No one likes to think about serious accidents or emergencies, but it’s a topic that deserves your attention. Every home or office should have a first aid kit with at least the basic supplies. Itdoesn’t matter where you work. Hospitals, daycare, senior citizen homes, or any other type of business should have a first aid kit on the premises. With the right supplies, you can take control of just about any type of situation – at least until medical help arrives.
What Belongs in a First Aid Kit?
- Bandages. Make sure to get an assortment of sizes from small to large. This should be the first thing you get for your first aid kit.
- Surgical tape. This is useful for creating make-shift splints, and securing gauze bandages.
- Protective gloves. These gloves can be nitrile, vinyl or latex. They will protect your hands if you have to handle bodily secretions like blood, urine, or feces. They will also protect your hands in case of a chemical spill.
- Alcohol wipes and alcohol. You can get small packets of individually wrapped alcohol wipes. They are good for sterilizing needles, wounds, and scratches. Or you can get a container of alcohol and apply it with a cotton ball.
- Cotton balls. Good for use with alcohol to clean wounds or sterilize objects.Instant cold pack. These come in handy when you need to treat a sprain or other type of injury requiring an ice treatment. They don’t require refrigeration.
- Pain reliever. Your first aid kit should contain various pain relievers, like acetaminophen or aspirin. You may also want to include items like Alka Seltzer and cold medicine.
- Medical scissors. These are different from regular sewing scissors.Medical scissors have slanted tips, so they can cut items against the skin without actually cutting the skin. For example, you can easily cut away a bandage without piercing the person’s skin. If you tried to do that with a regular pair of scissors, the bandage would already have to be pretty loose fitting.
- Medicated ointment. You can get medicated ointment in a tube, individual packet, or container. Medicated ointment helps protect wounds from infection.Tweezers. These are good for removing thorns, stingers, and splinters. Get a strong pair that won’t break easily when gripped.
- First aid guide. A first aid guide gives instructions on how to deal with various emergency situations. You may also find this advertised as a first aid manual or a first aid handbook.It’s also a good idea to get CPR training. Although it’s not something you can put in a first aid kit, it is good knowledge to have.
You don’t have to buy all of your first aid items at once. Just be sure to put them in a box or other container as you get them. Also remember to clearly mark the container as a first aid kit. This way the kit can be found if you’re not around during an emergency. You may also want to create a second first aid kit for use in your car.