First Aid Kits - Suggested List Of Contents
The first aid kit provides a supply of items that can be used to help treat injured personnel. There should always be a core set of supplies within the box, which can help ensure that the best treatment is given during an accident. There is nothing worse than trying to treat someone, only to find that items are missing out the kit. This can endanger the casualty who is involved, and is completely avoidable within any workplace.
The size of the first aid kit depends on the nature of the business and how many employees are present. Larger organisations may also need enough supplies for the customers that visit their premises. One self-employed person may be able to keep a pocket kit within their bag whereas a large multinational firm may have tens of first aid kits dotted around their stores. The universally accepted design of the kit is a solid green outer with a white cross emblazoned on its middle.
The core of any box should contain a wide selection of bandages, which can be used to treat several conditions. The flow wrapped bandage is the most widely used in the modern era, and has replaced the older / traditional cloth types. The flow wrap is secured in a sterile packaging, and will always be wrapped in the same way, irrespective of the manufacturer type. It is useful to have a wide selection of different sizes, which can treat the different areas of the body.
The triangular bandage is another highly adaptable tool for treating serious wounds. It usually only comes in one size, therefore any first aid box would only need to keep multiple numbers of this particular bandage. It is not sterile, but is longer and potentially stronger than a flow wrapped bandage.
Another core item in any first aid kit is a plentiful supply of disposable gloves. These should be worn where possible as they reduce the risk of cross infection when dealing with a casualty. The gloves come in many different varieties / colours and are often individually wrapped, which ensures that they are sterile. Non latex versions are particularly useful as they can help guard against any allergic reactions.
A good first aid kit would also include a roll of micro porous tape. The tape can help secure bandages / dressings in place, but has hundreds of other uses, dependant on the application.
Plasters should also be readily available in the box, despite being banned under previous legislation. They are often the most widely used item in any kit, and are usually the one thing that is missing, due to them not being replaced. An assortment of different sizes should be readily available, and each one should be individually wrapped. Hypo-allergenic plasters are particularly useful as they help guard against any allergic reactions to the materials.
Other items that can make up the kit include CPR barriers, burns dressings, blunt edged scissors and safety pins. The best way to ensure that the contents remain intact is to always replenish the box immediately after administering treatment. This ensures that the next casualty will always have sufficient access to the best possible treatment.
