Home Safety Academy › Recognise severe choking and seek help
♡ Food safety
Recognise severe choking and seek help Encourage effective coughing; if they cannot speak or cough effectively, call 999 and follow age-appropriate trained or dispatcher-guided first aid. Do not give drinks or use adult abdominal thrusts on a baby; follow the operator if responsiveness changes.
High-priority reminder
Last reviewed: 2026-09-20
Why it matters Severe choking can block airflow completely and needs urgent age-appropriate help.
✕ Wrong actionGiving water or blindly putting fingers into the mouth of a choking person.
✓ Correct actionEncourage effective coughing; if they cannot speak or cough effectively, call 999 and follow age-appropriate trained or dispatcher-guided first aid.
What to do Check whether the person can speak, breathe and cough effectively and shout for help. Encourage effective coughing; if they cannot speak or cough effectively, call 999 and follow age-appropriate trained or dispatcher-guided first aid. Do not give drinks or use adult abdominal thrusts on a baby; follow the operator if responsiveness changes.
If something happens For serious injury, unconsciousness or difficulty breathing, keep yourself safe, call 999 and follow the operator.
Sources and review This page provides general home-safety information and does not replace medical, legal, electrical, or other professional advice.
Choose your helper's language × Choose your helper's language 中文 English Bahasa Indonesia Tagalog Remember this languageView link