How to stop heavy bleeding
To stop heavy bleeding after a workshop accident, call 911, then press hard and steadily on the wound with a clean cloth or gauze, using both hands and your body weight. Do not lift it to look; add more cloth on top if blood soaks through and keep pressing until help arrives. A certified bleeding control class teaches tourniquet use for limbs.
About 15 minutes to learnSafety critical: tightly scoped, know when to call a professional
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How to do it
- Make sure the area is safe, and put on gloves if there are any close by.
- Call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, or have someone call while you act.
- Find where the blood is coming from, and put a clean cloth, gauze or clothing directly on it.
- Press down hard with both hands, leaning your weight onto it.
- Keep constant pressure; do not lift the cloth to check.
- When the cloth soaks through, leave it there, pile fresh cloth on top and press on.
- Leave any object stuck in the wound in place and press around it.
- Keep the person lying down and warm, and keep pressing until paramedics take over.
Stop and call a professional if
- Call 911 for any bleeding that spurts, pools, soaks through cloth, or will not slow with pressure.
- Bleeding from an arm or leg that pressure cannot control may need a tourniquet: follow the dispatcher and use a manufactured one if trained.
- Take a certified class in first aid and CPR: this page is a refresher, not training or certification.
In an emergency, call your local emergency number, 911 in the US. Take a certified class to practice this with an instructor.
Common mistakes
- Dabbing at the wound instead of pressing hard and steadily.
- Lifting the cloth every few seconds to look.
- Pulling out an object stuck in the wound.
- Waiting to call for help to see if it stops.
Quick self-check
Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.
Teach this to someone
A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to stop heavy bleeding
What to say
To stop heavy bleeding after a workshop accident, call 911, then press hard and steadily on the wound with a clean cloth or gauze, using both hands and your body weight. Do not lift it to look; add more cloth on top if blood soaks through and keep pressing until help arrives. A certified bleeding control class teaches tourniquet use for limbs.
What to show, in order
- Make sure the area is safe, and put on gloves if there are any close by.
- Call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, or have someone call while you act.
- Find where the blood is coming from, and put a clean cloth, gauze or clothing directly on it.
- Press down hard with both hands, leaning your weight onto it.
- Keep constant pressure; do not lift the cloth to check.
- When the cloth soaks through, leave it there, pile fresh cloth on top and press on.
- Leave any object stuck in the wound in place and press around it.
- Keep the person lying down and warm, and keep pressing until paramedics take over.
When to stop and call a professional
- Call 911 for any bleeding that spurts, pools, soaks through cloth, or will not slow with pressure.
- Bleeding from an arm or leg that pressure cannot control may need a tourniquet: follow the dispatcher and use a manufactured one if trained.
- Take a certified class in first aid and CPR: this page is a refresher, not training or certification.
The check question
Ask: Blood soaks through the first cloth. What do you do?
Related skills
- What to say when you call 911
- How to pack a go-bag
- How to use a circular saw safely
- Every skill in First Aid and Emergencies
Words on this page
Sources
- National resuscitation and first aid guidelines, 2025 guidelines. Checked September 28, 2026.
Last reviewed . First published .