What to Do If Someone Is Choking: A Workplace Guide

For a choking adult, the sequence UK first aiders are taught is short: encourage them to cough; if the cough fails, give up to five sharp back blows; if that fails, up to five abdominal thrusts; keep alternating; call 999 and start CPR if they become unresponsive. That is the whole skeleton. What makes the difference at a desk, in a staff kitchen or on a site canteen bench is knowing it well enough to act inside the first few seconds.

First, decide how bad it is

Ask one question: "Are you choking?"

• They can answer, cough or breathe. The airway is partly blocked and their own cough is the most effective tool in the room. Encourage them to keep coughing. Do not slap their back at this stage, and do not leave them alone.
• They cannot speak, their cough is silent or weakening, or they are gripping their throat. The airway is severely blocked. Act now.

Back blows, then abdominal thrusts

1. Up to five back blows. Stand to the side and slightly behind. Support their chest with one hand, lean them well forwards, and give up to five sharp blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Check between each blow: has it cleared?
2. Up to five abdominal thrusts. If back blows fail, stand behind them, put both arms around the upper abdomen, place a clenched fist between the navel and the ribcage, grasp it with the other hand and pull sharply inwards and upwards. Up to five times, checking between each.
3. Alternate. Five back blows, five thrusts, repeat. If the blockage has not cleared after the first full cycle, call 999 (or send a colleague to) and continue.

If the person becomes unresponsive at any point, lower them to the floor, confirm 999 has been called, and start CPR with chest compressions. Compressions can dislodge the object.

Two follow-ups people miss: anyone who has had abdominal thrusts needs a medical check afterwards, and any lingering cough or "something stuck" feeling also warrants one.

Why this matters more at work than people think

Most workplace choking incidents happen exactly where you would guess: lunch at desks, staff kitchens, canteens, client hospitality. In a workplace of any size the realistic question is not whether someone will ever choke near you, but whether the nearest colleague will know the sequence or will be searching their phone while it happens. Reading it once helps. Practising it on a training manikin, with a trainer correcting your hand position, is what makes it automatic; this is one of the practical skills every delegate rehearses on our one-day Emergency First Aid at Work course (£550 per session, up to 12 staff, delivered at your premises). Higher-risk sites usually take the three-day First Aid at Work course instead; this guide explains which fits your workplace.

This article is general guidance based on current UK resuscitation teaching, not a substitute for training. To get your team practised rather than just informed, request a free quote: we confirm within 24 hours and there is nothing to pay to book.