When you start a new job, one of the first things your boss will show you is where the first aid kit is, and rightly so! In every workplace and home in the US, there should be a first aid kit to help people respond to injuries quickly and effectively.
Not only do first aid kits have the potential to save lives, but they can also reduce the severity of an injury, along with saving someone money in medical bills.
However, do you know what a standard first aid kit should contain?
What is the importance of first aid, you may ask? When you have a child or colleague who is bleeding profusely, you will be able to reach for your first aid kit and pull-out dressings.
These will usually be in sealed plastic packets, along with instructions on which injuries to apply to each type of dressing. A standard kit will include wrap dressings, adhesive dressings like the standard plaster, waterproof dressings, and eye pads in case someone has an eye injury. A first aid kit in a professional kitchen will contain blue plasters, which will be easy to spot if they fall off for the benefit of hygiene.
The next thing that every first aid kit should have are bandages. These are used to apply pressure to joints that have been pulled or are swelling.
These usually include bandages such as an open weave bandage, a conforming roller bandage, and a self-adhesive bandage. There will also be triangular bandages, which are made from cloth and are used to make makeshift slings for injured arms or shoulders. A first aid kit should also have a tubular bandage.
These items have come to light concerning the pandemic of 2020 and are, in essence, items that you will use when coming into contact with blood or other bodily fluids. Every first aid kit should contain disposable latex gloves, as well as other types of disposable gloves for people who have an allergy to latex.
There should also be disposable face masks, which will protect you from infection or from spreading infection via sneezing or coughing when tending to someone.
A first aid kit should have a pair of small scissors, which are used to cut bandages and apply medical tape. You can also use scissors in a first aid kit to cut clothing to get access to a wound.
Many people aren’t aware of how quickly someone can go into shock. When this happens, the blood pressure drops, and the person needs to be kept warm. Larger types of first aid kits will usually have an aluminum blanket, but if you are examining a first aid kit in the workplace, this blanket should definitely be an item that is included.
You may assume that the best thing to do with a wound is to dress it immediately. However, to prevent infection, you should clean the area with a wipe first to remove debris and bacteria that may lead to infection.