nödfall

Nödfall is a Swedish term meaning an emergency or urgent, unforeseen incident that requires immediate action. It describes situations where normal procedures or routines cannot safely continue, and precautions or rapid response are needed.

The word is used in safety and emergency planning as well as in everyday language to refer to sudden danger that demands quick measures. It appears in phrases such as nödfallsplan (emergency plan) or nödfallsituation (emergency situation), and it spans contexts from healthcare and industry to public safety.

Common types of nödfall include medical emergencies, fires, serious accidents, natural disasters, and other incidents where life, health, or property is at risk. The term emphasizes urgency and the need for prompt, organized response.

Nödfall is distinct from nödläge, which denotes a formal state of emergency or broader governmental measures. While nödfall describes a specific urgent incident, nödläge refers to an overarching condition that may trigger policy actions and resources at multiple levels of authority.

In practice, responding to a nödfall typically involves alerting appropriate responders (for example by calling 112 in Sweden), ensuring personal and bystander safety, providing first aid if trained, and following established emergency procedures and communication protocols. The concept is central to civil protection, occupational safety, and public health planning.