First aid kit

Introduction:

First aid kits are a legal requirement for every workplace. It must also be clearly marked in a green box with a white cross on it. Your staff should all be made aware of where their nearest first aid box is located; it should be easily accessible for people and the contents should be checked regularly to make sure all items are in stock and in date.

Keep a first aid kit readily available in your home, cottage, car, boat, workplace, and recreation area. Store it in a dry place and replace used or outdated contents regularly.

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require you to provide adequate and appropriate first-aid equipment, facilities, and people so your employees can be given immediate help if they are injured or taken ill at work.

What is ‘adequate and appropriate’ will depend on the circumstances in your workplace and you should assess what your first-aid needs are.

The minimum first-aid provision on any work site is:

• a suitably stocked first-aid box 
• an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements 
• information for employees about first-aid arrangements. 

It is important to remember that accidents and illnesses can happen at any time. First aid provision needs to be available at all times people are at work.

There are so many options and so much that could be in a kit.

To find out which first aid kit is best for you start with the following questions:

• Where do you plan to use it?
• Is it for the car, home, boat, holiday, or overseas travel?
• What will it be used for?
• What are the likely accidents or injuries that you may encounter?

Maybe the first aid kit is needed for a group activity.

• What activities will the group be doing? "Lazing" around listening to lectures or doing extreme sports?

Depending on what you are wanting the kit for and the number of people it needs to cover, will influence the size of the kit and the type of container you store it in. A tackle box makes a good first aid kit container or it can be as simple as a resealable clip lock bag. Where you keep the kit will also influence its size. So where will you store the kit? bathroom cabinet

• kitchen cabinet
• car (if it is a small kit the glove compartment is most accessible)
• boat
• workshop
• garage
• backpack

Your First Aid Kit should always be kept in an area where it can be easily found and accessed.

Variety of first aid kit checklists:

Basic First Aid Kit - A basic first aid kit doesn't need to include every piece of First Aid equipment though it might as well have basic yet useful content.

Motor Cycle First Aid Kit - A Motorcycle First Aid Kit has special needs. An ordinary first aid kit just won't cut it. They need a different balance of first aid content. Check out our Motorcycle First Aid Kit Checklist.

Marine First Aid Kit - If you get injured on a boat you may not be near help. You need to be able to treat yourself and your shipmates for any emergency that might arise. You will be set for almost any boating injury with this Marine First Aid Kit Checklist.

Wilderness First Aid Kit - We have put together a wilderness first aid kit checklist which is the minimum of what you should be taking with you. It will help you put together a first aid kit that will tackle many injuries and ailments that might come your way while in the wilds.

Backpacking First Aid Kit - When going backpacking taking a first aid kit is a must as you can't always find a doctor nearby. It is vital to be prepared for emergencies. Check out our backpacking first aid kit checklist. Also, there are questions for you to answer that will help narrow down what is crucial to pack in the first aid kit.

Hiking First Aid Kit - Never be complacent when packing for a hike and always carry a hiking first aid kit with you. The one time you don't will be the time you need it. We’ve created a list of some important safety items to consider when putting together your own hiking first aid kit.

Travel First Aid Kit - When traveling research your destination. Some areas may have dangerous or venomous wildlife while others are notorious for having polluted water that harbors the nastiest such as giardia or the like. Be sure you know what to avoid and take what you need as a safety precaution. Checklist Coming Soon

Vehicle First Aid Kit - It makes sense to have a Vehicle First Aid Kit on hand for accidents you may come across while traveling on the road. You may need to deal with injuries ranging from bruises, cuts, and scrapes, to moderate injuries, such as broken bones. Then there are the more serious, life-altering injuries like severe bleeding, or even an unconscious person where you may need to do CPR. Be prepared.

A few more important suggestions:

• Remember to always check medication expiry dates and replace outdated items in your kit.
• Store the kit out of the reach of little ones who might find it an interesting plaything to explore.
• Know how to use the items in the kit - Become familiar with a first aid manual you find easy to understand so that you will not be scrabbling to learn something from scratch but will be able to scan instructions to remind you what to do.
• Keep your first aid manual with the first aid kit at all times.
• If you have not done a First Aid Training Course, strongly recommends that you either do a course in your local area or online.

Basic first aid kit:

A basic first aid kit doesn't need to include every piece of First Aid equipment although it might as well have basic yet useful content.

So what do we suggest goes in a basic first aid kit?

• Basic first aid manual - one that is easy to understand. Sometimes it's hard to remember what to do in an emergency. A pocket-sized manual comes in handy, taking you step-by-step through first aid care. We think it is best to read through it so the layout and contents are familiar before you need it in the heat of the moment.
• Antiseptic wipes or gel - for cleaning your hands before touching open cuts and wounds.
• Gauze and non-adhesive dressing pads - preferably sterile. They come in all sizes. One option, if you are trying to save space, is to get a bigger size dressing that you can cut to size as needed. It will save space.

• Elastic and crepe bandages - a few different widths.
• Triangular Bandage - For slings, padding, strapping limbs to splints when fractures are suspected.
• Adhesive Tape - I prefer paper tape as you do not have to have scissors to cut it as it will tear by just using your fingers - Get a good quality tape that will not get brittle with age or lose its stickiness. It is useless when that occurs.
• Curved Scissors - Scissors come in handy in many ways. Curved medical ones are great as they don't have sharp points. In an emergency, you might need to cut clothes away from an injury. With sharp edges, it is easy to poke through something and cause further injury when you are in a hurry or under stress.
• Two tongue depressors or ice block sticks for finger splints.
• Instant Cold Pack/s - These are so useful for burns, bruising, swelling, and sprains. They are single-use, so if you have space grab a couple for your kit.
• Band-Aids - a variety of shapes and sizes for small cuts and scrapes. I find the long strips of cloth tape with the padding in place already is great because you can cut it to size.
• Tweezers - A good pair of tweezers has easy-to-grip handles and can be used for splinter removal and other first-aid procedures. Do not bother with a poor-quality pair that will not grip a splinter you are trying to pull out as you will just get frustrated.
• Pain Reliever Capsules or liquid (liquid is best for children who can not swallow tablets).
• Anti-histamine - tablets or liquid (again for those that can not swallow tablets).
• Stings and Bites Cream- I prefer one with a local anesthetic, especially for the kids. My son scratches his bites when he is asleep and ends up with bleeding and weeping sores so knocking out the itchiness of bites before he goes to sleep reduces the scratching.

Vehicle First Aid Kit Checklist:-

• A good First Aid Book - including basic CPR instruction.

over the counter items:

• Antibiotic ointment or powder.
• Antihistamine - for mild allergic reactions.
• Antiseptic gel (the no need for water type) - for cleaning your hands before touching open wounds.
• Antiseptic wipes - for wiping over small wounds, cuts, and scrapes.
• Aspirin or other pain relievers - what you would normally take for pain.
• Burn gel with Aloe Vera - Aloe Vera aids in healing, pain relief has anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent blistering and scarring.
• Stings and bites cream - I prefer one with a local anesthetic, especially for the kids.
• Hydrocortisone cream - for skin inflammation and rashes.

Storage container:

• A tackle box or art supply box works well for storing Vehicle First Aid Kit supplies. They are lightweight, strong for when it gets knocked about, have handles for easy carrying, and generally have trays or swing-out sections for storing small items to keep them in order.
• Using clip lock bags to store certain items into categories is a great idea so things can be found in a hurry.

A Motorcycle First Aid Kit has special needs:

An ordinary first aid kit just won't cut it. This is mainly to do with size, but also the types of common injuries that bikers may experience need a different balance of first aid content.

Common injuries for motorcycle riders are:

• Burns - sunburn and heat burns, minor and less common major, from exhaust pipes and other sources.
• Eye injuries - things flying or blowing into the eyes.
• Cuts, Abrasions, and scrapes - usually from hitting the road literally.
• Fractures.

When packing a Motorcycle First Aid Kit, or looking to buy one, consider kit contents that are used for stopping bleeding, treating burns, abrasions and cuts, and eye injuries.

It is important to know the purpose of and how to use every item in your motorcycle first aid kit - otherwise, it's just taking up space.

Click the below link to know more in detail about different first-kit guidelines, OSHA first aid mandatory first-aid kit check sheet, marine and hiking first-aid kit safety check sheet, etc.