Inova Loudoun Hospital will offer a free community workshop Sept. 1 designed to teach participants how to respond to severe, potentially life-threatening bleeding before emergency personnel arrive.

The in-person Stop the Bleed® workshop will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Inova Virts Miller Family Emergency and Trauma Center at Inova Loudoun Hospital.

In a serious emergency, bystanders may be the first people in a position to help. A person experiencing uncontrolled bleeding can die from blood loss within minutes, making immediate action potentially lifesaving.

During the workshop, participants will learn how to distinguish between ordinary bleeding and life-threatening blood loss and what steps to take in each situation. Attendees will also receive hands-on practice using tourniquets and packing wounds.

The training is part of the national Stop the Bleed campaign, which is intended to give members of the public the knowledge and skills to respond when someone is severely bleeding.

The workshop comes following Inova Loudoun Hospital’s designation as a Level II Trauma Center, the only one in Loudoun County. The designation reflects the hospital’s expanded ability to provide immediate and comprehensive care to critically injured patients.

The workshop will be held at Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Parkway, in The Ladies Board Education Center, Suite 160, in Leesburg. Participants should follow signs for the South Hospital Entrance. Free on-site parking is available.

Participation is free, but space is limited. Registration is available at inova.org/stopthebleed.