Cuts- A bartenders worst nightmare

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 by Lance Mayhew
 As a bartender, we rely on our hands to craft and create the cocktails that make our guests happy. A hazard of the business though, is the very real chance of cutting your hands either with a broken glass, an errant bit of foil on a wine bottle or even with a knife while cutting garnishes during prep. Most cuts are a small annoyance. In fact, I'm rarely aware of most of the small cuts on my hands until either I get a bit of citrus juice in the cut or my wife points out some blemish on my hands. This isn't to say that I always have hands that are in bad shape, far from it, but cuts on your hands are part of life in the business and they do occur.

 

This week, at Beaker & Flask I had a vintage coupe shatter as I placed in on the bar as I was getting ready to pour a cocktail for Jacob Grier (www.jacobgrier.com). As soon as it happened, I looked down and saw crimson patches start to form on both my index finger and my thumb. I quickly ran water over the cuts to wash out any glass, poured a bit of vodka on the cuts to kill any bacteria (ouch), and bandaged them up. Unfortunately, the cut on my thumb is pretty deep, and it kept bleeding beyond what a normal band aid is able to handle. By the time I got home, I had decided to use an old technique taught to me back in my cooking days, Krazy Glue. As a caveat, I don't recommend using this technique and I'm not responsible for anything that might happen if you do, and neither are the good people at Krazy Glue or here at MySpeedRail.com. Anyway, since I was still bleeding when I got home, and time off of work = no money for me, I went and got some Krazy Glue, pushed the skin of my thumb together and glued it shut. I've used this technique before with great results and I'm very happy with how my thumb is holding up right now.

 

How do you manage injuries that you might sustain at work? Do you have any tips or techniques for the rest of the bartending community besides the obvious "Don't cut yourself" commments? If so, share them here.

Comments for Cuts- A bartenders worst nightmare

Monday, August 24, 2009 by Kelsey Crenshaw:
I recccomend Nexcare™ Absolute Waterproof First Aid Tape. Check it out http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/WW_Nexcare/FirstAidProducts/Products/FirstAid/Tapes/ It gives padding and water proofing, after the super glue. I had the neck of a cointreau bottle snap off in my hand and slice my index finger at 30 minutes to midnight on new years eve. There was a mysterious white thing hanging out of the side of my finger and the blood...thank "you" for super glue and this tape.
Saturday, August 29, 2009 by Frederic (CocktailVirginblog):
Liquid Bandage is the medical version of super glue. It's easier to apply in thinner coats and flakes off after 3 days or so. Also contains some anti-microbial ingredients. Comes in a variety of sizes and application types (drops to sprays). Great for anything that would require 2 stitches or less. Easy to find in CVS or similar.
Saturday, September 19, 2009 by Marcus jordansson:
Ice is always a góod thing when it comes down to small cuts, it stop the bleeding and cleans the wound, just a get a cube and press it against the bleeding, after about 10 minutes it is bound to be alright Tip 2, is one Ive been using in the latter: Every time I see a bartender with a plaster on I get a little sick to the stomach to be fair, it looks nasty and unclean. So what I started doing when I cut my self,press the wound together and get electrical tape, looks clean, and keeps the wound closed, but mind you dont tape to hard otherwise the circulation will be blocked off.

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