What Should Be in a First Aid Kit at Work?
After discussing the importance of providing your employees with first aid training, today we will present you the reasons why you should always make sure your workplace is equipped with the appropriate first aid kit and what should be in a first aid kit at work.
Why you should keep a first aid kit at work
First of all, the Health & Safety Regulation 1981 requires all businesses, including those with less than five employees, to have appropriate equipment to ensure immediate attention in case of injuries. In fact, even if first aid cannot be considered a proper medical treatment, being able to intervene immediately in case of an emergency can lessen the risk of complications and it can also reduce pain while waiting for medical professionals to arrive.
What should be in a first aid kit at work
Before deciding on the content of your first aid kit, you should always conduct a risk assessment in your workplace. To comply with legal requirements, you need to consider the number of employees and how many of them are first-aiders, you need to be aware of any medical conditions your workwers may have and, finally, you need to identify potential hazards and decide whether the tasks you perform are low-risk or high-risk.
First aid kit for low-risk workplaces
The tasks performed in a low-risk workplace have low chances to result in serious injuries or illnesses, and they usually refer to desk-based tasks that do not require physical activity. If you work in an office, your basic first aid kit should always contain:
- First aid guide
- individually wrapped sterile plasters
- disposable gloves
- sterile eye pads
- sterile wipes
- triangular bandages (individually wrapped and sterile)
- safety pins
- sterile wound dressings
- instant ice packs
Discover our small first aid kits for your low-risk workplace:
First aid kit for high-risk workplaces
A high-risk workplace is a workplace where the tasks performed involve high-risk activities, like warehouses or construction sites. In such cases, your first aid kit content should be more extensive and specific for the type of job. For example, when working in a kitchen or food service, plasters should always be blue. In addition to the previous list, for high-risk workplaces you might need to add:
- face shields
- foil blankets
- burn dressing
- disposable aprons
- eye dressing
- eye wash pods
- clothing cutters
- microporous tape
- clinical waste bags
Check our medium and large first aid kits for your high-risk workplace:
At Healthy Bean, we offer an extensive collection of workplace first aid kits, ranging from small to large kits. We also offer catering and vehicle kits, as well as plaster tape. Now that you know what should be in a first aid kit at work, browse our website and contact us to find the best option for your needs!
