Essential Work First Aid Kit Contents

As a business owner, one of the most important questions you need to ask yourself is “is my workplace safe?”

Are you and your teammates fully prepared for the different types of accidents or incidents that could occur in your workplace? The safety of all those in your workplace needs to be taken seriously, and you must be ready in the event of an injury or emergency.

So, do you have a properly stocked First Aid Kit in your workplace?

Having a first aid kit is an essential part of workplace safety. Since Advanced Safety and Consulting is here to ensure your workplace is as safe as possible, we have compiled a first aid kit list to make sure you have everything you need in your kit.

 

The Importance of Having a First Aid Kit At Work

Accidents happen all the time in workplaces across Canada. Even if you have taken our Mandatory Safety Course and despite your best intentions, it is likely that sooner or later a workplace accident or incident of some kind will arise. With the proper prevention and safety measures, as well as a well-stocked first aid kit, you can assure that you have what you need to treat your employees in a time of need.

That’s why it’s wise to always be prepared, even when you’re at work. Each workplace must have first-aid kits on site. Understanding the types of hazards found in your work environment is essential to be prepared for specific risks, however each workplace needs a first-aid kit. While construction site first aid kits and office first aid kits might differ a little, the basic contents remain the same. 

First aid kits are important not only in industrial and commercial workplaces where accidents can occur more frequently and the potential for injury is higher, but in all workplaces. That includes offices, retail stores, and many other places where the risk of danger is less visible. Just because the odds of an accident may be lower in certain work environments doesn’t mean you should take emergency preparedness any less seriously. 

Someone on your team or on your premises (visitor, customer, etc.) could fall ill, have a bruise or cut, and so on. Having a first aid kit means you’re prepared to deal with such situations where a little first aid can go a long way.

 

Workplace First Aid Kit Checklist

Smaller offices with 2 or 3 employees should find the contents of the listed first-aid kits adequate.

The larger your workplace is, the more you’ll want to scale up the number and contents of your first aid kits. You may need to have multiple first-aid kits available – just how many will be determined by the number of employees, amount of  traffic, type of work and configuration / layout of your workplace.

 

Here are the most essential supplies that you should have in your workplace’s first-aid kits:

Gauze pads and bandages including:

• 4 x 4-inch gauze pads
• Two 8 x 10-inch large gauze pads
• Band-Aids or a box of adhesive bandages
• Two triangular bandages
• 2-inch wide one package gauze roller bandage

Other first aid kit items include:

• Blankets
• Latex gloves
• Adhesive tape
• Wound cleaning agent (e.g. sealed moistened towelettes)
• Elastic wraps

In addition to your first aid kit, to ensure the safest possible workplace you will also want to have the following:

• CPR / AED Resuscitation equipment (e.g. pocket mask, airway or resuscitation bag)
• Directions on how to request emergency assistance

When it comes to proper first aid preparedness, it’s much better to have more than less. Emergency preparedness means being ready for any situation, so make sure you stock up on enough first aid supplies for any accident that might occur at your workplace.  Make sure you also take inventory of your first aid kits on a regular basis. Replace items that have been opened, used, or have expired.

Make sure your first aid kit is placed in an accessible and highly visible location within your workplace. The first aid kit’s location should be known by every employee to ensure quick action in event of an accident.

How ACT Can Help with Your Emergency First Aid Preparedness

One of the most important things needed for a first aid kit is the knowledge of how to properly use it. Now that you have your handy first aid kit checklist, the next step is to make sure you know how to prevent or react to first-aid or emergency situations. Advanced Consulting and Training provides courses specifically tailored to the safety-needs of businesses across a wide variety of sectors. Our Worker Due Diligence Course helps you take the steps to prevent workplace accidents and our Emergency First Aid/CPR course gives you the skills you need to effectively react and help in emergency situations. 

 A safe workplace is crucial for every organization to perform at its best, and proper first aid preparedness is at the center of that. Ensuring that you have the right safety procedures and policies for first aid ensures a work environment that is both safe and productive.

Reach out to us if you have any questions about first aid preparedness or workplace safety in general!