What should be in a first aid kit?
Posted on 29th Apr, 2016 | By Lorretta Tatham
Whether you’re the owner of a small business or you look after a growing number of employees, proper first aid aid at work is essential in order to save lives. Injury at work, and illness from a completely unrelated matter, is a real issue and so measures need to be put in place to safeguard against complications. With this in mind, we’re taking a closer look at the first aid kit and what exactly you should have stored in yours…
Requirements and regulations
The Health and Safety Regulations 1981 requires businesses to provide adequate and appropriate first-aid equipment – as well as people with knowledge on how to use the equipment.
The regulations say that all work sites must have:
- A suitably stocked first-aid kit
- An appointed person to look after first-aid arrangements
- Information for employees about first-aid arrangements in place
Stocking your first aid box
A first aid box is only beneficial if stocked with the right kit. While there’s no definitive list of what to put in yours, here is a list of the most useful items:
- A leaflet with tips, advice, and guidance on first aid
- Individually wrapped sterile plasters
- Individually wrapped sterile bandages and wound dressings
- Safety pins and tape for securing bandages
- Sterile eye pads
- Disposable gloves
All items should be available in a range of sizes, from small to large, to suit a range of injuries. Once stock has been used it should be replaced as soon as possible. You never know when another injury might occur.
Upskill your workforce in first aid
Having a first aid kid is a necessity – as is having at least one member of staff qualified to use the kit. If you’re lacking first aid knowledge and experience in your business, why not sign up to one of our training courses?
At Browns Ladders, we offer a One Day Emergency First Aid at Work Course and a Three Day First Aid at Work Course. The former offers the knowledge and basic skills required to deal with an emergency first aid situation. Ideally you’ll also have another member of staff with a more comprehensive qualification, but if not the training on this course will suffice.
Topics include (but aren’t limited to):
- Recovery position
- Adult resuscitation & CPR
- Child resuscitation & CPR
- Choking
- Wounds & bleeding
- Spillage of body fluids
- Epilepsy
- Asthma
- Burns & scolds
- Fractures
Our three day course has been designed to be more comprehensive. It will give the attendee the knowledge and skills to become a competent first aider and covers all the basics as well as additional topics.
Some of the extra topics covered on the three day course include:
- Hyperventilation
- Angina
- Heart attack
- Stroke
If you’d like to book on to one of our first aid courses, give our Course Enquiries team a call today on 01282 615517.
