What Is SALTAPS?

SALTAPS is an acronym for assessing minor injuries. It’s often used in sports first aid and first aid courses to check what the individual with casualty needs and if they can resume play.

But as accidents can happen anytime and anywhere, you can benefit significantly from knowing SALTAPS even if you’re not in the medical or sports field!

Last reviewed: September 2026 — checked against Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines 2025.

What Is SALTAPS?

SALTAPS stands for see, ask, look, touch, active, passive, and strength. Let’s understand what each of them means in this section.

See and Stop

Stop the play immediately when you see the injury occur and check the mechanism that possibly caused the injury.

See what the casualty is doing now and observe the extent of the situation.

Ask

If the person is conscious, ask them for consent if you can approach and assess them.

Ask them about the accident, where they feel pain, and if anyone else witnessed the incident.

Asking questions is also an opportunity to test their response. Are they sensible? Do they know where they are? Do they remember the event?

Here are Some First-Aid Questions You Can Ask:

• What happened? Do you remember how it happened?
• Did other people see the incident?
• Do you know where you are right now?

For Sports, These Memory Questions Help You Spot a Possible Concussion:

• Which period of the game are we in?
• Who are our opponents today?
• What is the score?
• Where did the team play last week?

These are commonly known as the Maddocks questions. Use them to help you recognise a possible concussion, never to clear someone to carry on. Answering them correctly does not rule out concussion: most concussions happen without any loss of consciousness, and the first symptoms can be delayed by 24 to 48 hours.

The UK Concussion Guidelines for Non-Elite (Grassroots) Sport, published by the Sport and Recreation Alliance and supported UK-wide, put it in four words: if in doubt, sit them out. If you suspect a concussion, SALTAPS stops there.

Look

After asking, look closely at the injured area. Search for signs such as swelling, muscle spasm, discoloration, deformity, or bruising.

Look at the appearance of the injury site and see the severity of the situation.

Touch

If the casualty permits, gently touch the injury site to determine the pain further.

Feel for heat, tenderness, and numbness. Carefully palpate different parts to know which point(s) hurt the most.

Active Movement

Ask the individual to move the injured part on their own. Check if they can do the actions easily, in full range, or if they’re struggling.

The first aider must not force them if they’re visibly struggling to avoid worsening the injury.

Passive Movement

If active movement is okay, tell them to relax.

Be the one to move the part with injury and see if they react. If they experience pain in this phase, it could point to a joint or tendon injury.

Strength

If they seem to pass the questions above, it’s time to check if they have the strength to move in a normal range.

For instance, ask someone with an ankle concern to stand unaided. Use resisted movements and assess loss of function at this stage.

Ask them to put pressure on the area and slowly progress by telling them to walk, jump, and run. Assist them as much as possible.

Then What?

SALTAPS is a check on a minor musculoskeletal injury — a knock, a strain, a twisted ankle. Where a head injury has been ruled out and the casualty moves through every stage comfortably, with full range and normal strength, a coach may let them back into the session after a short rest, then keep a close eye on them for the remainder of it.

If there are minor wounds and problems, perform first-aid treatments and let a professional observe further, if possible.

If the signs are severe, immediately seek medical advice from a professional or take them to the nearest hospital emergency department. Call 999 for an ambulance if they are unresponsive, if they are getting drowsier, if they have a seizure, or if you suspect a neck or spinal injury.

There must be complete recovery before engaging in intense activities again.

Suspected Concussion: SALTAPS Does Not Apply

A head injury is never a SALTAPS decision, and no on-field test can clear one. The UK Concussion Guidelines for Non-Elite (Grassroots) Sport set out what has to happen instead.

• Anyone with a suspected concussion must be removed from play immediately and must not take part in any further sport or physical activity that day, even if the symptoms settle.
• No one should return to competition, training or PE within 24 hours of a suspected concussion.
• They should be assessed by an appropriate healthcare professional, or by calling NHS 111, within 24 hours of the injury.
• They should not drive, ride a bicycle, operate machinery or drink alcohol in the 24 hours after a suspected concussion.
• Red flags need urgent assessment at an A&E department, by emergency ambulance if necessary: any loss of consciousness, deteriorating consciousness, amnesia, increasing confusion or irritability, unusual behaviour change, any new neurological problem such as weakness, decreased sensation, loss of balance or double vision, a seizure, severe or increasing headache, repeated vomiting, severe neck pain, or any suspicion of a skull fracture.
• Rest for 24 to 48 hours, then work through a graduated return to activity programme. Returning to education or work takes priority over returning to sport.
• Every concussion is managed individually, but there should be no return to competition before 21 days from the injury.
• Anyone still having symptoms after 28 days should see their GP.

Children and adolescents deserve extra caution: they may be more susceptible to concussion, take longer to recover, and are more vulnerable to the rare but dangerous complications of a second impact before the first has healed.

Why Is SALTAPS Important?

SALTAPS is a crucial first-aid tool for immediate medical attention. It’s helpful in accurately identifying the problem so the casualty can get treated as soon as possible.

It serves as a helpful guide and test to make the best decision possible, so children and adults alike won’t be harmed further.

Common Uses for SALTAPS

This first-aid tool is often used in the following scenarios:

1. First-Aid for Sports

This first-aid tool is most commonly used in sports, where accidents occur frequently, and first-aid is often needed.

It helps coaches and practitioners judge whether someone with a minor injury can continue or should rest for their safety. It is never used to decide about a head injury: if a concussion is suspected, the player comes off and stays off.

2. Other Active Environments (School, Physical Education, etc.)

Even if you’re not a practitioner, knowing this first-aid tool enables you to help anyone at any time.

A teacher can use this first-aid tool in school to help children who fall or scratch themselves.

This first-aid technique makes immediate student care faster without waiting for a nurse or bringing the child to the clinic.

3. First-Aid Courses

You’ll encounter this acronym in many first-aid-related matters from learning courses to actual use.

First-aid medical practitioners can use it to communicate the situation properly to other professionals in determining the factors to arrive at the right solutions.

Final Thoughts

Knowing SALTAPS increases the quality of assistance we can offer to people who need it. You don’t have to be a doctor to help; basic knowledge can often be sufficient!

BUT REMEMBER: Avoid performing any medical care beyond first-aid help without proper skills and experience.

Ensure that they are okay first, and then seek professional help.

Related articles

How Often Should Electrics Be Tested? UK Essential Guidelines for SafetyRead moreLandlord Electrical Checks UK: Essential Guide for Property OwnersRead moreElectrical Safety Inspection UK: Essential Guide for HomeownersRead more