Essential first aid items.

[Spectric]

A freezer and some bags of frozen peas, then when you remove any digits on the table saw they can be put in with the peas so hopefully sewn back on later.

As for eyewash, much better to buy decent eye protection as prevention is better than cure.

 

[John Brown]

A freezer and some bags of frozen peas, then when you remove any digits on the table saw they can be put in with the peas so hopefully sewn back on later.

As for eyewash, much better to buy decent eye protection as prevention is better than cure.

Can't do freezer, as running on solar, and don't have the capacity to run a freezer 24/7.

 

[Chris Harris]

Big stuff, you'll be improvising with the shirt off your back, kitchen or blue paper roll, pallet wrap whatever.
I should buy a Israeli tourniquet / field dressing just in case. Those seem to be good. I carried an army style field dressing when I used to shoot and thankfully never needed it. Just remember to replace them once in a while.
For the small stuff, workshop isopropyl alcohol is a perfectly good antiseptic / degreaser. It hurts like hell so you won't want to put it on a cut to for sterilising and for cleaning around to help a dressing stick it works well.
Superglue doubles up for medical use
Betadine is the good cheap antiseptic.
Micropore for everything.
My new favorite : 3M Tegaderm dressings are less than a £1 each from the chemist. I sliced a matchstick wide strip of skin off my knuckle when a glass coffee pot broke in the washing up a fortnight ago and these have kept the wound clean and mobile while it's healed. They are like sterile, sticky pallet wrap but more elastic. The wound stays wet while it heals and it's gruesomely fascinating to watch how your body fixes itself

superglue excellent for small cuts especially on fingers - also get superglue solvent (acetone) for when you've stuck those fingers together.

 

[Agent_zed]

A freezer and some bags of frozen peas, then when you remove any digits on the table saw they can be put in with the peas so hopefully sewn back on later.

I'm certainly no expert on this but I believe you shouldn't put a finger directly on something frozen as it will damage it and then they can't reattach. Assuming this advice is correct... Severed Finger Treatment - Atlanta Hand Specialist.

 

[Jameshow]

It's called pallet wrap.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stretch-Pl...704779&sprefix=cling+film+wrap,aps,90&sr=8-29

I was once pallet wrapped to a lamp post on my birthday! Boss wasn't too happy!!

 

[sams93]

A lot depends upon what you’re doing. Generally, yes, a workshop will have sharp stuff. But not everyone will have potential for burns.

In the realm of sticking plasters, I really wouldn’t worry too much; in the event that one is needed, you’ve time to stop everything, walk back to the kitchen for a cuppa and to sort yourself out properly. Or more likely, tape it up with masking tape and carry on.

The things which beg further thought are those potential injuries that demand more urgent attention. So to go back to the burns example, I’d want a clean water source, to cool a thermal injury or to wash a chemical one. And in the case of electrical burn, a means to isolate the power.

As for cuts (by which I mean serious ones, where the priority is stemming the bleeding), keep it simple with a quantity of bandages.

Advice on tourniquets has changed over the years. Once fitted (the time should be noted), they will be painful, but should not be removed until you are in hospital.

However, were a tourniquet called for, there is likely to be a risk of shock (not the type from receiving bad news!), which brings me back to someone’s earlier point of the need to be able to summons help! A first aider’s first act should be to call for help, be that of a friend, colleague, passer by or the emergency services.

As a paramedic by trade, I second this sentiment.

The sort of injuries that require a plaster/steri strips/glue/a simple dressing etc can really wait until you walk into the house or wherever to be sorted (assuming this is a home workshop and not a commercial one).

The sort of things that have to be sorted NOW are the things that I would want to actually keep in the workshop. The ovbious now risks in a workshop are:

1. Injuries causing serious bleeding - which to qualify for 'NOW' treatment would need to be severe enough to require a torniquet - you can buy one (the CAT torniquets are relatively easy and quick to use), however I think that's a bit overkill, realistically you can improvise perfectly well with any clothing and a stick/screwdriver etc to wind it tight. For serious but non-life threatening bleeds direct pressure will suffice, a bit of tissue or your T shirt would be as good as a bandage for stemming the initial bleeding.
2. Chemical splash injuries - goggles/glasses are the obvious solution for eyes but these accidents do happen, if something genuinely dangerous splashes then there is a need for rinsing 'NOW' - ideally a bottle of saline or water until you can get to a tap. Medical guidance is copious amounts of running tap water, so if you have a sink in the workshop or a hose within 30m then you probably needn't worry too much about the bottle of water, i'd suggest it would be quicker to walk there and spray yourself than faff around finding and opening your bottle of saline that you put under the bench months ago... But nonetheless a bottle of eye wash might be a good consideration, and also useful for burns/splashes onto skin as well.
3. Burns - Similar to the chemical splash injuries which are really just chemical burns. Theres no great evidence supporting the posh burns dressings or gels for immediate use, so storing them in the workshop seem overkill - what burns do benefit from is cooling with running water as immediate treatment, and cling filming. The cling filming can wait until you can get to the kitchen unless your workshop is 30 minutes from the kitchen... If electrical (reasonable to consider in a workshop) more-so you need to have a way to turn the electricity off - so making sure that is relatively easy to do with big red buttons etc (or ideally proper electrical protection with RCDs etc) is important.

Finally, as has been mentioned, a way to summon help is actually more important than any of these things. Even the most serious bleeding (that would be considered survivable) can wait 2-3 minutes without proper treatment. Better get someone to you to summon more help than anything else.

Of all these things the only ones which will save your life is the ability to make a tourniquet and the telephone to call for help.

I'll caveat all this by saying I have a small garden workshop, within 50m from my house, and it isn't an inconvenience for me to walk inside and get some tissue/a plaster etc when I invariably slice my finger on a stanley knife etc. If it were faff and I had a bigger workshop of course i'd want to keep stuff up there to cover my bleeding finger and carry on with what i'm doing...

 

[John Brown]

Thanks. All good food for thought. My shed is around 50m from the house, but I still might get a sticking plaster or two, as the ones indoors are likely to have Disney characters on.
The only injury I've suffered to date was a couple of nasty gashes from a dangerous-by-design cable stripper/splitter from Lidl, but that did set me thinking.
I guess I should do a first aid refresher course, as the stuff I learnt in the boy scouts 55 years ago is a distant memory, and probably out of date.
Thanks to all. I'll re-read this thread carefully.

 

[Richard_C]

Cut to the chase. An up to date will, easily found, and make sure any pension arrangements have an up to date "wishes form". (even a simple SIPP or employers DC pension can pass the value on outwith any IHT calculations if you are under 75).

Aside from that, I often wonder about summoning help. As a DIYer and woodturner I could imagine bleeding out in the garage /workshop, skew chisel embedded in forehead, while my wife was cooking or gardening only metres away, blissfully unaware of my condition until I failed to come in for supper. Or the other way round, me happily making shavings on the lathe while she was unconscious after a massive casserole explosion in the kitchen.

Back in the day when I was HR Head in a biggish company, all our lab technicians had lone worker alarms, normally clipped in breast pocket of lab coats. Push button on top of a fattish pen like thing or auto alarm if it went horizontal. Alarms popped up in the 24 / 7 security lodge. That's how the security team knew when it was coffee break, they all took their lab coats off and threw them over the backs of chairs, no longer vertical the alarm panel lit up like a Christmas tree.

So if you are a professional, maybe some kind of button linked to a red light and bell if there is anyone likely to respond, but really you are on your own for most eventualities. If it's minor you can walk to your house, if it's serious no first aid kit is likely to help much without someone to assist.

 

[Henniep]

A lot depends upon what you’re doing. Generally, yes, a workshop will have sharp stuff. But not everyone will have potential for burns.

In the realm of sticking plasters, I really wouldn’t worry too much; in the event that one is needed, you’ve time to stop everything, walk back to the kitchen for a cuppa and to sort yourself out properly. Or more likely, tape it up with masking tape and carry on.

The things which beg further thought are those potential injuries that demand more urgent attention. So to go back to the burns example, I’d want a clean water source, to cool a thermal injury or to wash a chemical one. And in the case of electrical burn, a means to isolate the power.

As for cuts (by which I mean serious ones, where the priority is stemming the bleeding), keep it simple with a quantity of bandages.

Advice on tourniquets has changed over the years. Once fitted (the time should be noted), they will be painful, but should not be removed until you are in hospital.

However, were a tourniquet called for, there is likely to be a risk of shock (not the type from receiving bad news!), which brings me back to someone’s earlier point of the need to be able to summons help! A first aider’s first act should be to call for help, be that of a friend, colleague, passer by or the emergency services.

I agree with most of your point. One should cater for trauma injuries i.e. pressure pad bandages (lots of wadding) and broad bandages.
A tornaquet is essential and should
be the type that can be applied with one hand i.e. velcro or double loop through a buckle. Your point about recording the time of applying a tornaquet is critical as it should be released for 10 seconds every 20 minutes to allow circulation of blood through undamaged areas, except for amputations, when there is no point in releasing.
Yes, minor injuries can be sorted out in the kitchen.

 

[Geoff_S]

Our very good friends and neighbours of 30 years. One is a nurse and her husband is a GP.

We often talk of my “red tulip finger”, the result of a kickback from my table saw.

 

[SLM]

Your point about recording the time of applying a tornaquet is critical as it should be released for 10 seconds every 20 minutes to allow circulation of blood through undamaged areas

This is contrary to my training as a medic technician (last renewed 18 months ago); a tourniquet should only be released or removed once the casualty has reached hospital. It’s a life saving device, used where blood loss can not otherwise be controlled, and so any damage which may be caused through lack of blood flow is considered secondary.

 

[RobNichols]

As a paramedic by trade, I second this sentiment.

The sort of injuries that require a plaster/steri strips/glue/a simple dressing etc can really wait until you walk into the house or wherever to be sorted (assuming this is a home workshop and not a commercial one).

The sort of things that have to be sorted NOW are the things that I would want to actually keep in the workshop. The ovbious now risks in a workshop are:

1. Injuries causing serious bleeding - which to qualify for 'NOW' treatment would need to be severe enough to require a torniquet - you can buy one (the CAT torniquets are relatively easy and quick to use), however I think that's a bit overkill, realistically you can improvise perfectly well with any clothing and a stick/screwdriver etc to wind it tight. For serious but non-life threatening bleeds direct pressure will suffice, a bit of tissue or your T shirt would be as good as a bandage for stemming the initial bleeding.
2. Chemical splash injuries - goggles/glasses are the obvious solution for eyes but these accidents do happen, if something genuinely dangerous splashes then there is a need for rinsing 'NOW' - ideally a bottle of saline or water until you can get to a tap. Medical guidance is copious amounts of running tap water, so if you have a sink in the workshop or a hose within 30m then you probably needn't worry too much about the bottle of water, i'd suggest it would be quicker to walk there and spray yourself than faff around finding and opening your bottle of saline that you put under the bench months ago... But nonetheless a bottle of eye wash might be a good consideration, and also useful for burns/splashes onto skin as well.
3. Burns - Similar to the chemical splash injuries which are really just chemical burns. Theres no great evidence supporting the posh burns dressings or gels for immediate use, so storing them in the workshop seem overkill - what burns do benefit from is cooling with running water as immediate treatment, and cling filming. The cling filming can wait until you can get to the kitchen unless your workshop is 30 minutes from the kitchen... If electrical (reasonable to consider in a workshop) more-so you need to have a way to turn the electricity off - so making sure that is relatively easy to do with big red buttons etc (or ideally proper electrical protection with RCDs etc) is important.

Finally, as has been mentioned, a way to summon help is actually more important than any of these things. Even the most serious bleeding (that would be considered survivable) can wait 2-3 minutes without proper treatment. Better get someone to you to summon more help than anything else.

Of all these things the only ones which will save your life is the ability to make a tourniquet and the telephone to call for help.

I'll caveat all this by saying I have a small garden workshop, within 50m from my house, and it isn't an inconvenience for me to walk inside and get some tissue/a plaster etc when I invariably slice my finger on a stanley knife etc. If it were faff and I had a bigger workshop of course i'd want to keep stuff up there to cover my bleeding finger and carry on with what i'm doing...

Excellent advice. The only things to add I think are:

• don't wrap clingfilm around a burned limb. If the limb starts swelling the clingfilm will tighten constricting the limb causing problems. Instead cut strips of clingfilm to cover the burn. The clingfilm is to prevent infection - so it just needs to cover the burned area. And applying cool running water is the priority. Clingfilm is a dressing you put on after the burn has been thoroughly cooled (20mins +). It protects the wound while you transport the patient to hospital/small injuries clinic.
• If you are wondering how tight a touniquet needs to be - it needs to be tight enough to stop the blood spurting out. If it isn't slowing the bleed, it isn't doing its job. It will hurt! And if the blood isn't spurting out in the first place then a touniquet isn't the answer - apply a dressing and pressure directly to the wound to stop bleeding.

I remember one of my first first-aid instructors describing how much blood constituted a significant bleed. He said imaging dropping a pint of milk on the floor (it was in the days of glass pint bottles). If you've got blood in that sort of quantity it's a significant bleed.

 

[ALB]

Lots of good gear suggestions above. However the one that is most important is training. Have you done a first aid/basic life support course in the last five years? If not, fix that ASAP. It's applicable everywhere you go, not just in the workshop. There are more advanced/specific courses available too (eg advanced life support, or trauma-specific courses. Stop the Bleed is very popular in the US, but for some reason still hard to find in the UK) if you are facing potential serious trauma, but everyone should have basic training. It's easy to get - either through your employer or via readily accessible courses from Red Cross and others - and not expensive.

 

[DeanH]

I wouldn't worry about one handed plasters, if you're one handed a plaster isn't going to touch the sides.