09/11/2024
By Ginelle Cote
The UMass Lowell Office of Life Safety & Emergency Management and our partners have been working on installing bleeding control kits on campus, ensuring we are ready to handle a bleeding emergency wherever necessary.
The kits have been deployed in high-population areas where many people gather on campus. Five kits have been installed and can be found on:
North Campus:
1. Lydon Library – PTB connector hallway, opposite wall from the windows near the vending machines (below restroom signs)
East Campus:
1. Fox Hall – 1st Floor Lobby, to the right of the RA desk near the ATM
2. University Crossing – Main floor lobby behind the information desk (near bill drop and mounted TVs)
3. Tsongas Center – Concourse behind section 102, immediately to the left of “Sal’s Pizza”
South Campus:
1. McGauvran Center – 1st Floor dining hall entrance (O’Leary Library entrance) next to the restroom AED units
Each unit contains:
The kits have been deployed in high-population areas where many people gather on campus. Five kits have been installed and can be found on:
North Campus:
1. Lydon Library – PTB connector hallway, opposite wall from the windows near the vending machines (below restroom signs)
East Campus:
1. Fox Hall – 1st Floor Lobby, to the right of the RA desk near the ATM
2. University Crossing – Main floor lobby behind the information desk (near bill drop and mounted TVs)
3. Tsongas Center – Concourse behind section 102, immediately to the left of “Sal’s Pizza”
South Campus:
1. McGauvran Center – 1st Floor dining hall entrance (O’Leary Library entrance) next to the restroom AED units
Each unit contains:
- Chest seals
- Extrication device
- Gloves
- Just-in-time instruction card
- Permanent marker
- Survival blanket
- Tourniquets
- Trauma dressings
- Trauma shears
- Wound packing gauze
The supplies are organized into eight individual kits containing the listed items for easy distribution in an emergency.
Using the kits (when necessary):
- Gloves should be worn whenever the Bleeding Control Kit must be used. It is important to keep yourself safe while caring for others!
- Tourniquets are used on the extremities (arms and legs) for life-threatening bleeding. Always apply above the injury and avoid the joints. Remember to place the tourniquet 2-3 inches above the injury and twist the windless until the bleeding stops or you are unable to twist any more. Additional tourniquets can be applied if necessary.
- Trauma dressings can be wrapped tightly around a wound to continuously apply direct pressure and slow bleeding.
- Wound packing gauze will conform to any wound shape and help control bleeding.
- Chest seals are applied to chest injuries and prevent air from directly entering chest wounds. Applying them
to dry skin and ensure all edges stick to the chest, which is crucial. - Trauma shears are similar to scissors and are designed to cut clothing off a patient with minimal movement of the injured individual. This allows you to expose and visualize the injury.
- Survival blankets will reflect and trap body heat to keep the body warm. Severe bleeding can easily drop a person’s body temperature, contributing to shock and negatively affecting their clotting ability.
- Permanent markers can be used to record important information, such as writing when a tourniquet was applied.
9. The just-in-time instruction cards include step-by-step instructions and illustrations on
how to use each item within the kit during an emergency. - Don't forget to call for help! On campus dial 4-4911, 978-934-4911, or 9-1-1.
Watch this five-minute video for more information on how to stop bleeding and avoid common tourniquet mistakes .
This message has been brought to you by the Office of Life Safety & Emergency Management and UMass Lowell EMS!