Putting together a first aid kit

We have a kit based on the National Ag Safety list (http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000801-d000900/d000816/d000816.html). I like that it lists sizes and quantities.

In either case, a first-aid class would help tremendously. As well as whatever adaptations needed for little kids, special health issues, etc.

Being a Nurse & an EMT, I will say that the #1 thing that you need to have is First aid training and while you’re at it CPR.

My “kit” is certain things in certain parts of the house. The only way it works for me is that I know exactly where everything is at and how to use it and when I need the phone for 911. There are certain things that one should have close at hand, clean rags and plenty of them in a bag that is tied shut and easy to rip open to keep them clean. The other part of the equation: it is better to work with a partner than by yourself, just in case the injury is bad enough that you were to faint, DAMHIKT, oh and both of you should take a first aid & CPR course.

#1 is lots of clean rags that are easily accessible #2 Phone that is easy to reach for further help #3 A large bottle of saline solution for either wound or eye wash (usually better used over a sink or in front of a mirror) #4 Chewable Baby Aspirin (in case of heart attack but not if you are allergic to it and only if instructed by an emergency dispatcher, needs to be stored where it isn’t too hot, too cold or too humid) #6 soap & running water to scrub the wound clean (only if it is one that doesn’t need further care) #5 an assortment of bandaids for when you have your wound cleaned and only if it doesn’t need stitches (better kept where they can stay clean and dry) #6 a roll of gauze for larger injuries (better kept where it can stay clean and dry) #7 a roll of Coban/Vet Wrap for securing smaller bandaids while you go back out to work (it sticks to itself and stretches and again better kept where it can stay clean and dry) #8 the number to poison control 1-800-222-1222 (US) #9 a needle and tweezers for pulling slivers #10 calm, cool and collected mind and body

Other items that I have in our main bathroom include some butterflys, nexcare liquid bandage, Band-aid antiseptic wash (hydrogen peroxide is not the best thing for wounds as it kills new growth and infection fighting white blood cells), Solarcaine spray works great on taking the pain away from all kinds of burns, neosporin, hydrocortizone, benadryl, tylenol, advil, immodium ad, tums and a basic cold medicine.

Our shop is attached to the house and for me, I would much rather clean and dress a wound in a clean and controlled environment. If the wound is bad enough that you should be going to the doctor, they will do all the cleaning and dressing of it and a phone and clean rag are your two best friends next to a shop buddy that is calm, cool and collected. The other thought is if a finger or worse yet a hand were to get cut off, clean paper towel to wrap the appendage in and placed in a bag with ice is the best option along with holding direct pressure with several layers of clean rags and elevation to the affected limb until emergency workers arrive or if you live in the boon-docks a buddy drives you to the doctor (I grew up in the boon-docks and it was always faster for us to go to the doctor than wait for emergency workers to come to us). How I grew up was going to a spot in the house (clean) where everything that one could need for almost any affliction is located. It has worked really well for us for a long time.

-- “There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper … and the buyers who consider price only are this man’s lawful prey.” John Ruskin

A couple of band aides and morphine.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

A telephone close to call 911.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

I bought a simple first aid kit from wal-mart and taped a LARGE army battle dressing to it for the OMG stuff. I also have my cell handy and I keep a pile of towels in garage to use for wiping things down and sweat rags.

-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"

If you use CA glue around the lathe keep a bottle of Super Glue Remover within arms reach. Read about a guy who once super glued himself to lathe and had to wait until wife got home to get his bottle which was across the shop. If not keep a bottle of Scotch so you will have something to do until wife gets home.:))

-- There is no such thing as scrap wood!, http://www.saltrivergallery.com

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that a guy who wears a kilt all the time may need some things the rest of us wouldn’t consider. ;-)

-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.

LOl well I don’t wear one all the time…. just some of the time….. its a pic from my wedding last year…. I don’t think I would wear the kilt in the shop…... :D

-- Hrolfr

I am an accident waiting to happen. So I have a well stocked supply of band aids and Neosporin, distilled water, eye wash, saline solution, gauze, tweezers, vet wrap (wonderful stuff) and gauze, red oil (surgical antiseptic that’s also good for itching). But my faithful friend is lamb’s ear, a plant that stops bleeding on the not so serious injuries but that are hard to stop. Like the bamboo under the finger nail incident. I had to stop using it on the more serious ones -drill into the finger when I received a lecture my mother would have been proud of by not one but two doctors. Apparently when one goes into bone, one needs to get to doctor that day. Who knew?

Because I have some heart problems along with allergies, I keep a list of all medication I take on me at all times, as well as what medication I am allergic to -IODINE. Add to that the medication that will safe my life or give me 20 minutes to get to the hospital.

And when I remember it, a cell phone. I may run a phone line to the shop in case I need 911. In NC, you do not have to have a line that has a designated number to get 911. It does have to be hooked up to a line. I know just about everyone at Communications (911) and I’m afraid I would call the longer number out of habit.

I put the keys to the vehicle by the door.

I don’t care for Scotch -well okay I learned I don’t like blended Scotch but a 15 year old single malt is worth the sipping time! Irish is kept in a clean well marked container. ( Purely a political, cultural, oppositional decision).

I am under strict orders not to operate a power tool unless someone is home or the neighbor is home.

Elaine

Tim I’m with you but why does the morphine always run out before the band aides?

-- bbqKing, Lawrenceville

When i cut mtself badly my wife threw me a towel, she can’t stand the sight of blood. Maybe not a towel bet something to prevent sudden loss of blood.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

To kjverlanic primarily: Do you have any experience with a product called QuickClot? It’s advertised to stop even arterial bleeding within 3 minutes. It seems that this would be something great to keep around the shop assuming it does work as it claims. Apparently it does have an exothermic reaction, but a little heat is preferable to uncontrollable bleeding.

http://www.z-medica.com/quikclot/index.asp

-- North Texas

TomK,

I don’t have personal experience with that brand, but it isn’t much different than the Quick Stop stuff that we used with animals. I did see an older type of this used by our Doctor here, but he ended up getting out the electric cloterizer as the stuff didn’t work and was horribly messy.

My personal thoughts on this is that if the bleed is bad enough that a bandaid and pressure won’t work then you probably should be getting stitches or further treatment and the doctors office won’t want this stuff on the cut because they need to clean the wound and see what it looks like.

The other downfall I see to this is imagine what your nerves will be doing to your body if you were to almost loose a finger on the tablesaw, then imagine that you are going to tear open this little packet and pour that powder onto the wound. Not something that I would rely upon to solve the problem unless you have nerves of steel, know how to properly clean a wound & dress a wound or are injured in a place that is too far to make it to emergency care before you would bleed to death.

So the moral to my explanation is: sure if you want to spend money on it, that’s fine, but it would not be my first line of defense because of the things I said above and it would depend upon how far one would have to travel for emergency care.

I hope that this didn’t make the water any muddier when it comes to fixing body parts.

Jolene

-- “There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper … and the buyers who consider price only are this man’s lawful prey.” John Ruskin

Duct tape and paper towels.

-- It is, what it is.

Here is a link to this topic from a while back :

First Aid Kit – Whats in your wallet?
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/1562

Duct tape gets my vote. I have used that more times (over the past 25 years) than any other first aid tool :) .

-- "so much to learn and so little time"..