What is the primary reason to evaluate hazards during scene size-up before approaching a patient?

• A. To protect yourself and others from harm by identifying hazards and ensuring proper PPE before entering.
• B. To determine the patient's medical history.
• C. To estimate time to care.
• D. To locate bystanders.

Answer: (A)

Evaluating hazards during scene size-up is about your safety and the safety of others. Before you approach a patient, you identify potential dangers—like fire, smoke, unstable surfaces, traffic, chemicals, electrical hazards, or aggressive bystanders—and then use appropriate protective measures. By recognizing risks first, you can don the right PPE and establish a safe path, ensuring you don’t become a casualty yourself and that you can effectively deliver care once you proceed.

Other tasks, such as gathering medical history, estimating time to care, or locating bystanders, are important later in the assessment but don’t address the immediate risk of entering a hazardous scene.