First Aid Kits & Supplies

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According to TheMedSupplyGuide.com

All workplaces, sports centers, homes, and cars should have first aid kits. The kits for workplaces or sports centers must conform to legal requirements, they should also be clearly marked and easily accessible. For a home or car, you can either buy a kit or assemble first aid items yourself and keep them in a clean waterproof container. Any first-aid-kit must be kept in a dry place, checked and replenished regularly, so that the items are always ready for use.

The contents of certain first aid kits will differ greatly depending on certain factors. Is the First aid kit intended for the workplace or home use? Is the first aid kit intended for a specific activity or event? How many individuals will the first aid kit serve? These questions must be answered before your first aid kit can be adequately stocked.

Home First Aid Kits

Since there are not an specific product requirements for home first aid kits, you’ll have to be smart about the specific items you choose to stock. Look for a variety of quality components and make sure you have all of your bases covered.  Most of our recommended suppliers will be able to give you some great advice as to how to stock them based on your specific needs. Most have kits already assembled for most injuries you’ll come across at home.

Basic Materials for Stocking a Home First-Aid-Kit

• Easily identifiable watertight box

• 20 Adhesive dressings in assorted sizes

• 6 Medium sterile dressings

• 2 Large sterile dressings

• 2 Extra large sterile dressings

• 2 Sterile eye pads

• 6 Triangular bandages

• 6 Safety pins

• Disposable gloves

Useful Additions

• Two roller bandages

• Scissors

• Tweezers

• Cotton Padding

• Alcohol-free wound cleansing wipes

• Adhesive tape

• Plastic face shield

• Notepad and pencil

• Blanket, flashlight, and whistle

References:

American College of Emergency Physicians

First Aid Manual Copyright 2002 DK Publishing, Inc.

Industrial / Workplace First Aid Kits 

Standards have been set for the work environment by the OSHA.  The OSHA or (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) is a sub-agency of the US Department of Labor. It issues standards to segments of the work force and polices these regulations. The purpose of these standards is to insure workplace safety. OSHA requires adequate first aid supplies to be available in the workplace but they don’t require any specific contents. This is where the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) comes in.

As per ANSI standard (ANSI Z308.1-2003) “Kits in compliance with this standard will provide a basic range of products to deal with most types of injuries encountered in the workplace.  The assortment of required contents was developed based on treatment for the following potential injuries:  major wounds, minor wounds (cuts and abrasions), minor burns and eye injuries.  It is important to note that each workplace is unique and, as such, additional first aid products should be selected to augment required contents based on the particular work environment” For a detailed list of the requirements set forth by ANSI Z308.1-2003. Please take a quick look here.

Below is an example of the different categories of risk.  Make sure when purchasing a first aid kit you not only determine the amount of risk but also the number of individuals it will be used for.

Low Risk:

• Shops

• Offices

• Libraries

• Schools

• Day Care Centers

Medium Risk

• Assembly work

• Parks & Recreation

• Warehousing

• Storage

• Catering/food preparation

• Sports centers

• Light engineering

High Risk

• Chemical sites

• Construction sites

• Building works

• Heavy engineering

• Dangerous machinery

Useful Resources

www.redcross.org