What should be in a Aussie Shed First aid kit?

I went to a first aid refresher course this evening and it got me thinking about what sort of things should be in a Aussie shed first aid kit.
We have 2 medium sized first aid kits at our place - one for the station wagon and one in the house, plus I have a small one in the Van, but nothing in the shed.

I went on line and had a look at what was available at a place like St Johns.
They have all sorts of kits e.g.
Kiddies, Ladies, Outdoor, CPR, "Leisure", Off Road, Workplace Vehicle, Bites and Stings, and Low and medium risk workplace kits.
I'm not sure if any of these really suit a shed.

So my poll is what items do you think should be in a First aid kit that would be suitable for an average Shed?
Add more ideas for contents in any posts.

Well the likely injuries are going to be cuts, abrasions and crush injuries, with also a possibility of thermal burns, chemical burns, inhalation of noxious substances, objects in the eye; and a lower (but possible) probability of amputations or major trauma to the head or circulatory system.

I would add things like a 2L bottle of water (if no running water available), plastic bags, and in a power-machine shed something like the surf lifesaving shark kit - with towels to soak up large quantities of blood and heavy bandages.

There's probably no point in having paracetamol or light bandages for sprains and strains, as they are not critical problems and can be dealt with by going to the house first aid supplies.

Beer. :think:

I used to have a basic first aid kit for the shed, it didnt ever get used. All the stuff in there ended up looking pretty 2nd hand after about 5 years.
I have a pair of tweezers in a drawer for getting out splinters, thats about all I really use, any small finger cuts just get a bit of electrical tape wrapped around until I go up to the house at the end of the day.

I am normally very careful in the shed and dont get many injuries, but $#!* does happen, like when I chopped the end off a finger on the jointer. That was just a matter of grabbing the nearest bit of clean rag to stop the blood flow, turn off the machines, lock the shed, then drive the 1/2 hour to the hospital with the rag still wrapped around the finger. In all honesty, I think even then, if I had a well stocked first aid kit in the shed I would not have opened it.

In the poll I just answered triangular bandage, as for a decent injury, I think that is about all I would use to get myself to medical help. Anything else more urgent than the electrical tape, I would go up to the house and use the well stocked St Johns kit in the cupboard.

Music :;

In addition to the usual band aid etc a telephone, either mobile or landline extension, to call for help is a must.


Peter.

I certainly don't have a F A Kit in my shed, but I do have Loctite 401, & that is what I use for all my cuts, if I ever get one. Yes, I have a couple of clean Towels. Been using S/Glue for many years, never ever had a problem, dries in seconds, don't have to worry about getting Plastic from Band Aids all over my work. House is only a few steps away.

It’s important to remember that in most cases a first aid kit is for other people to administer first aid to you. Visability, position and access are just as critical as contents.

A small tupperware container, a ziploc plastic bag, an old towel and one of those instant cold packs.

Then you can pop the severed body part in the bag (after first blowing off the sawdust), activate the ice pack, drop it into the tupperware container, add some water and pop the bagged bit into the cold water. Then you can dial triple zero while you hold the towel around whatever bit is leaking.

While you're waiting, you should clean off any blood on the machine - apparently it's very good at causing rust...maybe add a can of WD-40 to the list above...

NB. When collecting the missing bit, make sure you don't pick up that four month old sausage end (that the dog didn't eat after all) by mistake.

Plastic bag is a good idea.
I already keep a good supply in the shed but they won't be exactly sterile.

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Originally Posted by Master Splinter

. . . . NB. When collecting the missing bit, make sure you don't pick up that four month old sausage end (that the dog didn't eat after all) by mistake.

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Any accessible meat or bone wouldn't last 4 seconds with my dogs. When I cut up frozen bones with my bandsaw the dogs lick the bandsaw and floor area around the bandsaw clean, they probably wouldn't hesitate a finger either.

If you are a one man shop and you don't want to die when it all goes south, have a mobile phone in your pocket.

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Originally Posted by keltrader

If you are a one man shop and you don't want to die when it all goes south, have a mobile phone in your pocket.

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Yep, much smarter to have it in your pocket than in the first aid kit.

BTW the poll is on what should be in the kit.

Sorry Bob, Only ever have a few bandaids & tweeters....
If the cut is a good one, I have a hanky in my pocket to wrap it & head to the house....
So far, that's all that's been needed...cheers, crowie.

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Originally Posted by crowie

Sorry Bob, Only ever have a few bandaids & tweeters....
If the cut is a good one, I have a hanky in my pocket to wrap it & head to the house....
So far, that's all that's been needed...cheers, crowie.

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No need to apologise. I don'r have anything in my shed. Hopefully the poll will raise a bit of awareness if nothing else.

Duct tape, fixes everything.

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Originally Posted by michael_m

Well the likely injuries are going to be cuts, abrasions and crush injuries, with also a possibility of thermal burns, chemical burns, inhalation of noxious substances, objects in the eye; and a lower (but possible) probability of amputations or major trauma to the head or circulatory system.

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Other than that, there are few safer places to be.:D

I only voted for (and have) a few basic items. If I can't make it the 10 metres back to the house then I'm unlikely to be able to use or get to anything in the shed.....

Resuscitation gear? I'm almost always in there by myself.

Towels for mopping up large quantities of blood? If it's my blood, and there's that much, I think I'll worry about it later. If it's someone else's, and there's that much, I think I'll worry about it later. Or they can. :;

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Originally Posted by shanesmith80

Duct tape, fixes everything.

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Except stupid, but it helps muffle the sound. :D

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Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Towels for mopping up large quantities of blood? If it's my blood, and there's that much, I think I'll worry about it later. If it's someone else's, and there's that much, I think I'll worry about it later. Or they can. :;

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No, not for mopping up blood. They're for staunching the flow of blood long enough to put on a tourniquet before bleeding out. But then again sharks will usually take more off than a tablesaw will, so it's not as vital in the shed.

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Originally Posted by BobL

I went to a first aid refresher course this evening and it got me thinking about what sort of things should be in a Aussie shed first aid kit.
We have 2 medium sized first aid kits at our place - one for the station wagon and one in the house, plus I have a small one in the Van, but nothing in the shed.

So my poll is what items do you think should be in a First aid kit that would be suitable for an average Shed?
Add more ideas for contents in any posts.

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I suppose the starting point is an assessment of likely injuries while in the shed, things like:
foreign bodies -- splinters, etc
puncture wounds
cuts (lacerations)
abrasions
amputation
burns
chemical and fumes
electrocution
impact or crush injuries

then you need to make an assessment of what treatment you might self administer and which injuries will require external assistance.

minor punctures, cuts, foreign bodies etc might be treated with tweezers and a band aid / electrical tape / gaffa tape / super glue

for medium to major injuries punctures / cuts / amputations -- initial treatment should be to stem the blood loss which usually requires a pad of some sort and pressure on the wound till external help arrives
a sterile layer in contact with the wound is good but probably a secondary consideration compared to stemming the blood loss. If you keep a supply of clean rags in the shed for finishing these would do to stem blood loss.

the major consideration would be having access to stuff you can use with your non-dominant hand.


with burns the immediate issue is getting the heat out of the burn site -- usually requires lots of cold water -- in a hot environment you might need to raid the freezer for enough frozen stuff to chill the water.


chemical / fumes -- prevention is probably the best option as IMMEDIATE treatment is get OUT of the shed DO NOT STOP at first aid kit


impact / crush injuries -- treat any bleeding, then ice to minimize bruising


electrical -- again prevention is probably the best strategy, possibly RCDs and separate kill switches for the machines, power points and lights



so the shed first aid kit may not contain much more than tweezers and a few band aids

Interesting one, it does depend greatly on how isolated you are in your workshop. I am currently going through this at work ( farm school workshop). Work is similar to the home workshop in the workshop is only about 20 metres from the office where a comprehensive kit is kept, similar to ones home.

For me I say items of convienience for non serious injuries such as bandaids, sterile wipes and tweezers because you want to keep working and don't want to go inside for a minor gut or splinter (I have these in my own wall mounted kit at home and my go to kit at work). Things like antiseptic cream, steri strips, ice packs and the like that I use for more severe non doctor type injuries I consider the next level up and a walk to the house or office is in order.

Other than that, you need gear to deal with major trauma, so sterile dressings, triangular bandages, crepe bandages. Given, in the case of major trauma you are only offering first aid until a ambulance arrives there is not really any need for much more than the above as you need only these items to give compression to stop bleeding. Make sure the mobile phone is handy.

An eye wash bottle and access to running water are also a good idea.

While on the subject, how many of you actually have a first aid kit or a fire extinguiser in your workshop?
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Originally Posted by Burnsy

. . . . . . While on the subject, how many of you actually have a first aid kit or a fire extinguiser in your workshop?

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For the FE part look in the previous Poll!

Interesting that only 45% of people rate a triangular bandage. For major trauma say a crush, amputation or laceration, a handfull of new and sealed triangular bandages will generally do all you need, till an ambulance arrives, forget the dressings, bandages and the rest. The less different items you have to deal with and think about the better.

About 6 years ago I had a student pair his calf off his leg while being smart and kicking a window. All I used was triangular bandages and a couple of sterile pads to hold it all together and stem the blood flow, I could have done it without the sterile pads but they were there on hand so got used. After unwrapping his leg to inspect it he ambulance officers commented that they need not have unwrapped what I did and should have just left it to take him to hospital as there was nothing different they would have done.

Go buy some and throw a couple in the glovebox while you are at it, clean triangular bandages are the jack of all trades when it comes to first aid.

All good discussions.

Just a follow up on the duct tape. Speaking to an ambo about what he thought about duct tape and he said yes if you have nothing else but preferably use or make up a wound pad so the duct tape does not stick directly to the skin. One accident he turned up to where the patient was so bandaged with duct tape it made it difficult to check the wound site without adding to the trauma and restarting the bleeding.

If you aren't keen on the super glue then I'd add wound closure strips (Steri-strips).
Use them on those super neat cuts with Olfa knives (Many have I had :rolleyes:), I've never needed stitches and when I thought I needed stitches and went to the doctors....Yep! Steri-Strips.

When I fell through a plate glass door I received multiple cuts, mainly on my left arm and shoulder but a number also on my scalp. Overall I only received 27 stitches because most of the short shallow cuts were handle by steristrips while most of the short scalp cuts were closed up by twisting small clumps of hair across the wound and adding a dab of medical super glue to the hair twist.

This reminds me of my late Father in Law who was not a "people person"......He ran a small engineering factory which he worked by himself for 40 years.

One day in the 1970's a couple of WH&S officers walked into the factory (which looked like a factory from the 1940's), my FIL was sitting on his worn out chair and the men introduced themselves...looked around and told him that he should have a stretcher in the workshop so that an injured worker can be carried out.

He looked at them, informed them that he was the only person there and "Who would carry the bloody thing out ?"

They looked at each other......looked back at my FIL then apologized for wasting his time then left.

All first aid is in the house, eye bath, band aids! I have a bag of clean rags in the shed.
a freshly sharpened skew is used for splinters!

Been there, got the scars. A mobile or landline phone assumes that you have 3 hands - when you are holding the injured part, and it will usually be a hand, with one hand it becomes nearly impossible to get a mobile phone out of your pocket, open house doors or pick up the phone and dial numbers (DAMHIK). Better keep an eye on which neighbours are home so you can stagger over and ask them to ring for you.

Lesser injuries are the realm of band aids, tweezers and the like - not life threatening or likely to lead to serious problems, you just want to get patched up and keep on working. Keep a bunch of band aids, tweezers (preferably with a magnifying glass attached or extra strong reading glasses) and such in an air and water tight box - remember to check the band aids every year or two as the glue eventually fails on all of them. An eye wash device is also a good investment - you can get them with the eyebath connected to a bottle of rinse water so its a one hand operation - for those times when you get a face full of sawdust and don't blink in time.

I also put another vote in for electrical tape and a phone, but add to that some clean rags or paper towel to put under the electrical tape. I guess the smart thing to do would be to have some sterile non stick dressing, rather than rags. But in all honesty, when you put a grinder through a finger, a rag is usually the closest thing. The mobile phone is the next closest thing.

I say electrical tape, not as a troll, but in seriousness. I have used that stuff so many times to close up a wound that needed stitches. Its quick, easy and it does a good job. Its also very easy to get a decent amount of compression with minimal effort and the use of a single hand.

Bit late to the party but apart from the small stuff likeelastoplaster, splinter needles, tweezers and maybe iodine swab I like I thinkthat if you’re going to need something out of the shed FAK your probable goingto need it for something pretty major like a deep laceration, puncture oramputation or something in your eye and also considering chances are you haveprobable done something to a hand or arm you’re going to be one handed so in myshed I carry (buying) the following and in mho all need to be able to beoperated with one hand and maybe teeth so here is my list. Basically if I needto go into it and not the house one I’ve probable lopped something off or fedsomething I shouldn’t have into the saw.
One hand operated tourniquet (got two one hanging near my cabinetsaw area and one in the kit)
Hand held eye washer

Large zip lock bags (large channelled one the small ones arejust too hard to operate single handed)
Instacold pack
Clean towels
Large sealable plastic container (doubles as my FAK box)
Something I don’t have but want to buy is a quikclot traumapad or two, these things are great for stopping arterial and venous bleedingand work much faster than just direct pressure alone and I hear are xrayable somakes removal easier. Never used on tho.
Recently had an older mate who was being a little silly Iguess as I can’t figure out how he managed it but he ran a circular saw downhis forearm and across his hand and was lucky to survive the loss of blood. As afew people have stated a phone is probable the other key piece if you typicallywork alone.

I hope to hell I never have to use anything more than pointyneedle, superglue works a treat as well.