YOUNGSTOWN - A medical study from the University of Oxford found that hemorrhaging or excessive bleeding accounts for 40 percent of trauma deaths worldwide.

In February, the Mahoning Valley Safety Council is hosting Stop the Bleed, an instructional course on how to administer life-saving measures when someone experiences excessive bleeding.

During the first half of the course, participants will learn how to stop bleeding or hemorrhaging, while the second half consists of hands-on learning. Those who complete the course will receive a certification card.

During the hands-on portion of the course, participants will learn how to address and treat a wound, using items such as gauze and a tourniquet.

"The number one cause of death after injury is hemorrhage, and that only takes a couple of minutes, so having somebody jump in, calling 9-1-1...can save someone's life," said the Council's Trauma and Injury Prevention Outreach Coordinator Reed McGeehan on 21 News at 5.

The Stop the Bleed event will take place on Wednesday, February 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Saxon Club, located at 710 South Meridian Road in Youngstown.

To participate in the course, there is a $35 fee for members and a $45 fee for non-members.

McGeehan recommends that if you find yourself in a situation where you are experiencing someone excessively bleeding, immediately call 9-1-1 first.

The next step, she says, is to apply pressure with a heavy material such as an item of clothing, then packing the wound with gauze if possible.

In a situation where the wound is on an arm or leg, McGeehan recommends applying a tourniquet when it is accessible.