•Any treatment provided. Let the dispatcher know whether there is severe bleeding, and any treatment already provided. If a tourniquet was used, note the time it was placed on the victim. “We always make sure our workers know the exact location and address they are working at so if they need to call 911, they can give responders that information along with the type of injury, where the bleeding is coming from, whether the person is conscious and breathing and what treatment has already been given, including the time a tourniquet was applied since they can only be used for a short amount of time,” said Tadewaldt. She added that the first-aid kits that are kept in the company trucks have gauze, pressure dressings, trauma shears,
Wearable kits like the Chainsaw Trauma Kit from Forest Safety Products allow rapid response time when a big bleed occurs.
are present, such as electrical lines, suspended limbs, or equipment or difficult terrain.
“If you don’t have major bleeding, a tour- niquet is not necessary,” said JD Stew- art, director of workplace safety sales at North American Rescue. “That’s when you would just use direct pressure [or] something that’s very easily controlled with the emergency trauma dressing or some sort of pressure dressing,” Reichenbach added that tourniquets are not used to control bleeding from the head, neck, or torso. In addition, he said, smaller wounds would be better treated with direct pressure, wound packing when appropriate, and pressure dress- ings under normal first-aid care. THE ROLE OF EMS Equally important after stabilizing the victim, is noting pertinent information to convey to first responders, such as: •The job site address. All personnel should know the exact address of the work site or have GPS coordi- nates. •The best access point for EMS. Let the dispatcher know of any gates, driveways, or obstacles. • Who will call 911. Dedicate a per- son to meet direct responders. •The mechanism of injury. This information would include whether the worker was aloft, how high the individual was, and what hazards
How to Control the Bleed: Do’s and Don’ts
• Do secure the windlass to keep tight. • Do make note of the time the tourniquet was placed to inform First Responders. • Do not remove the tourniquet once ap- plied. Pain is expected. Tight is correct. Monitor for Shock • Do keep the patient still and warm. • Do elevate legs only if there is no spinal injury suspected. • Do continue to check breathing and monitor bleeding. • Do reassure the patient. • Do not give food or drink. Common Mistakes to Avoid • Waiting too long to apply a tourniquet. • Loosely applied tourniquets. • Removing a tourniquet once bleeding stops. • Failing to call EMS early.
Apply Direct Pressure 1. Do use sterile gauze or a clean cloth. 2. Do press hard continuously with both hands. 3. Don’t skimp. If the wound is large and deep, stuff the cloth into the wound. 4. Do hold pressure until relieved by medical responders. 5. Do apply more dressing if blood soaks through. 6. Do not remove the original dressing. Apply Tourniquet if Bleeding is Uncontrolled • Do place tourniquets on arms and legs only, two to three inches above the wound or as high as possible on the limbs. • Do not put a tourniquet on a joint. • Do make the tourniquet as tight as possible. • Do twist until the bleeding stops.
56 | Fall 2026 ArborTIMES ™
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