GMoore Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I'm looking for a first aid kit to put in my blacksmith shop. Outside of the normal stuff for cuts and scrapes, I need something for burns and a good eye wash. Anybody got any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Some Aloe is a good idea. Clean rag is also good. Some contact solution for eyewash. Cheap, yet effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I'm looking for a first aid kit to put in my blacksmith shop. Outside of the normal stuff for cuts and scrapes, I need something for burns and a good eye wash. Anybody got any ideas? Grainger, Mcmaster Carr, MSC, heck proby even wall mart sells them......A good thing to have for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todoned Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Many years ago I had metal in my eye, emergency room couldn't find it...eventually a doctor did. Same thing happened about a year ago. After that, I bought the eye wash that comes with a mount and put it up right over my grinder... I've used it once, and probably will again some day... my advice would be to definitely go with the eye wash, and the kind you can mount on your wall. Most cuts and what nots you can take care of a bit less urgently... -Tod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34557564 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 This will be a great thread, I need a good FAK in my shop as well. At a shop I took blacksmithing lessons, I heard they kept potatoes in the first aid kit there, and if someone got burned they would cut it in half and hold it on the burn, supposedly it helps. I'd look into it before throwing some in the kit though, seems a bit dubious ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34557564 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 A quick googling would reveal that potatoes are a good burn remedy, you cut them in half and shave or grate it to get lots of potato mush, and hold that to the burn with gauze. It might help to have an aloe vera or two growing near the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Seelye Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Silver Sulfadiazine cream, it's prescription only. My Dr. understands what I do and he writes it before I need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Burns come in a variety of different grades. I have found that burns that did not break the skin should have water, slack tub water will do, clean water is better, for 15 minutes to remove the heat from the meat. Then clean with soap and water and apply your choice of medication. Applying medication first does not remove the heat from the meat and the meat continues to cook, causing damage. For burns that break the skin, seek professional medical attention. If you have an eye injury, I am told to cover BOTH eyes. The injured eye will track with the good eye and can cause additional damage. You will not realize how much the good eye moves around looking at things on the way to the eye doctor. Sanitary napkins are individually packaged, sanitary, and can be used as large band aids. You can get some strange looks as to why they are in a first aid kit, so have an excuse ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I do not recommend aloe for burns. I used it once on a burn and it made it worse and burned like crazy for days. I immediately put a hand burn in cold water. It pulls the heat away and the oxygen helps to heal a minor burn. I have a couple small kits in the shop from Sears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 The simple excuse for sanitary napkins ( aka Multi trauma dressing ) is to stop blood along with direct pressure. These days one of the FIRST items in the kit would be a cell phone. Good quality band-aids, eye wash (one use, pitch it), duct tape ( ok laugh if you want ). Peroxide, baby wipes. GOOD QUALITY tweezers. Ice packs. Good antiseptic in a tube ( since they took mecurichrome and merthiolate from us ). These are all things you can use on yourself but the second line is for when you need more than yourself. I have been infected more than once. I have been burned more than once and used Silvadine more than once. Everyones mileage will vary. Capillary and venous bleeds are one thing. Duct tape and a clean shop rag will stop (slow) an arterial bleed until help arrives. You don't have emergency lights on your personal vehicle and not only that driving injured is hazardous. Mass merchandisers sell kits. Don't forget fire extinguishers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 This should have been my first post. Put your brain in gear first, before anything else, and keep it in gear. When the brain over rides the little voice, or shifts into idle, the first aid kit is needed. Pain is the bodies way of telling the brain it did something stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Allyn Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Silver Sulfadiazine cream, it's prescription only. My Dr. understands what I do and he writes it before I need it. Just what I was going to suggest. A good doctor will understand that you need to keep some on hand. The prescription stuff may also include a pain killer - I think benzocaine. It's been a decade or so since I've used it but it works well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Some suggestions from ptree the guy who buys and stocks the first aid kits and supplies at work, and has been doing industrial First Aid for over 20 years. EYEWASH Staright water from a plumbed eye wash fountain is great. Most don't have that, so bottled eye wash is available. NOTE that it has an expiration date, and that date is important so toss and get fresh right before it goes out. NEXT, straight saline solution, available in nice sized about quart size is the best to buy. If you get chemicals in the eyes flush with running water for 15 minutes(seems a litetime) and then flush with that bottle of saline. The saline will soothe you now now extremly irriated eyes. BURNS Cooling the burn in flowing cool to cold water is the number one first step. The number 2 step is a WATERJEL dressing. Comes in a foil packet. Tear open carefully, reserving the liquid in the packet. Unfold the wet napkin like dressing and gently lat on dressing. Instant soothe! After a couple of minutes pour a little of the reserved liquid from the packet on the dressing and the soothing liquid both numbs and evaporates to cool. These are available in a multitube of sizes and cheap at the price. For smaller burns a burn jel in a one use backet is very nice and is also always clean as it is a one use. Splinters For under $5 a set of tweezers with an attached magnifier is really priceless to find and extract metal splinters. I buy Ez-outs. FINGER CUTS I find the knuckle bandages with the four tails to be the best small bandage for the hands and feet. Buy the Woven and they stick. fit anywhere and will actually stay on a cut finger or knuckle. TAPE I use Co-Ban by 3M. This is a elastic, sticks only to itself tape. Place a big pad on a wound, and start wrapping. It applies pressure by its elastic nature. Over a knuckle bandage about 3 wraps, makes a bandage good for at least half a day in the shop, AND guys it does not stick to that hairy arm:). Avoid too tight it will stop blood flow, unless that is the goal in a big bleeder BIG WOUNDS I find the "Bloodstopper" bandage priceless at about $2 each. They have a good sized pad, a attached roller bandage to act as a pressure wrapping and they are big enough to around a belly with the wrap. KITS I am well pleased by the Swift trauma first aid kit. Last time i bought they were about $100. Had a blastic nylon bag the zips with hangers for wall mount. Has everything listed above including the eyewash plus emergeny blankets and more. I use a fire extinguisher pin lock through the zippers to let me see at a glance if the kit has been used. That way when we need the big kit for a big injury it is completly full. Nothing is worse than a nice first aid cabinet or kit that is empty or full of dirty messed up stuff. I buy all of the above from my local Hagemeyer location. I think Walgreens sells the Watergels at about twice what the Hagemeyers sells for but they won't cost you for shipping. If folks are interested I will get the Hagemeyer Part numbers for the above and post about Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Before reading ptree's response, I had ol' Collyreum eye wash on hand. On a couple of occasions over the years, I've had a student with eye problems. Yes, eyewash can be used, and there is also a tiny, elongated, medical magnet which can be used. More importantly, get to the doctor right away. The thing about eye debris, even if you remove the offending particle, the eyeball may have been scratched, and it feels like the dang thing is still in there. A lay person can't always tell whether the particle is gone or not. As for burns, you can tell severity without having an M.D. degree. I have observed one serious burn where a debridement had to be performed by the doctor. Again, don't think you know more than the doc in many instances. Head for the emergency room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 forget putting anything on a burn, Clean simple non blistered, non leaking cleanse with clean water, these are first degree. anything with blisters or tissue damage, get to Hospital fast, do NOT put any salve, I promise the person burned will hate you when some one like me gets to hold them down and SCRUB IT CLEAN to remove the garbage (I have seen oils, butter, to comercial oitments used) so a real doctor can work on it. I am not a doctor, but I am an EMT-B and have worked in the Burn Unit of a trauma unit of a metro area hospital. and we have to clean off that stuff soon as they get to us. so you are not helping anyone by using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy seale Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 on the light side....rags and duct/electric tape...but really,an assortment of band-aids,2x2,4x4 gauze,peroxide,alcohol,neosporin,and such..but ya need a cool head..plus some kits have a simple fold out "chart" as a quick refrence...but please check it now and again to make sure every thing is still sealed and up to date..but by far the best is to avoid having to use it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 The waterjel burn coverings are actually carried on the ambulances in this area. They are a wet, cooling light napkin like covering. They lift right back off. They even make a face mask covering with eye and mouth holes. I have reccomended NOTHING not approved for use at my factory by our Occupational Consulting and treating MD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 A lot of older folks are using an Asprin regimine, ... or one of the Warfarin based anticoagulants, as a "blood thinner".This makes it hard to control the bleeding of even minor cuts. If you're using any sort of anticoagulant, a good "pressure bandage" is an important item to have available.And yes, ... that comes from personal experience. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don't tread on me Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Cabalas sells a first aid kit for boating that has all of that sort of stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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