Health and safety are very important in any workplace. One of the most important health and safety requirements for workplaces is having first aid equipment on hand for potential accidents. This is not only to ensure the safety of workers but also for employers to make sure that you are following the legal health and safety requirements.
Accidents can happen any time in a workplace. Even with well trained staff and despite your best intentions, it is likely an incident or accident will take place at some point. With the proper prevention and safety measures, as well as a well-stocked first aid kit, you can ensure that you are best prepared when the eventuality occurs.
Why Are First Aid Kits Important?
First aid kits are important in all types of workplaces, but especially on commercial and industrial sites where accidents tend to occur more often and the potential for injury is higher. When an injury happens to someone on your team or on your premises (visitor, customer, etc.), a stocked first aid kit can go a long way to saving a life. In addition to this, quick reactions to an injury can reduce the recovery time of the patient.
Furthermore, first aid kits can reduce costs. It is cheaper to clean a cut and put on a bandage on site, than to travel to a clinic or hospital. First aid kits are designed to manage all types of injuries including basic cuts, scrapes and burns. Save yourself money and keep a stocked first aid kit handy.
Workplace First Aid Kit Checklist
Depending on the tasks you do at work, you can customise your first aid kit, but here are the most essential first aid supplies that you should have in your workplace’s first-aid kits:
- Bandages of varying widths
- Medical tape
- Adhesive dressing strips (such as bandaids) in different sizes
- Gauze swabs
- Dressing pads
- Eye pads
- Stainless steel scissors
- Disposable gloves
- Stainless steel pointed splinter forceps (tweezers)
- Safety pins
- Disposable face shield
- Stop itch cream
- First aid booklet
In addition to your first aid kit, to ensure the safest possible workplace, you may also want to have the following:
CPR / AED (Automated external defibrillator) equipment – defibrillators are a lifesaver for those suffering cardiac arrest by analyzing the heart’s rhythm. If the heart is in a state of fibrillation, it delivers a shock to restore a normal heart rhythm.
Emergency Shower and Eyewash - Emergency showers and eyewash stations provide on-the-spot decontamination. They allow workers to flush away hazardous substances that can cause injury. They are very important especially in industrial and construction sites.
Having the right safety procedures and policies for first aid ensures a work environment that is both safe and productive.
Southland Supply Group
Whether you need a small first aid kit for personal use or a more substantial first aid kit for work, we can help you find the right first aid kit or help you update your existing kit. View our complete range of first aid supplies online. For any questions that you may have, you can also reach us at 1800 77 22 91 or send us an email at webstore@southland.com.au.