Basic Safety in BDSM Play

Sound familiar? I don't know how many countless people I have run into over the years, new to the lifestyle, with basically no clue on what they should do in an emergency. We all were new to the lifestyle at some point in our lives and we learned by doing, reading, and being taught by others. And now, the Internet has offered yet another new venue for us to learn from. So let's talk about safety today and what you can do if something were to happen.

Every home, dungeon, play area, should have on hand a basic first aid kit. In this kit you should be prepared to handle the most basic of needs should they arise. These supplies are listed below:

Bandaids
Antibacterial cream (I prefer Bacitracin)
Tape
Gauze pads (4x4, and 2x2)
Roll gauze
Alcohol
Hydrogen peroxide
Q-tips
Burn cream
Smelling salts
Cold pack
Any medications you or your partner may be on
Ace bandage
Rubber gloves
Sanitary pads (Very absorbent bandage material)
Heavy scissors
Sharp knife
Emergency phone numbers

Some kits may be more elaborate than others depending on the use and risk of possible injuries. I would not expect anyone, short of an emergency team at a large convention, to be equipped with a backboard and defibrillator. Some first aide measures are best left to the professionals trained to render care in emergencies. In your own home and dungeon though, is where you are going to need to have at least some basic supplies on hand for the 'just in case' situation.

The first thing you need to know is that what we do is dangerous. Often times accidents happen. That is why they are called accidents. They can be caused through lack of attention, distraction, lack of communication, or equipment failure. Whatever the reason, now our precious one is injured and we must take care of them. With practice, and knowing what to do, everyone should be able to make it out of the situation in relatively one piece. The first thing you need to do is make sure you take control of the situation. If they are still on the equipment then you need to get them off safely.

Standing
If your submissive/slave is standing and has passed out due to faint or other medical emergency, then you need to get them down. The first thing you need to do is remove any restraints at the floor level. If you remove the restraints from the top of the cross or wall then they are going to fall and you are risking further injury to their ankles, legs, and body. By removing the lowest restraints first they will still be held with their arms over their head.

Assuming you used safety clips, you need to stand behind them and wrap of your arms under their armpits and hold on tight. With your free hand follow their arm from the underside and remove the chain, rope, or other restraining device. If there is too much tension to allow for you to remove the device you can lift them with your arm that is holding them. With the one device removed their arm can then be lowered with your free hand. You will now switch arms and repeat with the still bound arm.

Now that they are free you will lower them to the ground. You do this by placing one foot between their legs and lower them by sliding them to the ground. Once safely on the ground you can render any first aid that needs to be given or call for the Emergency Medical Service (EMS).

Prone
If the submissive is already on the ground you will need to treat them as if they have a back/neck injury and not move them unless leaving them would result in further injuries. Falling or collapsing puts a tremendous force on the back or neck. If you are certain that there is no risk of injury to the back then you can move them and tend to any first aide that needs to be given or call for EMS for assistance.