What's in your First Aid kit?

G

GoodGraft

Location
Vermont
I'm building First Aid kits for professional arboriculture crews (2-6 people/crew) working around all the typical tree work hazards. I'd appreciate your recommendations on what I should include beyond the typical off-the-shelf kit. Lists, photos of first aid kit contents, links to websites, suggestions of tools/ supplies you're glad you had (or wish you had) would all be great.

Thanks in advance, and stay safe out there!
 
Good afternoon and welcome! We purchase a preassembled kit from Gap Arborist to put in all our trucks, and add a WoundSeal packet. We also attach a Bloodstopper pouch to each climber’s saddle.

www.gaparboristsupply.com

First Aid Kit

This Logger’s First Aid Kit has everything needed for a job site first aid kit.
www.gaparboristsupply.com www.gaparboristsupply.com

www.gaparboristsupply.com

WoundSeal Stop Bleeding Powder

Gap Arborist Supply is run by climbers for climbers. Gap Arborist is trusted by thousands of climbers and tree service business owners throughout the U.S.
www.gaparboristsupply.com www.gaparboristsupply.com

www.gaparboristsupply.com

Buckingham Blood Stopper Kit (Green)

Gap Arborist Supply is run by climbers for climbers. Gap Arborist is trusted by thousands of climbers and tree service business owners throughout the U.S.
www.gaparboristsupply.com www.gaparboristsupply.com
 
Great items listed already first of all...also a tourniquet maybe a cpr mask if you dont want your lips on your co-workers. Lol compression gauze. Medical tape. Sterile eye wash. And what is it...that sterile wash to flush wounds. Medical scissors.Tweezers. alcohol. Peroxide. Maybe even some super glue. Ive used it before. Duct tape. Used that too. Be good to have something like towels. Or hand towels. Or wash clothes. Sterile of course.

That seems like a pretty good list to me. Could be forgetting something. Feel like im forretting something important.

Other than making sure you take the time to make sure everyone knows where the kit is going to be. And is kind of familiar with or instructed how to use it.
 
CAT tourniquet is a lifesaver if there’s severe arterial bleeding, I keep one on each saddle and in glove compartments. I was giving them away for a while whenever I’d trade or send gear to someone on TreeBuzz, but aside from the few I’m keeping, they’re all gone now.
Doesn’t need to be sterile, so play around with one. After a little practice, you can apply it to any arm or leg, one handed.
 
That blood stopper powder works! Really really well. Only downside is the amount of scrubbing and irrigation it takes to get out of the wound..... ask me how I know (please don’t)..... Most kits I’ve seen online or in the field are all pretty much the same, I’d like to see some more purpose built based on our work and proximity for a higher level of care... I’d say add some burn cream/gel to that list.
 
Jonny said:
CAT tourniquet is a lifesaver if there’s severe arterial bleeding, I keep one on each saddle and in glove compartments. I was giving them away for a while whenever I’d trade or send gear to someone on TreeBuzz, but aside from the few I’m keeping, they’re all gone now.
Doesn’t need to be sterile, so play around with one. After a little practice, you can apply it to any arm or leg, one handed.
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Yes thank you johnny..you actually sent me 1. I appreciate it. We had some prior but never can have enough i feel. Oh but one of the important things i was forgetting was gloves. Hey you never know what personal things are going on in everyones life. Better to be safe as possible. Im sure most dont have any actual medical training. I know i dont. But i try to make sure i know the basics of treating an injury.
 
Chris Schultz said:
That blood stopper powder works! Really really well. Only downside is the amount of scrubbing and irrigation it takes to get out of the wound..... ask me how I know (please don’t)..... Most kits I’ve seen online or in the field are all pretty much the same, I’d like to see some more purpose built based on our work and proximity for a higher level of care... I’d say add some burn cream/gel to that list.
Click to expand...
The WoundSeal brand that Gap Arborist sells does not have to be removed afterwards, you just leave it there until it falls off with the scab. And it does work great, but wow does it burn when you first put it on!
 
Reach said:
The WoundSeal brand that Gap Arborist sells does not have to be removed afterwards, you just leave it there until it falls off with the scab. And it does work great, but wow does it burn when you first put it on!
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I was not familiar with its use on wounds that didn’t require elevated levels of medical care.
 
HigherGroundArborist said:
I personally believe that crews should build their own First Aid Kits. That’s what we do on our crew and it ensures that everyone knows what’s in the kit. We document every time the kit is opened and what was taken. This enables us to ensure that it is always stocked with what we may need.
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Yeah i like that idea...like you see on here alot of people have their own ideas for a kit. What 1 person may not have others might have. Great idea.
 
I’ve usually made my own.

1. Gauze Bandages
2. Gauze Pads
3. Medical Tape
4. Assortment of different sized bandages
5. Extra water to clean wound (could add antibiotic ointment as well to apply to wound after).
6. Gloves. If someone gets injured and you need to provide care I think it’s important to have some sort of medical gloves or something similar on hand. Or even to use if you’re treating yourself.
7. Eye wash solution.

That’s pretty much basics I carry.
 
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On my saddle I carry 3 different items for different levels of leaking. For major arterial bleeding I carry a CAT TQ, for less serious cuts I have the blood stopper powder packs and for minor cuts and light bleeding I have visene eye drops, that stuff stops [light] bleeding better then the powder and doest leave granular crap needing scrubbed off before a bandage is applied. Thankfully I use it more for actual eye drops than stopping bleeding though, and I hope it stays that way! I try to keep a few Bandaids on me as well but they go the fastest and always need restocked.
Thats just my personal FAK on my person, larger company stocked ones are kept in every vehicle.
 
GoodGraft said:
I'm building First Aid kits for professional arboriculture crews (2-6 people/crew) working around all the typical tree work hazards. I'd appreciate your recommendations on what I should include beyond the typical off-the-shelf kit. Lists, photos of first aid kit contents, links to websites, suggestions of tools/ supplies you're glad you had (or wish you had) would all be great.

Thanks in advance, and stay safe out there!
Click to expand...
Please share your finished product/s and any discoveries along the way with us!
 
WesSpur has a really nice kit that we out on each truck.

As for building one, I started a thread on here a few years ago that got some great info in the responses. Did you search?
 
Worth including in the discussion. Not saying this is everything, but it is what it what OSHA says it is:

1910.266 App A - First-aid Kits (Mandatory) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

www.osha.gov www.osha.gov

1. Gauze pads (at least 4 x 4 inches).
2. Two large gauze pads (at least 8 x 10 inches).
3. Box adhesive bandages (band-aids).
4. One package gauze roller bandage at least 2 inches wide.
5. Two triangular bandages.
6. Wound cleaning agent such as sealed moistened towelettes.
7. Scissors.
8. At least one blanket.
9. Tweezers.
10. Adhesive tape.
11. Latex gloves.
12. Resuscitation equipment such as resuscitation bag, airway, or
pocket mask.
13. Two elastic wraps.
14. Splint.
15. Directions for requesting emergency assistance.
 
I based mine around blood stopping, could probably use some other equipment for other injuries, but I found a kit on ebay that was designed around an "active shooter" blood stopper kit. The kit came with two of everything (tourniquet, several different sizes of gauze, ace bandage, emergency shears...) I packaged it all into two first aid kits and carry one while climbing and one on a falling belt with wedges, screnches and carb adjustment screwdriver.
 
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