Why Do You Require a First-Aid Kit?
When it comes to common injuries or countering sudden emergencies, a well-organised first aid kit always comes in handy to respond correctly to these situations. It is highly recommended that you keep one first-aid kit at your home and another in your car. A first aid kit should always be kept out of reach of small children but in a place where it can be reached immediately. At the same time, the older children should know the exact location of the kits and the reason they are to be kept at home.
First aid kits can be purchased from any drugstore or you can arrange it on your own according to your necessity and requirements. No matter what the requirements you have, a normal first aid kit should contain adhesive tape, elastic wrap bandages, butterfly bandages in different sizes, medical adhesive glue, Rubber tourniquet or 16 French catheter, sterile bandages, gauze of different sizes, etc. You should also keep some common medicines like Aloe vera gel, anti-diarrheal medications, cough and cold medications, antacids, and pain relievers, such as acetaminophen, antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine, etc.
You should keep a strip of aspirin in your first aid kit because it has the power of saving the lives of adults having sudden chest pain. You can put the medicine under the patient’s tongue if he or she complains of unexplained chest pain and then call the emergency helpline. Ask him or her to keep on chewing the medication in the meantime. Here is a word of caution, if anyone is allergic to aspirin or has any bleeding issues or if someone is already using some blood-thinning medications, or if the doctor has asked you not to use one.
Reasons You Require a First-Aid Kit Ready
i) First Aid Kits for Treating Burn Injuries
In the first aid kit for burn relief, you should keep the first aid supplies necessary for treating burns. Immediate application of the first-aid will definitely lessen the pain and reduce the scarring to a great extent. The first aid kit should have a burn ointment to treat the burned area and ease the pain. The burn should be dressed and covered with a gauge.
ii) First Aid Kits for Treating Emergency
During an emergency situation, the first aid kit proves to be the most useful as it handles the situation in the first place. The additional supplies help in treating and surviving disastrous events.
iii) First Aid Kits for Travelling
The travel first-aid kit should come in a small container so that it can fit perfectly in the vehicle and within the luggage. This first aid kit should have minimum first aid supplies than other types of first aid kits as it is to be used to treat minor injuries and illnesses.
The Purpose and Size of a First Aid Kit
The size of the first aid kit required will depend on the number of employees in a facility and the categories of injuries anticipated. If your company’s first aid kit is too straightforward or small, you may lack the necessary supplies to treat an employee’s injury or illness. A first aid kit that is excessively large and complicated may result in the expiration of first-aid supplies before they are used, thereby squandering money.
To treat minor injuries such as migraines, nausea, and paper cuts, for instance, a small office with a few employees may only require a small, basic first aid kit. Large commercial kitchens and manufacturing facilities will require larger, more complex first aid kits with supplies to treat more severe injuries, such as burns, blade cuts, and mild to moderate discomfort. In the event of a cardiac emergency, having an AED (automated external defibrillator) can save lives, so we recommend purchasing one even though they are not mandated in a first aid kit.
