This article is based on a Red Cross online safety quiz. It’s intended to review some first aid basics and get you in a safety mind set for the upcoming boating season.

If you are on board and skin a knee or cut yourself in the galley you should first wash it with soap and water. Then bandage it.

Why not use an antiseptic? These products kill white blood cells, which actually promote healing.

If you’re on a cruise and have bandages make sure they are changed daily. This can help prevent infection.

Indeed a wound should be bandaged and not left to ‘air out’. Air actually drys the wound, which prevents healing.

If you have a wound that’s a bleeder keep adding bandages on top of the blood soaked one, do not remove bandages. This keeps all the contaminated bandages in one place. Still, universal precautions are always a good idea. These include wearing gloves, using a face shield and thoroughly washing hands after contact.

Burns such as sun burn and rope burn can occur. Although you probably have items like sun tan lotion, or butter/margerine onboard don’t use these to treat burns. They can actually seal in heat. The proper treatment is cold water, ointment and a loose sterile bandage.

Should you have an object such as a knife blade or piece of glass get imbedded, you should not attempt to remove it. Rather bandage it in place and seek professional treatment.

If you see swelling, redness, throbbing, pus or fever you may have an infection. The initial infection can occur within 24 hours, but can then take three to four days before it can be seen so watch carefully.

Additionally sprains and strains can happen around the boat. Hopping down onto a dock can strain or sprain an ankle and breaks can occur.

Sprains are a stretch or tear of a ligament, the tissue connecting two bones while strains are a twist, pull, or tear of a muscle or tendon. Tendons are cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones.

Sprains often result from falling or twisting, while strains can be a result of a blow to the body or overuse (such as the muscles used when steering a boat).

Pain and inflammation are a sign of both. Since they are similar the RICE treatment will promote healing of both.

Rest: Rest the area to allow for healing.
Immobilize: Use a pressure/ACE bandage to prevent swelling.
Cold: Apply immediately to reduce swelling and then periodically for 48/72 hours for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. Icepack is best.
Elevation: Raise the injured area above the heart.

All parts of this should be done simultaneously if possible.

Those tips along with a proper First aid kit should add to your safety quotient.

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