Scissors

Scissors are very useful tools that come in many shapes and sizes and can be used for everything from arts and crafts to first aid. In emergency medicine heavy-duty scissors can be used to cut clothing off of victims to allow medical personnel access to injuries. In a first aid use scissors can be used to trim tape, cut gauze or other bandages to better fit a cut or burn, and scissors can also be used to remove bandages and tape.

When choosing a pair of scissors you should look for certain features. Metal is very durable and can hold a sharpened edge. Metal blades can be used again and again for dependable cutting. Also consider the shape of the blade. Blades with a rounded or snub tip can be used to safely cut away a bandage. Also look for blades in which one blade is longer. Typically the longer blade will have a rounded tip. The rounded leading edge cannot puncture or become caught on skin or clothing, so you can cut without unknowingly cutting more than the bandage. Curved blades are also ideal for cutting bandages since the person using the scissors can keep his or her wrist at a natural and comfortable angle while removing the bandage from someone else. Pointed blade tips and straight blades allow for improved maneuverability. Scissors with pointed edges can be used to trim hangnails and fingernails.

No first aid kit is complete with a quality pair of scissors to help you quickly and neatly trim and remove bandages.