It's a fact--accidents will happen. Providing your employees with adequate first aid supplies ensures that you're prepared for minor injuries in the workplace and shows that you're concerned about their well-being and safety.
First aid equipment in the workplace environment, however, may far exceed a small box of adhesive strip bandages and a cold pack. Understand minimum standards and requirements and customize your business first aid kit to suit your particular environment.
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Meet or exceed the minimum contents for emergency first aid kits
A large company or a manufacturing environment will certainly call for a different first aid kit than a small office setting. Because workplace environments vary greatly depending on their size, location and degree of hazard, it is important to first review minimum requirements for your particular workplace environment.
I recommend: “OSHA’s Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program” is a good source for reviewing these standards and understanding what first aid supplies are needed, along with
OSHA's business first aid kit checklist.
Customize your first aid kits to suit your business's specific needs
After determining your minimum content requirements and assembling a list of core supplies, supplement your first aid equipment with additional supplies that address the specific hazards in your workplace environment. In addition, determine whether you want to store your first aid kit in a plastic, metal or soft-sided bag, or in a wall-mounted cabinet.
I recommend: Providers of first aid kits include
First-Aid Supplies Online and
First-Aid Product.com. These companies provide wholesale first aid kits and bulk supplies. Wholesale first aid kits are ideal when you're buying multiple first aids kits and supplies.
Consider an automated external defibrillator as part of first aid equipment
Automated external defibrillators are designed for sudden cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation. Defibrillators are widely available and portable, and should be considered a part of any workplace's business first aid kit. Several issues, such as training, periodic review and coordination with local EMS services need to be considered before you purchase an automated external defibrillator.
I recommend: Both
The American Heart Association and
The American Red Cross provide details on a workplace AED program.
American AED supplies defibrillators for your workplace. Also, check out
AEDSuperstore, the largest supplier of defibrillators on the Internet.
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