What first aid kit supplies do I need?

First aid equipment is incredibly important not only in the workplace but in the home, or in your car and garden. Having suitable first aid equipment at hand is essential to prevent further injury and suffering, should you or someone else be in the unfortunate position of having to seek medical assistance. This article helps you to decide what first aid equipment to have in your box.

Assessing your first aid needs

Location
You should decide what to carry in your first aid kit depending on where the first aid kit will be stationed. Wherever you decide to have a kit, you must make sure that it is both accessible to everyone and in a safe place itself. Example: If you own a mechanics garage, there is no point in putting the first aid kit on a shelf above the basin because the floor might be wet and someone could slip whilst trying to climb on chairs to get it. Common sense should dictate where the kit goes.
At home If you are looking for a kit for the home, then you should address general needs, unless there is a particular reason for you to need a specialist kit (e.g. if you have a hobby involving chemicals such as soap-making, then you should carry an extra kit).
The workplace If you are in the workplace, you should tailor your kit towards your work activities. For example, in an office you can have a general kit but if you work at a garden centre, you may need a more special kit for dealing with insect bites. Think carefully about what accidents could happen and what you would need to heal possible injuries.

General kit

General first aid kits should be kept in a strong, airtight and waterproof box. Medical kits are essential pieces of emergency kit, so they need to be well-looked after. Keep a range of different-sized plasters, bandages, safety pins, eyewash, hand sanitiser, eye pads, wound dressings, disposable gloves and sterile liquid washes in your kit. Things to remember Make sure that you have enough to deal with many injuries at once as you never know what could happen. You should also get hold of a leaflet or small book giving first aid advice and information to keep in the box.

Specific kit

If you work in a certain industry, you should check that you meet all the regulations for different emergency kits. Also, make sure that you are up-to-date as equipment in medical industries change very often.