Save a future thumb -- help me assemble a first aid kit for my husband's woodshop.
August 19, 2010 11:37 AM Subscribe
Save a future thumb -- help me assemble a first aid kit and emergency plan for my husband's woodshop.
Be a hero and help me put together a first aid kit for my husband's woodshop. If you work in health care and see machinery accidents regularly, I would especially love to hear from you!
My husband has a little workshop near downtown San Jose, CA that he uses to make furniture, build kayaks, etc. I'd like to be as prepared as possible for medical emergencies while he's working alone.
Some basic info:
- It's in a rented space in a "man-village"
- There is a table saw, planer, joiner, drill press, etc. We talked about Sawstop but he is really bonded to his current table saw and saw blade.
- He works alone in his space, but there's usually other people within shouting distance and he usually has his cell phone.
- He is very conscientious and knows his limits, and takes appropriate safety precautions.
- As an athletic white male in his 40's, he might be at risk for a heart attack?
I need help with:
- what to include in the first aid kit
- where to get the stuff in small quantities? (Local and/or online)
- what are the most common scenarios that could happen? The most serious scenarios?
So far, the list of items includes:
- a list of nearby hospitals and what they can handle. (What are all the trauma levels and what do they mean?)
- chemical icepack (they exist, right?) and a cooler
- tourniquet (which one?)
- sterile nonstick dressing (Telfa pads), ACE bandage
The list of scenarios include:
- the obvious thumb-ectomy
- heart attack or stroke
- splinter to the eye
- arterial bleed
- something that causes loss of consciousness so he can't call for help
Many many thanks in advance!
Be a hero and help me put together a first aid kit for my husband's woodshop. If you work in health care and see machinery accidents regularly, I would especially love to hear from you!
My husband has a little workshop near downtown San Jose, CA that he uses to make furniture, build kayaks, etc. I'd like to be as prepared as possible for medical emergencies while he's working alone.
Some basic info:
- It's in a rented space in a "man-village"
- There is a table saw, planer, joiner, drill press, etc. We talked about Sawstop but he is really bonded to his current table saw and saw blade.
- He works alone in his space, but there's usually other people within shouting distance and he usually has his cell phone.
- He is very conscientious and knows his limits, and takes appropriate safety precautions.
- As an athletic white male in his 40's, he might be at risk for a heart attack?
I need help with:
- what to include in the first aid kit
- where to get the stuff in small quantities? (Local and/or online)
- what are the most common scenarios that could happen? The most serious scenarios?
So far, the list of items includes:
- a list of nearby hospitals and what they can handle. (What are all the trauma levels and what do they mean?)
- chemical icepack (they exist, right?) and a cooler
- tourniquet (which one?)
- sterile nonstick dressing (Telfa pads), ACE bandage
The list of scenarios include:
- the obvious thumb-ectomy
- heart attack or stroke
- splinter to the eye
- arterial bleed
- something that causes loss of consciousness so he can't call for help
Many many thanks in advance!
Prevention is the most important thing here. Sadly, the more familiar someone is with their tools the more likely they are to hurt themselves.
Make sure the guards and splitters are in place on the table saw. Yes,there are some operations where these need to be removed, but I don't know how many shops I've been in where the guards are removed and "it's such a pain to put them back."
Safety glasses, goggles or a face shield always. If you wear glasses, you may think you are protected, you probably are not. While the small frames and lenses most people wear are stylish, they don't provide that much protection.
Lighting is important.
Please don't work when you're tired. On preview, the OSHA information is gold.
posted by Marky at 12:02 PM on August 19, 2010
Make sure the guards and splitters are in place on the table saw. Yes,there are some operations where these need to be removed, but I don't know how many shops I've been in where the guards are removed and "it's such a pain to put them back."
Safety glasses, goggles or a face shield always. If you wear glasses, you may think you are protected, you probably are not. While the small frames and lenses most people wear are stylish, they don't provide that much protection.
Lighting is important.
Please don't work when you're tired. On preview, the OSHA information is gold.
posted by Marky at 12:02 PM on August 19, 2010
Any woodworker that follows normal safety procedures will never have to worry about losing fingers, getting cut or damaging an eye. There are plenty of books that spell out the do's and don'ts. Buy one if you aren't sure. Buy him good safety glasses.
A basic safety kit should be fine. But with any advanced medical equipment, it will be useless without proper training.
posted by JJ86 at 12:02 PM on August 19, 2010
A basic safety kit should be fine. But with any advanced medical equipment, it will be useless without proper training.
posted by JJ86 at 12:02 PM on August 19, 2010
Best answer: As to where to get a first aid kit - you can by pre-made OSHA kits that construction workers have to have on a job site -
Tons of places on-line sell those kits - like here and here
posted by Flood at 12:02 PM on August 19, 2010
Tons of places on-line sell those kits - like here and here
posted by Flood at 12:02 PM on August 19, 2010
Best answer: What an excellent question and a responsible, supportive spouse. I very much want to see this man-village!
While I can't help you with exact medical suggestions, as I don't have the requisite training, from my experience of woodworking (I have a shop of my own) I would suggest the following:
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 12:19 PM on August 19, 2010
While I can't help you with exact medical suggestions, as I don't have the requisite training, from my experience of woodworking (I have a shop of my own) I would suggest the following:
- First, you don't mention if standard safety protections are in place at the workshop, or if your husband will be bringing the items with him: safety glasses, ear muffs / plugs, dust and vapor masks (they are different things) and push sticks. I would hope that there is some kind of locker on-site to store those in: the temptation to push ahead if they have been left behind at home is too strong.
- Second, eliminate the six primary causes of accidents: distraction, snags / catches, tiredness, poor heath / illness, drugs and alcohol. For obvious reasons, I will focus solely on the first two. Tell your husband it is okay for him to take off his wedding band when he enters the workshop, if he wears one. I would not have him wear his cellphone on his person while working on power equipment: it's too tempting to reach back while he is working on something, or be distracted with a ringtone or vibration. Instead, I would check to see that the workshop has a easy to reach wall-mounted phones with big buttons. (I'm sorry to place this image in your head, but the last thing I would want post-accident is to try operate the tiny buttons of a cellphone with bloody stumps).
- Lastly, eyewash is important, as is access to cold running water for small nicks and cuts. (If no running water, bottled water would do fine). Different bandages for different kinds of wounds: knuckles, fingers, etc.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 12:19 PM on August 19, 2010
Best answer: I'm a furniture maker also, and there are several things that are key. These things fall into a broader, but more realistic definition of "safety kit."
No loose clothing. This is an absolute must. Most of the most gruesome accidents (more severe than a cleanly amputated finger) are those when clothing gets snagged by a spinning exposed blade and pulling an arm into the blade while wrapping it around the spindle. It really hard to get your arm back out. In a "clean cut" jerking your arm away is an immediate reaction. Not so with the loose clothes accident.
Also, carrying on the above point, many tools can be mounted with easy shutoff bars. Bars that let you hit anywhere on the face of the machine and they turn the machine off. You dont have to hit a small button or flip a switch. These you can hit with a hip...and are also likely to be hit if you are pulled into a machine.
Studies show the most dangerous tool in the shop to be...a screwdriver. Usually from being used for something it wasn't intended. Second is the lowly utility knife. Butterfly bandages and basic new, clean-ish rags are nice to have easily accessible.
Good footing and appropriate shoes.
I know all of this sounds dumb, but it is the stuff that really gives your husband the best chance of being accident-free. The reality is that anything that can't be handled with a bandage is going to likely result in a trip to the emergency room (even if just for stitches), so a extensive first aid kit will provide peace of mind, but probably not as much as the commitment to safe practices will in the long run. It's about good, deliberate habits. An extensive first aid kit requires someone that is there quickly and knows how to use it...which may or not be the case.
Also, a willingness to go to the emergency room and call 911 if you question AT ALL your ability to drive yourself to the emergency room. Shock can set in quickly and people cant be expected to think clearly for themselves under those conditions. Also, some people start to feel faint, but not immediately. You don't want that to happen half way there. I have seen people get up, walk around, talk to people about what happened and then pass out. Especially if you work alone often, accept with yourself that you will not hesitate to just call 911, not a friend, or even a spouse.
It's great you are looking out for him as much as you are. Good luck.
posted by nickjadlowe at 12:50 PM on August 19, 2010
No loose clothing. This is an absolute must. Most of the most gruesome accidents (more severe than a cleanly amputated finger) are those when clothing gets snagged by a spinning exposed blade and pulling an arm into the blade while wrapping it around the spindle. It really hard to get your arm back out. In a "clean cut" jerking your arm away is an immediate reaction. Not so with the loose clothes accident.
Also, carrying on the above point, many tools can be mounted with easy shutoff bars. Bars that let you hit anywhere on the face of the machine and they turn the machine off. You dont have to hit a small button or flip a switch. These you can hit with a hip...and are also likely to be hit if you are pulled into a machine.
Studies show the most dangerous tool in the shop to be...a screwdriver. Usually from being used for something it wasn't intended. Second is the lowly utility knife. Butterfly bandages and basic new, clean-ish rags are nice to have easily accessible.
Good footing and appropriate shoes.
I know all of this sounds dumb, but it is the stuff that really gives your husband the best chance of being accident-free. The reality is that anything that can't be handled with a bandage is going to likely result in a trip to the emergency room (even if just for stitches), so a extensive first aid kit will provide peace of mind, but probably not as much as the commitment to safe practices will in the long run. It's about good, deliberate habits. An extensive first aid kit requires someone that is there quickly and knows how to use it...which may or not be the case.
Also, a willingness to go to the emergency room and call 911 if you question AT ALL your ability to drive yourself to the emergency room. Shock can set in quickly and people cant be expected to think clearly for themselves under those conditions. Also, some people start to feel faint, but not immediately. You don't want that to happen half way there. I have seen people get up, walk around, talk to people about what happened and then pass out. Especially if you work alone often, accept with yourself that you will not hesitate to just call 911, not a friend, or even a spouse.
It's great you are looking out for him as much as you are. Good luck.
posted by nickjadlowe at 12:50 PM on August 19, 2010
We talked about Sawstop but he is really bonded to his current table saw and saw blade.
Have the discussion again. The table saw is the one tool in the shop that scares me to death, primarily because even a minor slip or bump can cause a kickback. Even if you don't get hurt by the kickback itself, you run the risk of coming into contact with the blade when it happens.
posted by schmod at 1:04 PM on August 19, 2010
Have the discussion again. The table saw is the one tool in the shop that scares me to death, primarily because even a minor slip or bump can cause a kickback. Even if you don't get hurt by the kickback itself, you run the risk of coming into contact with the blade when it happens.
posted by schmod at 1:04 PM on August 19, 2010
Best answer: I'll take a whack at some of this one. I was an EMT in Santa Clara County for a couple years before moving out to rural north Texas, where I'm a Firefighter/EMT with a small fire department covering a land area the size of San Francisco out of one station.
Depending on where "near downtown" you are, San Jose Regional is probably your closest trauma center, or Valley Medical Center. Stanford University Hospital is the third trauma center in Santa Clara County.
Regional is a Level II trauma center. Valley and Stanford are Level I. The difference? Not a lot. "Level I & II:
Level I and II trauma centers have similar personnel, services, and resource requirements with the greatest difference being that Level Is are research and teaching facilities. "
This is from the California EMS Systems Division Trauma Level Overview page.
Pretty much any of the emergency rooms in the area SHOULD be able to handle *most* injuries that someone could do to themselves with a home workshop. If Valley Medical is on divert, they might go to O'Connor Hospital which is right down the street.
If you call 911, it will probably be a unit from AMR picking him up, and they will go to the closest appropriate facility. The hospital closest to you might not be the one they go to because hospitals can divert ambulances if they are having capacity issues.
If he hurts himself? Remember the basics. Airway, Bleeding, Circulation. The most likely injuries are cuts, splinters, and penetrating injuries. Never remove an impaled object. Secure it in place with a shirt, towel, or something. If something is bleeding, stop the bleeding.
Do not use hydrogen peroxide on cuts. Current research has shown that while it kills nasty stuff, it is also killing the good stuff. For minor things, mild soap & water is preferred.
A tourniquet is probably not something that you should use unless it's a very very last resort. Response times in the area are short, and so are transport times. You'll get an engine out of San Jose Fire as well, and they are Paramedic staffed engines.
The stuff you'd need for a basic first aid kit can be found online. Galls sells some small kits. Even Wallgreens/CVS/etc have small home first aid kids. Add some 4x4 pads if you want. But if it's for emergency bleeding control, a plain old towel will suffice.
There's no way for us to tell if he's at risk of a heart attack. Most people have no idea until it's too late anyway.
Do you have your CPR card? If not, perhaps it would be a good idea to take a CPR class. The Red Cross in Santa Clara has classes all the time. Early CPR can mean the difference between life and death if you witness him go down due to cardiac arrest.
There are also plenty of ways that people injure themselves that don't really bleed a whole lot. Other seemingly small injuries bleed like a stuck pig. It really just depends. I've seen both.
posted by drstein at 1:21 PM on August 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Depending on where "near downtown" you are, San Jose Regional is probably your closest trauma center, or Valley Medical Center. Stanford University Hospital is the third trauma center in Santa Clara County.
Regional is a Level II trauma center. Valley and Stanford are Level I. The difference? Not a lot. "Level I & II:
Level I and II trauma centers have similar personnel, services, and resource requirements with the greatest difference being that Level Is are research and teaching facilities. "
This is from the California EMS Systems Division Trauma Level Overview page.
Pretty much any of the emergency rooms in the area SHOULD be able to handle *most* injuries that someone could do to themselves with a home workshop. If Valley Medical is on divert, they might go to O'Connor Hospital which is right down the street.
If you call 911, it will probably be a unit from AMR picking him up, and they will go to the closest appropriate facility. The hospital closest to you might not be the one they go to because hospitals can divert ambulances if they are having capacity issues.
If he hurts himself? Remember the basics. Airway, Bleeding, Circulation. The most likely injuries are cuts, splinters, and penetrating injuries. Never remove an impaled object. Secure it in place with a shirt, towel, or something. If something is bleeding, stop the bleeding.
Do not use hydrogen peroxide on cuts. Current research has shown that while it kills nasty stuff, it is also killing the good stuff. For minor things, mild soap & water is preferred.
A tourniquet is probably not something that you should use unless it's a very very last resort. Response times in the area are short, and so are transport times. You'll get an engine out of San Jose Fire as well, and they are Paramedic staffed engines.
The stuff you'd need for a basic first aid kit can be found online. Galls sells some small kits. Even Wallgreens/CVS/etc have small home first aid kids. Add some 4x4 pads if you want. But if it's for emergency bleeding control, a plain old towel will suffice.
There's no way for us to tell if he's at risk of a heart attack. Most people have no idea until it's too late anyway.
Do you have your CPR card? If not, perhaps it would be a good idea to take a CPR class. The Red Cross in Santa Clara has classes all the time. Early CPR can mean the difference between life and death if you witness him go down due to cardiac arrest.
There are also plenty of ways that people injure themselves that don't really bleed a whole lot. Other seemingly small injuries bleed like a stuck pig. It really just depends. I've seen both.
posted by drstein at 1:21 PM on August 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Air Horn, list of care facilties that re-attach digits, time matters, put it on a sticker on the air horn and by the phone. Plastic bags to carry the loose digits. I lost a finger in a cannery and had the one next to it re-attached. I was lucky the plant was on a full shift and there was a place to go to get help, working alone I would have loved an air horn to alert fully capable people to assist. Having the digit to go back on meant everything.
posted by Freedomboy at 1:48 PM on August 19, 2010
posted by Freedomboy at 1:48 PM on August 19, 2010
Best answer: First: Call 911.
I'll stick to likely scenarios in an industrial setting: generally you are most likely to injure your dominant hand, and usually below the elbow. Don't expect others to be in a state to help: witnessing trauma can be very shocking & without training difficult to handle, they should be able to take simple commands. Your fella should envision attempting any first aid on oneself one-handed, and a first aid course for someone in that field would be ideal, or from an EMT, as they will have real world experience. The first aid kit must be readily accessible and easy to open.
Second: Burns are way more common than you think- much of the machinery runs hot & coming into contact with fast moving bits will burn in addition to lacerating your fella. So get some good burn stuff like: big burns and small burns - and get both - shure you'll have lots of those little packages - then you can have some in your car, home etc. More importantly, he will have the big ones if he ever needs it, and the little ones for the inevitable little burns. These sorts of things are also available at local shops.
Third: Serious cuts/ abrasions: Get Quick clot or something similar like gregr 's suggestion. This & the burn stuff will expire so be certain to replace them & when they do expire - go ahead and open them up & fake an injury to see how they work. These pads are the things you put on the injury while you go to the hospital, not in replacement of going, and getting to the hospital quickly is the priority.
The bad (fourth): crushed/unimaginable horror: IMMOBILIZE! Injured body part should be prevented from any moment so think of something for that, I've seen phone books used but those aren't very common anymore. Splints are the official term for these - but anything rigid will work, just designate something & put it in the first aid kit. Cool any severed boy parts in something like this, and yes, your finger is worth 10$ every couple of years. This is potentially life threatening stuff we are talking about here so top priority is getting professional aid: 911 should be programed it the cell phone as a voice dial or a hot key or whatever the phone does for quickest method of calling. In my experience, approximately 20% of serious accidents with machinery fall into this category.
Smokers have a much harder time re-attaching limbs & digits, so he should quit if he does that.
When to go the hospital? Be precautionary & follow your gut. Remember than infections can be very painful and problematic for someone to deal with at home - the clinic will have the right tools and knowledge to to apply to the situation and save you grief in the long wrong. And they will be willing to really clean an injury - which is key. Generally, if it is being questioned, you should likely go, and don't wait. I waited and now I have this mean little scar, and no, no-one has ever thought I was the tougher for sporting it. Not even once when I was younger. My rule of thumb: if it doesn't stop bleeding in an hour: go. To. The Hospital.
On preview: Freedomboy covers this, but I want to emphasis: I notice you mentioned tourniquet: DON"T USE THESE WILLY NILLY. This is something that should rarely be used and ONLY AS LAST RESORT to prevent death. Direct pressure & the above linked clotting aid should be the primary method, even with full amputation. This is the sort of thing a first aid course usually goes over in detail. If he isn't trilled about going to take a course, tell him its the sensible thing to do, plus he should get a few genuine horror stories to share with his buddies. I don't have a tourniquet in my first aid kit, but if I did I would get one that can be used one handed, like this.
posted by zenon at 2:03 PM on August 19, 2010
I'll stick to likely scenarios in an industrial setting: generally you are most likely to injure your dominant hand, and usually below the elbow. Don't expect others to be in a state to help: witnessing trauma can be very shocking & without training difficult to handle, they should be able to take simple commands. Your fella should envision attempting any first aid on oneself one-handed, and a first aid course for someone in that field would be ideal, or from an EMT, as they will have real world experience. The first aid kit must be readily accessible and easy to open.
Second: Burns are way more common than you think- much of the machinery runs hot & coming into contact with fast moving bits will burn in addition to lacerating your fella. So get some good burn stuff like: big burns and small burns - and get both - shure you'll have lots of those little packages - then you can have some in your car, home etc. More importantly, he will have the big ones if he ever needs it, and the little ones for the inevitable little burns. These sorts of things are also available at local shops.
Third: Serious cuts/ abrasions: Get Quick clot or something similar like gregr 's suggestion. This & the burn stuff will expire so be certain to replace them & when they do expire - go ahead and open them up & fake an injury to see how they work. These pads are the things you put on the injury while you go to the hospital, not in replacement of going, and getting to the hospital quickly is the priority.
The bad (fourth): crushed/unimaginable horror: IMMOBILIZE! Injured body part should be prevented from any moment so think of something for that, I've seen phone books used but those aren't very common anymore. Splints are the official term for these - but anything rigid will work, just designate something & put it in the first aid kit. Cool any severed boy parts in something like this, and yes, your finger is worth 10$ every couple of years. This is potentially life threatening stuff we are talking about here so top priority is getting professional aid: 911 should be programed it the cell phone as a voice dial or a hot key or whatever the phone does for quickest method of calling. In my experience, approximately 20% of serious accidents with machinery fall into this category.
Smokers have a much harder time re-attaching limbs & digits, so he should quit if he does that.
When to go the hospital? Be precautionary & follow your gut. Remember than infections can be very painful and problematic for someone to deal with at home - the clinic will have the right tools and knowledge to to apply to the situation and save you grief in the long wrong. And they will be willing to really clean an injury - which is key. Generally, if it is being questioned, you should likely go, and don't wait. I waited and now I have this mean little scar, and no, no-one has ever thought I was the tougher for sporting it. Not even once when I was younger. My rule of thumb: if it doesn't stop bleeding in an hour: go. To. The Hospital.
On preview: Freedomboy covers this, but I want to emphasis: I notice you mentioned tourniquet: DON"T USE THESE WILLY NILLY. This is something that should rarely be used and ONLY AS LAST RESORT to prevent death. Direct pressure & the above linked clotting aid should be the primary method, even with full amputation. This is the sort of thing a first aid course usually goes over in detail. If he isn't trilled about going to take a course, tell him its the sensible thing to do, plus he should get a few genuine horror stories to share with his buddies. I don't have a tourniquet in my first aid kit, but if I did I would get one that can be used one handed, like this.
posted by zenon at 2:03 PM on August 19, 2010
Sorry it was drstein who covered the do's and mostly don'ts of tourniquet, and Freedomboy on the amputee advice.
Also - here is some sensible advice on woodworking:
Basics of tablesaws and Kickback
Note: its mostly about tablesaws, because there's isn't alot of middle ground in terms of injuries with those - it goes from "phew close call" to "call 911! where's my pinky?" or, "my eye, my eye, it's not my eye, what happened to my nose? oh god my nose....*"
The same folks did a non-scientific poll of woodworking injuries which is discussed here. The takeaway: most folks aren't seriously injured doing it- so have fun and enjoy it.
*yea. Kickback.
posted by zenon at 2:17 PM on August 19, 2010
Also - here is some sensible advice on woodworking:
Basics of tablesaws and Kickback
Note: its mostly about tablesaws, because there's isn't alot of middle ground in terms of injuries with those - it goes from "phew close call" to "call 911! where's my pinky?" or, "my eye, my eye, it's not my eye, what happened to my nose? oh god my nose....*"
The same folks did a non-scientific poll of woodworking injuries which is discussed here. The takeaway: most folks aren't seriously injured doing it- so have fun and enjoy it.
*yea. Kickback.
posted by zenon at 2:17 PM on August 19, 2010
Don't be afraid of the machines. Learn to use them properly and be aware of what you're doing, but if you're scared of the machines, you're more likely to do something stupid.
posted by jjb at 2:41 PM on August 19, 2010
posted by jjb at 2:41 PM on August 19, 2010
Response by poster: Wow, these are all fantastic responses. A wealth of wisdom is less than an hour... gotta love the MeFi.
@Bora Horza: He has and regularly uses eye and ear protection, and stops when he feels the least bit tired or distracted. He also has a pushstick and featherboards. Thanks for the tip about the wedding band - I will work on designating a place for him to put the wedding band whenever he starts working.
@shmod: thanks for the nudge about Sawstop. He had previously thought that it takes a proprietary blade, but according to the website, it takes any standard 1/8" blade. So that might tip the balance towards getting one.
I'll definitely be getting some burn gel, ampusave, air horn and quick clot. And ixnay on the tourniquet. I've also printed out maps for the nearest ER and Urgent Care clinic, for him to tape to the wall.
This is great stuff. Keep them coming!
posted by metaseeker at 3:32 PM on August 19, 2010
@Bora Horza: He has and regularly uses eye and ear protection, and stops when he feels the least bit tired or distracted. He also has a pushstick and featherboards. Thanks for the tip about the wedding band - I will work on designating a place for him to put the wedding band whenever he starts working.
@shmod: thanks for the nudge about Sawstop. He had previously thought that it takes a proprietary blade, but according to the website, it takes any standard 1/8" blade. So that might tip the balance towards getting one.
I'll definitely be getting some burn gel, ampusave, air horn and quick clot. And ixnay on the tourniquet. I've also printed out maps for the nearest ER and Urgent Care clinic, for him to tape to the wall.
This is great stuff. Keep them coming!
posted by metaseeker at 3:32 PM on August 19, 2010
Best answer: metaseeker, definitely get the sawstop.
as an ER doctor I can tell you that the only workshop injuries I regularly see are finger injuries including all lacerations/partial/complete amputations due to table saws (also corneal abrasions but he should be protected since he wears eye shields). Typically these are in people who use the device all the time and never thought they would cut off their finger(/tip).
Depending on the location and severity of the amputation, there is evidence backing the approach of hand surgeons NOT reattaching the amputated finger unless it is basically a crucial finger on a crucial hand (i.e. your thumb on your dominant hand would be considered for reattachment, but you chop off your non-dominant pinky and this will not be reattached). People usually do not react well to this news: "I brought my finger here in this ice packed cooler etc and it's sitting right here and you WON'T reattach it!!??" The reason for this is because reattached fingers do not do well because of the time they spent unattached, a lot of them die anyway or have severe chronic problems such that people will ask to get them taken back off because they are more of a problem than they are worth. At least this is what the hand surgeons tell me.
So, to my mind since this is a common workshop injury it is worth anything to avoid the potential for a partial or full amputation since it may not be reparable, or if it is reparable the cost (both personal and financial) may be huge. I would never use a table saw without every possible safety device because of what I've seen.
That's all I had to add, the other advice you've gotten is solid.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 9:52 PM on August 19, 2010
as an ER doctor I can tell you that the only workshop injuries I regularly see are finger injuries including all lacerations/partial/complete amputations due to table saws (also corneal abrasions but he should be protected since he wears eye shields). Typically these are in people who use the device all the time and never thought they would cut off their finger(/tip).
Depending on the location and severity of the amputation, there is evidence backing the approach of hand surgeons NOT reattaching the amputated finger unless it is basically a crucial finger on a crucial hand (i.e. your thumb on your dominant hand would be considered for reattachment, but you chop off your non-dominant pinky and this will not be reattached). People usually do not react well to this news: "I brought my finger here in this ice packed cooler etc and it's sitting right here and you WON'T reattach it!!??" The reason for this is because reattached fingers do not do well because of the time they spent unattached, a lot of them die anyway or have severe chronic problems such that people will ask to get them taken back off because they are more of a problem than they are worth. At least this is what the hand surgeons tell me.
So, to my mind since this is a common workshop injury it is worth anything to avoid the potential for a partial or full amputation since it may not be reparable, or if it is reparable the cost (both personal and financial) may be huge. I would never use a table saw without every possible safety device because of what I've seen.
That's all I had to add, the other advice you've gotten is solid.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 9:52 PM on August 19, 2010
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Here is a basic OSHA first-aid guide
Here is OSHA recommendations for what should be in a first kit
posted by Flood at 12:00 PM on August 19, 2010 [1 favorite]