Stop The Bleed
Your Bleeding Control Resource Guide
May is STOP THE BLEED Month, and there's no better time to make sure you have the knowledge, gear, and confidence to act when it matters most. If you've been following us for a while, you know we're passionate about keeping blood inside the body. Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death in emergency situations, and a trauma patient can lose their life in as little as 3–5 minutes from a severe haemorrhage. But with the right knowledge and tools, anyone can STOP THE BLEED.
Let's break it down: Who, What, When, and How.
No medical degree? No problem. Controlling catastrophic bleeding comes down to one basic principle: pressure, not absorption.
Basic bleeding control training covers three key techniques: direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquet application. These methods are simple enough for anyone to learn. Whether you're a parent, teacher, tradie, surfer, or student, you have the potential to save a life.
Direct pressure is always the first step. Press firmly on the wound with both hands to slow or stop bleeding by compressing the blood vessels. If the wound is deep and bleeding persists, packing it with gauze adds internal pressure directly to the source. For severe arterial bleeding on a limb, a tourniquet applied 5–10 cm above the wound can stop blood flow in seconds.
"When tragedy strikes, the willingness and capability of everyday citizens to take action instead of being passive bystanders can mean the difference between life or death. With very little training and equipment, the individuals closest to the scene can control bleeding until first responders arrive."
— Hartford Consensus Compendium
Knowledge is vital, but the right gear saves precious time.
At TacMed, we believe every Australian should carry a basic bleeding control kit. Our top pick is the TacMed Bleeding Control Kit: compact, vacuum-sealed to protect from the elements, and stocked with everything you need to manage major bleeding. It's portable, reliable, and built for real emergencies, whether you're on a worksite, a road trip, or just going about your day.
Store one in your car, backpack, surfboard bag, or kitchen drawer.
To get the most out of it, take a few minutes to get familiar with the contents. Our YouTube tutorials walk you through tourniquet application, wound packing with the OLAES Modular Trauma Bandage, and more.
Grab Your Bleeding Control Kit Here
"Each item in the kit has been carefully selected and includes field-proven medical gear trusted by military personnel, law enforcement, and emergency responders worldwide." - TacMed Australia
Yesterday was the best time to get prepared. Right now is the second best.
Emergencies don't announce themselves. They happen on roadsides, at worksites, at the beach, and in backyards. Having basic knowledge and the right gear means you can respond without hesitation, and that hesitation is often what costs lives.
At TacMed, when we say first responders, we mean anyone who's first on scene.
Our public training programs cater to everyone from those with zero prior knowledge through to professional first responders. If you're ready to build real capability, we have a course for you.
Browse Upcoming Public Courses
"Combining tactical, austere, remote medicine and prolonged casualty care techniques into 5 days of practical education and scenarios for high risk and remote workers" - TacMed Australia
Can't make it to an in-person course? No worries. There's a solid range of free resources to help you get the basics down. While nothing replaces hands-on training, these are a great place to start.
- ANZCOR Guideline 9.1.1
- ATACC Group: RTACC Manual
- Stop The Bleed Foundation
- Wound Packing: A Critical Skill for Bleeding Control
- Debunking Tourniquet Myths: What You Need to Know
Stay updated by following us on socials and subscribing to our email list.
"Whether you’re watching a video, buying a kit, enrolling in a course, or exploring online guides, every step you take brings you closer to being prepared when it matters most." - TacMed Australia
Take Action
Whatever you do, do something.
Call Triple Zero (000) to get help on the way. Apply firm pressure to stop major bleeding. Use a tourniquet for severe limb injuries. Help the person lie down, keep them warm, and talk to them calmly.
Not sure where to start? Here's a breakdown of the three core bleeding control techniques every Australian should know.
Direct Pressure
Press firmly on the wound with both hands to slow or stop bleeding by compressing the blood vessels. Maintain firm, consistent pressure and don't lift your hands to check the wound — every time you release pressure, you disrupt clot formation.
A few important points:
- Protect yourself with PPE if you can
- Use a sanitary pressure dressing if available
- Don't layer multiple pads on top of each other — this absorbs blood without maintaining pressure
- If there's an embedded object, apply pressure around it, don't remove it
Tourniquet Application
For severe arterial bleeding on a limb that can't be controlled with direct pressure, a tourniquet is your most effective tool. Applied correctly, it can stop blood flow in seconds.
How to apply:
- Place the tourniquet 5–10 cm above the wound, never over a joint
- Windlass until the bleeding stops completely
- Always note the time of application
- Do not remove it once applied
- If bleeding continues after the first tourniquet, apply a second one directly above the first.
Wound Packing
When a wound is too deep for direct pressure to reach the bleeding source, or when it's in a junctional area like the groin, armpit, or neck where a tourniquet can't be applied, wound packing can save lives.
How to pack a wound:
- Expose the wound fully using trauma shears
- Locate the source of bleeding and clear excess blood
- Place the end of your gauze at the deepest point of the wound
- Feed in the gauze gradually, packing tightly as you go
- Fill the entire cavity with firmly packed dressing
- Apply firm direct pressure for at least 5 minutes
- Secure with a pressure bandage
For wound packing, haemostatic gauze like QuikClot Combat Gauze can speed up the clotting process to around 3 minutes, instead of around 10 minutes.
Wound packing is a skill that requires practice. Visit our YouTube channel for step-by-step video demonstrations, or browse TacMed Trainings public training courses to learn hands-on.
Summary
Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death in trauma, and with the right knowledge and tools, anyone can learn to save a life. This Bleeding Control Resource Guide empowers everyday Australians with simple, life-saving techniques: direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquet application. No medical background required, just the confidence to act. TacMed's compact Bleeding Control Kit, free online resources, and public training programs make it easy to prepare, wherever you are.
FAQs
What is STOP THE BLEED Month? STOP THE BLEED Month is a global awareness initiative held each May to educate the public on bleeding control. It aims to empower everyday people to save lives by learning how to manage major bleeding in an emergency.
Do I need medical training to stop life-threatening bleeding? No. Anyone can learn the basic techniques: direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquet application. With minimal training, everyday Australians can become effective first responders.
What's in a basic bleeding control kit? A bleeding control kit typically includes a commercial tourniquet, haemostatic or standard gauze, pressure dressings, gloves, and trauma shears. Compact, field-tested, and designed to control life-threatening haemorrhage quickly.
When should I carry a bleeding control kit? Ideally, always. Emergencies can happen anywhere: at work, on a road trip, at the beach, or at home. A compact kit in your car, bag, or drawer could make all the difference.
Can I learn bleeding control online? Yes. While hands-on training is always best, TacMed offers curated videos and free online resources covering tourniquet use, wound packing, and pressure application.
Where can I find TacMed's public training courses? Browse all upcoming public courses at training.tacmed.com.au/collections/public-courses.
Related Products & Resources
- TacMed Bleeding Control Kit – Compact, vacuum-sealed kit for treating severe haemorrhage
- Tourniquets – Includes SOF-T, C-A-T, and other field-proven models
- Haemostatic Dressings – For wound packing in critical bleeds
- Online & In-Person Training – Learn bleeding control techniques at your own pace or on-site
- Medic Level One (MLO) – High-threat, remote medical training May 26–30 in West Footscray
References
HARTFORD CONSENSUS COMPENDIUM SEPTEMBER 2015 | VOLUME 100 NUMBER 1S, Accessed 1/5/2025 - https://www.stopthebleed.org/media/0svpk45s/hartford_consensus_compendium.pdf
ANZCOR GUIDELINE 9.1.1 - First Aid for Management of Bleeding, Accessed 1/5/2025 - https://www.anzcor.org/home/first-aid-management-of-injuries/guideline-9-1-1-first-aid-for-management-of-bleeding/
STOP THE BLEED - American College of Surgeons. Accessed 1/5/2025 - https://www.stopthebleed.org/
