First aid kits have the potential to save lives – but just having one sitting around isn’t enough to guarantee a successful medical intervention. In fact, sometimes first aid kits can have the opposite effect.
If you have a first aid kit sitting around, it could lull you into a false sense of security and cause you to make a mistake that leads to someone being injured. Similarly, if you’re overconfident in your use of a first aid kit, you could end up making a mistake that makes someone’s injury much worse.
In the workplace environment, this can be an even bigger concern. Employers making first aid kit decisions often don’t have any medical training or background, so they’re likely to make obvious blunders. On top of that, untrained and unknowledgeable employees may turn to the first aid kit whenever someone becomes injured, regardless of whether they know how to use it or not.
Fortunately, some of the biggest mistakes related to first aid kits in the workplace can be avoided.
The Biggest First Aid Kit Mistakes
These are some of the biggest first aid kit mistakes made by employers:
1. Insufficient contents
One of the biggest problems plaguing first aid kits in the workplace is insufficient contents. Different types and sizes of first aid kits have different recommended items to include.
There are some obvious standards, such as gauze and rubbing alcohol, but if you don’t have the essentials available when you need them, the first aid kit is practically useless. There are several reasons why this could occur.
For starters, an employer may not have purchased a workplace first aid kit, instead opting for something like a first aid kit for a vehicle, or opting to assemble their own first aid kit from scratch. Whatever the case, your workplace first aid kits should be thoroughly stocked and inspected before relying on them for an emergency.
2. Too few first aid kits
If you’re working within a small office or if you have a highly concentrated team, a single first aid kit may be plenty for your needs. However, if you have a sprawling factory for a large team of people, one first aid kit may not be enough. Having more first aid kits will increase your total access to supplies and make each kit more readily accessible.
3. Poor placement
In line with this, many employers misplaced or poorly placed their first aid kits. Every first aid kit in your organization should be visible and accessible to your workers at all times. If the kit is hiding in the bottom of your desk, or if your employees don’t even know that you have a first aid kit on hand, you’ve done something wrong.
4. Lack of training and education
First aid kits are not magic. The materials within these kits need to be used responsibly if they’re going to be effective. If you don’t have anyone on staff with first aid knowledge, some of these materials may end up doing more harm than good. You don’t need to go to medical school to understand how to use a first aid kit properly, but you should have at least some familiarity.
5. Missing materials
If you use something from a first aid kit, you’re going to need to replace it. Over time, the contents of your first aid kits will dwindle, ultimately reducing their effectiveness without anyone really realizing it. Restocking first aid kits is an essential step to take on a regular basis.
6. Outdated materials
For similar reasons, it’s important to check your first aid kits for outdated materials. Medicines and solvents have an expiration date, at which point they become less reliably effective. And certain materials, like cloth, may deteriorate if given enough time.
7. Using first aid materials inappropriately
There are many ways first aid kit materials could be used inappropriately, and many root causes for this inappropriate use. For example, an untrained user may choose the wrong materials or a panicked user could use the materials incorrectly. All of these are potential problems.
Tips for Better First Aid Kit Use
Follow these simple tips if you want to use first aid kits more appropriately and meaningfully in your workplace:
- Have a documented injury response plan.
- Invest in proper workplace first aid kits.
- Get first aid training for you and your team.
- Check placement and materials regularly.
In some ways, first aid kits are very simple and very intuitive. If you have even a limited amount of training and how to use them, you’ll have the potential to save lives with these materials. But even small mistakes can quickly add up and render a first aid kit practically unusable, or worse, allow it to be misused by an untrained party.
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