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Free Scenario Pack

5 Ready-Made Training Scenarios

FAW · EFAW · OFA  |  Complied by Scott, Royal Marine & First Aid Instructor

For training purposes only. These scenarios are designed for use by qualified first aid instructors in structured training environments. All scenarios are fictional. Scenarios are reviewed by a qualified UK first aid instructor and are informed by current HSE FAW/EFAW standards and RCUK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines including the key protocol changes — pad placement, paediatric ratios, infant techniques, agonal gasps, on-bed CPR. Instructors remain solely responsible for the appropriateness of training materials used with their candidates. Not for use as medical advice.
Scenario 01  ·  FAW
Warehouse Forklift Incident
FAW Easy
Scene
A busy distribution warehouse. A forklift truck has clipped a pedestrian worker near Bay 4. The warehouse floor is noisy and colleagues are gathering. The casualty is conscious and sitting against a racking unit holding their left lower leg.
The Patient
Male, mid-40s. Alert and oriented, distressed but able to speak. Complaining of severe pain in the lower left leg. Visible deformity and swelling below the knee. No open wound. Skin intact. No head injury suspected. No loss of consciousness.
Vital Signs
96/minPulse
18/minRespirations
AlertConsciousness
Pale, sweatySkin
Expected Actions
  • Ensure scene safety — ask forklift driver to move vehicle and switch off engine
  • Approach calmly, introduce yourself and gain consent to treat
  • Primary survey — DRABC
  • Immobilise the injured leg — support in position found, do not straighten
  • Monitor for signs of shock — lay flat if tolerated, raise uninjured leg
  • Call 999 — suspected fracture with mechanism of injury
  • Keep casualty warm, reassure, monitor and record observations
  • Brief handover to emergency services on arrival
Scenario 02  ·  FAW
Office Cardiac Event
FAW Medium
Scene
An open-plan office, second floor. A colleague has collapsed at their desk. A coworker is calling your name. The casualty is slumped in their chair and has slid partially to the floor. An AED is located at reception, approximately 45 seconds away.
The Patient
Female, early 60s. Unresponsive. Not breathing normally — occasional agonal gasps. Skin grey and clammy. No signs of trauma. Colleagues report she clutched her chest and said "I don't feel right" before collapsing. No known medical history available on scene.
Vital Signs
AbsentPulse
AgonalBreathing
UnresponsiveConsciousness
Grey, clammySkin
Expected Actions
  • Check for danger — ensure area is safe before approaching
  • Check for response — shout and shake shoulders gently
  • Shout for help — send bystander to get AED and call 999
  • Open airway — head tilt, chin lift — check for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds
  • Confirm cardiac arrest — begin CPR immediately: 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths
  • Compressions: centre of chest, heel of hand, depth 5–6cm, rate 100–120/min
  • Attach AED as soon as it arrives — follow voice prompts without interrupting CPR unnecessarily
  • Continue CPR until emergency services take over, casualty shows signs of life, or rescuer is too exhausted to continue
🎨 Moulage Guide
  • Grey-tone face makeup — focus on lips, cheeks, and under-eye areas
  • Diaphoresis effect — lightly mist face and neck with water, or apply a thin layer of glycerine mixed with water
  • Lips — add a subtle blue tinge with grey-blue lip liner before misting
  • Clothing — slightly dishevelled, collar loosened, as if they slumped suddenly
⚠️ Check for makeup allergies. Apply glycerine to a small patch first.
🎭 Actor Brief
  • You are completely unresponsive — do not react to voice or touch
  • Breathe irregularly for the first 10 seconds (2-3 agonal gasps), then stop all visible breathing
  • Remain limp — if moved to the floor, do not help or resist
  • If CPR begins, allow it — do not tense your chest
  • Only respond if the trainer signals the scenario end
Brief the actor: agonal breathing is critical — without it candidates may hesitate to start CPR.
Scenario 03  ·  EFAW
Kitchen Scalding Incident
EFAW Medium
Scene
A commercial kitchen in a busy restaurant. A chef has knocked a large pot of boiling water from the stove. The casualty is standing at the sink running cold water over their arm. Steam is visible and the floor is wet — take care with scene safety.
The Patient
Male, late 20s. Conscious and alert. In significant pain. Right forearm and hand are affected — skin is red, blistering in patches, and very wet from cooling. He removed his chef's jacket quickly. Approximately 10% body surface area affected. No facial involvement.
Vital Signs
104/minPulse
20/minRespirations
AlertConsciousness
FlushedSkin
Expected Actions
  • Ensure scene safety — wet floor, steam, hot surfaces
  • Cool the burn — run cool (not cold/iced) running water over the affected area for a minimum of 20 minutes
  • Remove jewellery from the affected hand/wrist if possible before swelling increases — do not force
  • Do not burst blisters, apply creams, butter, or toothpaste
  • Cover loosely with cling film or a clean non-fluffy material after cooling
  • Call 999 — burns to the hand, blistering, and >1% BSA in a workplace require emergency care
  • Monitor for signs of shock and reassure throughout
🎨 Moulage Guide
  • Apply barrier cream to forearm and hand first
  • Red/pink base layer — use water-activated red cake makeup, feathering at the edges
  • Blistering — dab clear silicone gel or latex in small raised patches over the reddened area
  • Wet the area lightly — the casualty has been under running water, skin should appear damp
  • Redness on neck and chest (upper) — suggests steam exposure, keep this subtle
⚠️ Latex allergy check before applying. Use silicone-based alternative if needed.
🎭 Actor Brief
  • You are conscious, alert, and in significant pain — show this through facial expression and posture
  • You are already running your arm under the tap — stay at the sink unless asked to move
  • If asked about the incident: "I knocked the pot — it went all over my arm"
  • Wince if your arm is touched — do not allow anyone to remove the moulage
  • Do not volunteer information — answer direct questions only
Key test: does the candidate keep cooling for a full 20 minutes? Don't let them rush.
Scenario 04  ·  OFA / Outdoor
Hill Walker — Suspected Hypothermia
OFA Medium
Scene
Open moorland, 480m elevation. Late afternoon in November. Temperature is 3°C with moderate wind and intermittent sleet. A walking group of six has called for help. One member has fallen behind and been found sitting on a rock, unmoving. Access for emergency vehicles is at least 90 minutes away on foot.
The Patient
Female, 58. Responsive to voice but confused and slow to answer — doesn't know what day it is. Shivering has stopped. Skin is cold, pale and dry. She is wearing a fleece but no waterproof layer. Wet clothing throughout. Has been out for 6 hours. Last ate at 0800. No known medical history.
Vital Signs
52/minPulse
10/minRespirations
VoiceAVPU
Cold, drySkin
Expected Actions
  • Protect from further heat loss — move out of wind, insulate from ground, cover with group shelter or bivvy bag
  • Remove wet clothing only if dry replacements are immediately available — otherwise insulate over wet layers
  • Handle gently — rough movement can trigger cardiac arrhythmia in hypothermia
  • Activate emergency services — call 999 or 112, request Mountain Rescue, give grid reference or what3words location
  • If conscious and able to swallow — warm sweet drinks if available. No alcohol.
  • Do not rub limbs or apply direct heat sources
  • Monitor AVPU, breathing and pulse continuously — be prepared to commence CPR
  • Keep the group calm and maintain casualty reassurance until rescue arrives
Scenario 05  ·  FAW
Severe Allergic Reaction — Anaphylaxis
FAW Hard
Scene
A company canteen during lunch. A member of staff has been eating and suddenly pushes back from the table. Colleagues are alarmed — one shouts "she's having a reaction!" The casualty is upright but visibly distressed, clawing at her throat. Her face is flushed and swollen around the lips.
The Patient
Female, 32. Known nut allergy — colleagues confirm she carries an EpiPen but it's in her locker. Rapidly deteriorating. Stridor audible — high-pitched sound on inhalation. Urticarial rash spreading across neck and chest. Pale, frightened, able to whisper but not speak clearly. She is beginning to slump in her chair.
Vital Signs
128/minPulse
LabouredBreathing
VoiceAVPU
Pale, flushedSkin
Expected Actions
  • Call 999 immediately — state suspected anaphylaxis, airway compromise
  • Send a second person to retrieve the EpiPen from her locker immediately
  • Sit casualty upright to assist breathing — do not lay flat if breathing is compromised
  • Administer EpiPen to outer mid-thigh as soon as it arrives — hold for 10 seconds
  • Note time of injection — a second dose may be given after 5 minutes if no improvement
  • If casualty becomes unconscious and stops breathing normally — begin CPR
  • If casualty improves, lay her down with legs raised — anaphylaxis can biphasic rebound
  • All anaphylaxis casualties must go to hospital even if they appear to recover
🎨 Moulage Guide
  • Facial swelling — apply skin-coloured latex or foam padding under makeup around lips and jaw, blend carefully
  • Lip swelling — build up with latex putty, paint to match skin tone
  • Urticaria rash — use red/pink body paint to create irregular raised-looking blotches on neck and upper chest
  • Skin — overall flushed appearance with pale patches (vasodilation pattern)
  • Breathing — actor does the work here, moulage is secondary to presentation
⚠️ Lip and facial moulage takes 15–20 mins to apply properly. Allow preparation time.
🎭 Actor Brief
  • You are terrified — this is a life-threatening emergency and you know it
  • Make audible stridor on every inhalation — a high-pitched wheeze. Practise this before the scenario
  • Claw at your throat — not constantly, but periodically to show airway distress
  • You can only whisper — your airway is closing. Do not speak normally
  • If the EpiPen is administered correctly, begin to improve after 2 minutes
  • If no EpiPen arrives within 3 minutes, begin to lose consciousness slowly
The stridor is the most important cue — without it candidates may not recognise severity.