Cut your hand at work? A five-step response
The clinical part is straightforward. The reporting part is what people forget.
A hand laceration is the most common workplace wound. Handling it well means doing the first aid and the paperwork.
1. Stop the bleeding
Firm direct pressure with a clean pad, hand raised above heart level, held for ten minutes.
2. Clean it
Rinse under clean running water once bleeding is controlled. Note what caused it — a dirty blade, machinery or anything rusty raises the stakes considerably.
3. Cover it properly
Dry the surrounding skin, then apply a dressing sized with margin. In food environments this must be a blue detectable dressing, and a glove over the top.
4. Record it
Enter it in the accident book, however minor it seems. Records of small injuries are what identify the hazard before it produces a serious one.
5. Decide about escalation
Go to urgent care for anything deep or gaping, any numbness or loss of movement, bleeding that will not stop, or a wound from machinery or a dirty source. Certain injuries are reportable under RIDDOR — make sure whoever manages the site knows.
Before returning to the task
Consider whether the same thing will happen again in an hour. A cut is often a guarding or process problem rather than bad luck.
See a pharmacist, GP or urgent care if a wound will not stop bleeding after ten minutes of firm pressure, is deep or gaping, was caused by something dirty or rusty, contains anything you cannot flush out, or shows spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or a fever. Get help urgently for animal or human bites, wounds over a joint, and any wound in someone with diabetes or poor circulation.
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FitMedix products are CE-marked medical devices intended for the care of minor wounds. This site does not provide medical advice — seek professional help for deep, dirty or non-healing wounds, or if signs of infection appear. Always read the instructions on the pack.