The next step

First Aid Needs Assessment

[Tool]

First Aid Kit Contents

[Checklist]

First aid kit security tags

[Weblink]

Is your first aid box outdated and tired?

What to put in a first aid kit

The contents of your first aid kit should be based on your first aid needs assessment (see The next step ). As a guide, where work activities are low risk, e.g. desk-based, a minimum first aid kit might contain individually wrapped sterile plasters of assorted sizes, wrapped wound dressings, disposable gloves, eye wash and perhaps even a leaflet with general guidance on first aid, e.g. the HSE’s leaflet “Basic advice on first aid at work”.

Tip. If you are buying a kit look for British Standard (BS) 8599-1:2019 or one for vehicles BS 8599-2:2014 . By law, your kit doesn’t have to meet these standards but you should check it contains what you’ve identified in your needs assessment.

Maintaining adequate equipment

To ensure preparedness for emergencies, it is crucial to replace used items in your kit. By doing so, you can prevent essential supplies from being absent when they are most needed. Discovering that a necessary dressing or item is missing during an urgent situation can be highly frustrating and potentially detrimental. Replenishing your kit promptly after utilising its contents is essential to maintain readiness and avoid any unwelcome surprises in times of emergency.

It can be tempting for staff to raid your first aid box for non-work related issues, such as replacing plasters on blisters, taking burns dressings home for treatment against injuries caused by hobbies such as welding, etc. It’s therefore essential to ensure your first aid box is well-stocked at all times.

Tip. Protect the contents of your box by tagging the handle. Breakaway security tags keep the contents secure from illicit raids and ensure that the contents are easily accessible when required (see The next step ). These can cost as little as £3.50 for ten tags.

Replacing contents of a first aid kit

Regularly check your first aid kit to ensure its contents are up to date. Many items, particularly sterile ones, have expiry dates and keeping them past that date can be unsafe. Dispose of any expired items safely and replace them. Similarly, for non-sterile items without dates, assess their suitability for continued use. Items that expire include plasters losing their adhesiveness and/or sterility, bandages can deteriorate as can gloves and sterile wipes can dry out over time.

Tip. Check the expiry date on your first aid products, write the dates down and then stick a reminder in your diary. If you’ve tagged your kit you won’t need to open it to check the level of supplies. For our First Aid Kit Contents Checklist , see The next step .

How to check the product expiry date?

The product label will typically show you the product code, revision date, batch number and expiry date. This is usually shown after an egg timer symbol, telling you the year and month the product expires and when you need to replace your products.

Tip. If a non-sterile product has no expiry date, it’s a question of judgement based on if the product is still suitable for use.

For our First Aid Needs Assessment Tool, links to security tags and our First Aid Kit Contents Checklist, visit https://www.tips-and-advice.co.uk , Download Zone, year 22 issue 11.