choking

Someone who is choking might:

• Clutch their throat

• Struggle to cough, speak, or breathe

• Have blue lips or face (due to lack of oxygen)

• Panic or appear distressed

If the person can still cough forcefully or speak, encourage them to keep coughing. But if they can’t make a sound or are turning blue – it’s a sign that they need immediate help.

Step-by-Step: First Aid for Choking

1. Call Triple Zero (000)

If the airway is completely blocked and the person can’t breathe, speak or cough, call 000 immediately. Ask for an ambulance and follow instructions.

2. Give Back Blows

Stand behind the person and support their chest with one hand. With the heel of your other hand, deliver up to five firm back blows between their shoulder blades.

Visually check the person between each blow to see if the object has been dislodged.

3. Give Chest Thrusts

If back blows don’t work, try chest thrusts:

• Stand behind the person and place your hands on the lower half of their breastbone.

• Give up to five quick, inward thrusts.

• Again, check between each thrust to see if the airway is cleared.

Alternate between 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until the object is expelled or the person becomes unconscious.

We demonstrate and practise this technique in our HLTAID011 Provide First Aid course, so you can make sure that you are ready to act if this ever happens!

If the Person Becomes Unconscious

• Lower them to the ground carefully

• Begin CPR immediately, starting with 30 chest compressions

• If trained and safe to do so, attempt rescue breaths

• Keep going until help arrives or the person begins to breathe again

Knowing how to perform CPR can be the difference between life and death. We teach this in every First Aid course at RTS Training where you’ll get hands-on practice to prepare for real-world situations.

Choking First Aid for Infants and Children

Choking in babies and toddlers requires a different approach. If you’re a parent, educator or work with children, consider enrolling in our First Aid training where we cover child-specific scenarios in detail.

Be the Difference in an Emergency

Choking is sudden and scary, but with the right training, you’ll feel confident in knowing exactly what to do.

Book your First Aid course today