Having adequate first aid supplies is a very important part of any workplace’s health and safety measures, but it can be difficult to work out exactly what and how much you need.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) doesn’t stipulate what businesses should keep in their first aid kits, nor does the organisation endorse any particular products. However, you can get British Standard first aid kits for your workplace which generally contain all you need. These kits usually contain:
• Burn dressings
• Finger dressings
• Saline cleansing wipes
• Triangular bandages
• Dressings in a range of sizes
• Sterile eye pads
• Washproof plasters in a range of sizes
• Safety pins and scissors
• A foil blanket
• Disposable powder free gloves
• Tweezers
• Conforming bandages
• Eye wash
• A mouth-to-mouth resuscitation shield
• A first aid guidance leaflet
The larger your business and the more people who use the workplace, the more first aid kits you should have on the premises. You may also want to choose larger first aid kits which contain multiples of everything listed above.
It is also very important to stock your first aid kits according to the findings of your health and safety risk assessment, to ensure that your first aid supplies meet the needs and demands of your particular circumstances. Lastly, you need a responsible person who has undergone first aid training to be able to use the kit and administer first aid.
