limb and stops blood flow – is often used immediately for life-threatening extremity bleeding. Warning signs that a tourniquet is necessary, according to Steve Reichenbach, owner and founder of Forest Safety Products (FSP) , in- clude rapid blood loss, blood pooling, continuous or spurting bleeding, dra- matic amputation, or bleeding that can- not be controlled quickly from direct pressure. “I think it goes back to any bleeding that you feel is not going to be con- trolled. It’s better to err on the side of caution and apply a tourniquet be- cause it could be extreme bleeding [and then it’s] two to three minutes before you bleed out,” Reichenbach said. “[Y]ou can keep a tourniquet on for about four hours without any perma- nent injury … and in most cases that’s plenty of time to get you to professional medical attention,” he added.
Direct pressure is using an absorbent gauze pad over the surface of the wound and applying pressure to stop the bleeding.
For those working at heights, Reichen- bach recommends that all workers car- ry tourniquets in a consistent, protect- ed location that can be reached quickly.
While arterial bleeds require immediate application to prevent death, there are instances in which applying a tourniquet would be more harmful than helpful.
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