First aid kits/supplies

As is often shown in the news, personal hygiene is a really important part of daily life be it from washing both your hands after using the lavatory or coming into contact with raw meat or poultry always be sure that cuts are cleaned, and properly dressed so as to prevent infection. One way to be sure that the latter is definitely possible in almost any eventuality is to keep a completely stocked emergency first aid kit which can be easily accessed when needed.

There is a wide selection of first aid kits available on the open market, from your small basic one person sets available from most hiking shops and pharmacists to the St John’s Ambulance selection with enough supplies to meet the requirements of 10, 20 and even 50 people that comply with all of the most up to date health and safety regulations. However, because possessing a poorly stocked emergency first aid kit can be ultimately as bad as not having one at all, it is vital to replace any stock that has been used. This is why, it is possible to buy refill packs that include all of the necessary items such as plasters, dressings of varied lengths and sizes, disinfectant wipes, bandages, eyepads, safety pins and latex gloves. If however, one particular item becomes necessary, it is possible to get a range of them individually without the need to splash out on a complete refill set.

However, some businesses might require hygiene and health and safety goods that may not be typically a part of first aid kits, such as eyewash stations and first aid signs. In such cases there are numerous online suppliers who are able to provide such items among others allowing these firms to stick to health and safety guidelines.

It should be noted, however, that these suppliers do not only supply to businesses since they in addition provide first aid kits and some other items specifically for sports teams including additional items that include cold/hot packs plus emergency foil blankets.

BS-8599 Choosing the right British Standard Kit

BS-8599 British Standard First Aid Kits

Choosing the correct kit for your organisation

Employers are required to make a risk assessment to decide what the hazards are and how many employees are involved in the areas to be covered. This does not have to be an onerous task and may be as simple as checking through the accident record book to determine the types and numbers of injuries that have occurred in the recent past.

The table below is a useful guide to match risk assessment and appropriate kit size.

Category of Hazard	Number of Employees	Size of kit required
Low Hazard e.g. shops, offices, libraries etc.	Less than 25	Small Kit
	25-100	Medium Kit
	More than 100	Large Kit per every 100 employees
High Hazard e.g. Engineering and assembly work, food processing, warehousing, extensive work with dangerous machinery or sharp instruments, construction, chemical industry, etc.	Less than 5	Small Kit
	6-25	Medium Kit
	More than 25	Large Kit per every 25 employees

New British Standard for Workplace First Aid Kits Announced

BRITISH STANDARD BS-8599

NEW WORKPLACE FIRST AID KITS

The new BSI Workplace First Aid Kit is fit for purpose, meets customer demand and is appropriate for the modern workplace.

Available from early August 2011.

Buy online at www.hygienefirst.co.uk

These new kits help to simplify selection for both employers and specifiers to meet their legal and moral obligations. The previous 10/20/50 person kits will be replaced by small, medium and large workplace kits as well as a travel version for staff who spend time away from the workplace.

Contents as follows:

Content	Small	Medium	Large	Travel
Guidance Leaflet	1	1	1	1
Contents List	1	1	1	1
Medium Sterile Dressing	4	6	8	1
Large Sterile Dressing	1	2	2	1
Triangular Bandage	2	3	4	1
Safety pins	6	12	24	2
Sterilr Eyepad	2	3	4	1
W/Proof Plasters	40	60	100	10
Sterile Saline Wipes	20	30	40	4
Microporous Tape	1	1	1	1
Nitrile Gloves (pairs)	6	9	12	1
Sterile Finger Dressing	2	3	4	0
Resuscitation Face Shield	1	1	2	1
Foil Blanket	1	2	3	1
Sterile Eyewash 150ml	0	0	0	1
Hydrogel Burn Dressing	1	2	2	1
Scissors	1	1	1	1
Conforming Bandage	1	2	2	1

The Importance Of Biohazard Kits At Work

It actually sounds like something out of a science fiction film but the true fact is that biohazard kits ought to be available where you work just like a mandatory first aid kit. And hopefully you'll never need to use biohazard kits but just in case an emergency occurs, you must know precisely what the proper procedures in their application and more importantly how to protect yourself. Now if this sounds somewhat queasy for you, my apologies prematurely and you may prefer to close this article. Still here? Good. Then why don't we get on with it?

Amongst the the commonest biohazard kits is what is called the single application kit. As the name states, it's used once then properly discarded. These single application kits are equipped for only one purpose, and that is to securely remove and then disinfect any area that becomes contaminated with another persons bodily fluids. Ok, here comes the queasy part. Body fluids meaning blood, vomit and urine. If you're looking over this with just a bit of the feeling that it can never happen around you, let's take a look at a scenario and maybe you'll think slightly differently.

You're at work and then the person sat next to you gripes of illness. Without warning they stand and begin leaving the room but never make it, instead they faint, fall and hit their head hard and start bleeding. You now have a classic biological hazard within your presence. In several large organizations there are people who have the paid responsibility of coping with such hazards. But that may not be the way it is in a lot of smaller businesses. Hopefully you've been trained in the utilization of the biohazard kits. After locking down the spot and getting the person medical assistance, it is now time to utilize the kit for the purpose it had been meant for.

All kits include an impervious apron, put it on. Also don the mask along with the gloves that will be furnished inside the kit. Remember, you are protecting yourself first and foremost. Each kit will also include a number of super absorbent granules. Apply these first. Then use the supplied scraper and scooper to collect and place inside the supplied biohazard disposal bag. All biohazard kits will also have a quantity of disinfectant spray to spray the spot that you just cleaned. When finished, remove your apron, your mask and finally your gloves and place all these items in the disposal bag and secure it using the tie that is provided inside the kit. Voila, you have just handled your first biological hazard that could happen in your workplace.

Granted, that is definitely an oversimplification but hopefully you've got a better knowledge of why having biohazard kits in the workplace is an absolute must.