Workshop First Aid, WoundClot Gauze?

[Phil Pascoe]

Jigsaws? What on earth are you doing with them to make them dangerous?

 

[William2020]

I’ve found a lot of the kits advertised online try and sell on the number of items. When they arrive you discover that they’ve counted each of the sticky plasters as one item...
I’ve used the kits as a base, adding my own items to suit the location/likely risks.
One of the biggest ‘preventative’ measures I’ve learned is “don’t work tired”.
It’s easily said and it’s very tempting to forget it when you’re trying to get something finished. Hopefully it just saves you from making a costly/annoying mistake on what you’re working on, however, I re-learned it last year while fitting doors for my brother and I put a chisel through the web of my hand. It was my own poor practice and completely my fault. I was rushing to get one more door finished before heading home...

 

[sylvandale]

About first aid kits, I don't know of any good ones specifically aimed at workshops. Screwfix have a bunch which I just flicked through, but they look more like generic HSE workplace kits to me, full of stuff you'll never use. You're better off making up your own, then at least you'll know what's in it and have some idea of what to do with it.

I'd start with a simple domestic kit for the minor stuff, plasters, medical tape (very useful) and small dressings etc. Add a pair of medical trauma shears (often known as Tuff Cuts, although that's a brand name), as you may need to cut clothing away to get at a wound properly. Shears are amazing things, if you haven't seen them before. They look like they wouldn't cut butter but can go through motorbike leathers.

Then add a tourniquet, or know how to DIY one. This is a good guide Use of Tourniquets — REAL First Aid. A simple belt or similar won't do, you can't pull it tight enough. You need something that can be twisted, and a "windlass" to do the twisting. There are lots of other useful pages on that website, if you feel like some homework.

Last, add a couple of trauma dressings for the really big injuries. Trauma dressings are not a lot different from big bandage dressings really, but are designed to soak up more stuff and/or apply more pressure. There are lots to choose from, see here for example Trauma Bandages & Dressings | Lacerations, Burns & More | MedTree UK. But basically it boils down to (a) long and thin (b) big and square and (c) haemostatic. Long and thin is probably more use for big lacerations, big and square is for amputations. Haemostatic is the magic stuff that helps blood clotting, like the item that the OP first linked to. That is generally a long strip of impregnated gauze, intended for packing into wounds. This can be used with one of the others on top for extra pressure.

I think that's about it. There's loads of stuff you could have, but more important is knowing what you've got and what you're going to do with it if the time ever comes to use it. Read some stuff on that realfirstaid website, and follow Stan's wise advice from earlier in the thread. Pressure, elevation, call for help, sit down before you fall down.

Hope this helps.

 

[bourbon]

Best kit you can have is Training. Courses don't cost very much and could save you or someone else's life.

 

[glenfield2]

I would add - if you work alone always make sure you have your phone in easy reach. Even a modest accident can bring on a state of medical shock - for example something in the eye can be utterly disabling. You might not need 999 but could reach a partner or neighbour.

 

[Terrytpot]

...Then add a tourniquet, or know how to DIY one. This is a good guide Use of Tourniquets — REAL First Aid. A simple belt or similar won't do, you can't pull it tight enough. You need something that can be twisted, and a "windlass" to do the twisting.

I'm not convinced you should be stating this as general advice. All the training I've ever had on first aid espoused the use of tourniquets as being very dangerous unless you knew EXACTLY what you were doing and would more than likely result in amputation of the limb concerned. The training I received dictated the use of pressure points, direct pressure and elevation to control arterial bleeds. Whilst the article you refer to is an interesting read it does lead with "reading alone does not make anyone proficient in any practical skill."

 

[chunkymonkey]

I purchased Motorola walkie talkies about a month ago, to have contact with the wife indoors, the model I had has emergency distress button on the top which sends a loud alarm to the other unit indoors! would you be able to call a phone number if you had just been hurt badly?

 

[Ozi]

I would really recommend an eye wash station plus a British standard small kit, there are lots on the market, I got mine from Arco. If your on your own make sure it's easy to open some clip shut to be dust proof but would be a puppy to open with a de-gloved finger. What ever you have keep it in date, keep it near the door and keep it near the fire extinguisher, just like the one I have been meaning to buy and I used to be a safety inspector so should know better

 

[sploo]

I would really recommend an eye wash station plus a British standard small kit, there are lots on the market, I got mine from Arco. If your on your own make sure it's easy to open some clip shut to be dust proof but would be a puppy to open with a de-gloved finger. What ever you have keep it in date, keep it near the door and keep it near the fire extinguisher, just like the one I have been meaning to buy and I used to be a safety inspector so should know better

That's a good idea (I don't have one in the garage). However - I would also recommend prevention (i.e. eye protection). Plastic protective overspecs are dirt cheap; I've probably got ~10 pairs strewn around the garage, usually sitting on top of each machine so there's no excuse for forgetting to put a pair on before firing it up.

 

[furnace]

I mangled a finger in the garden and went to minor injuries. They used a fab stuff called KerraCel to staunch the flow. I bought a pack to keep at home. I've had to use it once since (oops) and it worked perfectly.
https://www.wound-care.co.uk/kerracel-dressings.html

 

[Ozi]

That's a good idea (I don't have one in the garage). However - I would also recommend prevention (i.e. eye protection). Plastic protective overspecs are dirt cheap; I've probably got ~10 pairs strewn around the garage, usually sitting on top of each machine so there's no excuse for forgetting to put a pair on before firing it up.

My Dad used to tell me that goggles were to protect the eyes of the wise and the foreheads of idiots, you and he both make a good point.

 

[sploo]

My Dad used to tell me that goggles were to protect the eyes of the wise and the foreheads of idiots, you and he both make a good point.

Perfectly put.

I also like the quote "You can walk with a wooden leg, and eat with false teeth. You can't see with a glass eye"

 

[Chippysu]

I'm not convinced you should be stating this as general advice. All the training I've ever had on first aid espoused the use of tourniquets as being very dangerous unless you knew EXACTLY what you were doing and would more than likely result in amputation of the limb concerned. The training I received dictated the use of pressure points, direct pressure and elevation to control arterial bleeds. Whilst the article you refer to is an interesting read it does lead with "reading alone does not make anyone proficient in any practical skill."

Agree, on my first aid course also we told don't use a tourniquet just apply pressure until the professional arrives. 'first aid' is just that, before the second aid (pros) arrive.

 

[sylvandale]

As the first line of that article I linked to says "Never has any one subject caused so much debate in First Aid than the use of tourniquets". However, the prevailing view on their use has changed considerably in favour in the last 5-10 years. They're a last-resort option, certainly, but if a situation needs one then I'm afraid it's the only option. It's up to you whether you want to prepare for that unilkely eventuality or not. I'm just trying to offer some helpful information for those who do.

I can only suggest that anyone who is interested should have a read of the whole article, think about their working situation, and make their own mind up. Consider what you would do in the event of a near- or full-amputation e.g. a power saw going through the artery in the hand or forearm, which of course is very unlikely but sadly not impossible. If you wish to be prepared to deal with that, your choices are (a) have a tourniquet in your kit and know how to use it, or (b) leave the number for an undertaker handy, since it is likely that will be all the paramedic requires once they arrive.

 

[LJM]

You have to consider the availability of help. If your workshop is down the street from A&E, and you always work with someone else, that’s a very different risk assessment to the person working on their own, with little or no phone signal, and several miles from civilisation; some of us may need to think in terms of Remote First Aid. But, we should all consider the worst case scenario, which is probably an arterial bleed (as touched upon above). If you don’t have at least the awareness of how to deal with such a thing, perhaps you should think about getting some training.

The most important thing has to be prevention, through technique, appropriate equipment (including guards etc), correct (fully functional and in date) PPE, and the right attitude.

Only once all that is in place, get to work, but with at least some thought to how you will manage an incident.

For me, it would be a custom first aid kit (you really don’t need a lot), with eye wash station, by the exit. But also a tourniquet (I’m qualified to use one) and large haemostatic bandage in an accessible pocket, my charged mobile in another pocket; with an injury requiring those items, I can’t guarantee that I can reach the exit quickly enough.

 

[LJM]

By the way, the CAT (combat application tourniquet) is the easiest to use effectively, on yourself (a hint: it will hurt if applied corectly). Don’t confuse it with the US military one.

 

[shed9]

I'd addressed the woundclot gauze in the original thread about using blade guards referenced in the opening post. They are not gimmicks and do save lives, I know people who wouldn't be here if they hadn't had access to them, albeit for chainsaw wounds as opposed to table saws. As in my original comments, I have several Stein Bleed Control kits around me, I keep one in my workshop, one with my chainsaw pack and one in my gator pack. You can build your own kits using your own choice of Celox or Woundclot powders, tourniquets and bandages, etc. As already said though they are not replacements for knowing what actions to take and that is as crucial. Lots of really good advice on this thread.

One thing I would add as already touched on is to be aware of your location in terms of being able to instruct others. I would recommend using and downloading the what3words app as this is now being taken up by the emergency services around the UK. A lot of professions which include remote risk like arborists are using this as default now to log jobs and transmit their 3word location to site and log it should the need arise.
Check your workshop 3word configuration and pin it in your wall as if you can't get out then the emergency services know exactly where you are within a three meter square block.