Arborist First Aid Kits and Bleeding Control

Buying guide

Why tree crews need a trauma-ready kit

Most job site injuries are minor: cuts, splinters, eye irritation, stings. The ones that matter most are rarer and faster: a chainsaw cut to the leg or arm, a chipper injury, or a crushing injury from falling wood. Severe bleeding can become life-threatening in minutes, often before an ambulance can reach a rural or backyard job site.

That is why many arborists and loggers add bleeding control supplies, often called a chainsaw first aid kit or forestry first aid kit, to the standard workplace kit. Carry one on every truck and keep a small personal kit on the climber or the saw operator.

The time between injury and professional care is what makes tree work different. A backyard removal may be minutes from an ambulance; a right-of-way job or woodlot may be much further. Plan your kit and training for the job site you are actually on.

What a crew kit should hold

Start from a workplace first-aid kit that meets ANSI/ISEA Z308.1, then add for the hazards of tree work. Bleeding control: a commercial tourniquet of a type taught in recognized courses, hemostatic gauze, pressure or emergency trauma bandages, and plenty of gauze for packing and dressing. Basics: nitrile gloves, trauma shears, adhesive bandages, tape, antiseptic wipes, burn dressings, eye wash and splinter tweezers.

Add a CPR face shield, an emergency blanket, cold packs and a card with the job address and nearest hospital. Crews with members who have known severe allergies should follow that person's own medical plan. Check expiration dates and restock after every use.

Pack the kit in a bright, weather-resistant bag or case so it is easy to find and protected from fuel, sawdust and rain. Separate bleeding control supplies into their own clearly labeled pouch so nobody has to dig through bandages in an emergency.

Z133, OSHA and training expectations

ANSI Z133 expects first-aid supplies at the job site and crew members trained in first aid and CPR, and OSHA requires trained responders and adequate supplies where medical care is not close by. Read the current edition and your state rules for the exact wording, because requirements change.

Supplies only help in trained hands. We strongly recommend a recognized first aid and CPR course for everyone on the crew, plus a bleeding control course such as Stop the Bleed. Practice applying a tourniquet and packing a wound on a trainer, not for the first time on a coworker. This page is not medical advice; follow your training and call emergency services right away for serious injuries.

Keeping the kit ready

Mount the kit where everyone knows it lives, in the same spot on every truck. Keep a tourniquet and hemostatic gauze where they can be reached in seconds, not buried under bandages. Check the kit weekly, replace anything used or expired, and include it in your tailgate safety briefing and aerial rescue drills.

Make sure everyone on the crew knows the address of the job, has a phone with signal or a radio, and knows who will meet the ambulance at the street. Small details like that save minutes when they count.