What is the recommended approach to a suspected spinal injury during evacuation?

• A. Move the passenger to a different seat to ease evacuation.
• B. Encourage standing and speed up evacuation.
• C. Do not move the passenger unless necessary, stabilize head/neck, and await medical professionals.
• D. Remove any equipment immediately.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is to prevent further harm by keeping the spine as still as possible until trained medical personnel can immobilize it. If you suspect a spinal injury during evacuation, do not move the passenger unless there is immediate danger. Instead, manually stabilize the head and neck to keep them in a neutral alignment with the body, and maintain the passenger in place. This minimizes movement that could worsen a spinal injury or damage the spinal cord. Do not rush to reposition them or remove equipment, as that can create more instability. Await professional assistance, who will apply proper immobilization and safe transport.