Must-Have First Aid Supplies for Offices

First aid supplies for offices are crucial to ensure employee safety. Additionally, they are required by law to comply with the laws such as the Work Health and Safety Act.

What must be in an office's first aid kit?

Short answer: Every first aid kit must contain remedies for simple ailments such as cuts, burns, and wounds. Additionally, it must contain things that are deemed necessary after a thorough risk assessment.

• A first aid kit contains life-saving supplies that can be used to save a person's life until full medical assistance, or emergency services are available. 
• First aid kits contain individually wrapped sterile plasters of assorted sizes, sterile eye pads, unmedicated wound dressings, and disposable gloves. 
• It can include personal protective aid equipment, medicines, medical equipment, survival supplies, and convenience items.

Components of a Small Office's First Aid Kit

Small offices can be divided into two main categories; small offices with high-risk environments and small offices with low-risk environments.

• For low-risk workplaces,
• One small-sized first aid kit for more than 25 employees. 
• One medium-sized first aid for 25-100 employees.
• For high-risk workplaces,
• One small-sized first aid kit for five employees. 
• One medium-sized first aid kit for 5-25 employees.

First aid kits should contain basic remedies for common ailments such as cuts, burns, and wounds.

• A leaflet with general guidance on first aid
• Tweezers
• Two triangular bandages 
• Adhesive tapes 
• Box adhesive bandages
• One emergency blanket
• Adhesive bandages
• Two elastic wraps 
• Directions for requesting emergency assistance 
• Two large sterile gauze pads 8 × 10 inches (ca. 25 cm) 
• A roller bandage 4 inches (ca. 10 cm) wide
• Two pairs of nonlatex gloves 
• Scissors 
• First aid equipment for resuscitation, such as a pocket mask, airway, or resuscitation bag. 
• Wound cleaning agents

You might need additional items depending on the risks and hazards in your workplace.

Note: To determine the risks and hazards in your workplace and the additional items needed, conduct a thorough risk assessment procedure of your workplace.

Components of a Large Office's First Aid Kit

A large office's first aid needs to be more elaborate and well-planned since it caters to a larger number of employees. When it comes to planning first aid supplies for a large office, the role of proper risk assessment cannot be overstated.

When carrying out your risk assessment, be mindful of the following factors.

• Nature of the work being carried out in the workplace. 
• The number of employees in the workplace. 
• Size of the company.
• Accident history and records of near-miss incidents.

It is also crucial that you determine the number of first aid kits needed for a large office.

• A large first aid kit is needed,
• For every 100 people in a low-risk workplace. 
• For every 25 people in a high-risk workplace.

In addition to the items listed above to be included in a small office's first aid kit, a large office might need the following first aid supplies for offices.

• A dedicated first-aid room 
• Facilities to contact emergency services 
• Eye washing stations 
• Personal protective equipment 
• Defibrillators 
• Dedicated first aid personnel skilled in CPR and managing other such emergencies.

Furthermore, one should be mindful of where to include first aid kits in a large office.

• First aid kits must be located where the risk of injury is highest.
• They must be strategically located across the workplace.
• If there are several floors, include at least one on each floor.

How to Have a Regular and Steady Supply for Offices

Maintaining a steady flow of first aid supplies for the office is essential. First, let's consider the consequences of not maintaining a steady flow of first aid supplies for the office.

• Bandaids lose their stickiness.
• The antiseptic dries out. 
• Materials in gloves may break down. 
• Dressings lose their sterility. 
• Fibres in bandages break down. 
• Saline may become unsterile.

In order to avoid such consequences, you must maintain a steady flow of first aid supplies for the office. Here are some pointers on maintaining a regular supply of first aid to the office.

• Check your kit regularly. 
• Many items, particularly sterile items, have expiry dates. Dispose of such expired items and replace them.
• If sterile items are not marked with expiry dates, check with the manufacturer for expiry dates.
• For non-sterile items without expiry dates, check if they are still fit for their intended purpose.
• Check the first aid box/container regularly. 
• No damage must be done to the box/container.
• The kits should not include any unapproved materials, such as pills.
• Damaged or contaminated items?
• Most first aid supplies are intended to be used only once. 
• Any item that has been used is considered contaminated and must be disposed of immediately.
• Review usage.
• In order to properly maintain your first aid kit, you must identify what items are used more frequently than the others.
• Reviews can help you plan better, avoid shortages and identify the hazards that are most frequent in your workplace. 
• Anticipating such needs ahead of time goes a long way in ensuring a steady flow of first aid supplies to the office.

Note: At present, there are companies and organizations that will service your first aid kits for you. To get an idea of such services, contact your local first aid companies.

Receiving First Aid Supplies for a New Office

Once you have completed your risk assessment and first aid plan, all that's left to do is acquire first aid supplies for the office.

A great place to start is www.survivalfirstaidkits.net.au. Survival offers you comprehensive first-aid kits that are capable of managing any and all emergencies. 

When receiving first aid supplies for a new office, be mindful of customizing them to suit your needs. Remember, these kits must cater to the needs identified through the risk assessments conducted at your workplace.

Related Questions:

How often should you renew your first aid kit?

 This mostly depends on how frequently you use your first aid supplies. It is advised to renew your kit once a year. However, if supplies are being used more frequently, it is advised to renew your kit more frequently.

Should you appoint a person to take care of the first aid kit?

It is advised to appoint an individual to take care of the first aid in your office. They will be responsible for reviewing, restocking and distributing first aid supplies for the office.

Conclusion

Having a steady flow of first aid supplies for the office is imperative to ensuring the safety of your employees. Being mindful of the exact needs of your workplace with risk assessment procedures will go a long way to making your workplace as safe as possible.

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