First Aid Kit Contents Revised

SHP Magazine reports that since 1997 the contents of First Aid Kits have been set according to the number of persons working on site, but those contents are not always suitable for the work being carried out and there have been extensive changes in training protocol, new product innovations, and improved infection control.

Current legislation requires employers to ensure that first aid kits are readily available in workplaces and are of the right composition to meet the needs of the site specific risk assessment, and as such new legislation has been launched to meet these requirements.

To bridge the gap, BSI has joined forces with HSE and the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) to launch a new national standard for workplace first-aid kits in the UK.

Since the introduction of the new standard on 1st July 2011, the BHTA has reviewed the contents of the four different sizes of first-aid kits that it sells, to ensure that they include greater quantities of items identified as insufficient, including plasters and wipes.

The new kits now include scissors/shears, burns dressings, foil survival blankets, a resucitation face shield, nitrile gloves, and adhesive tape.

For more information on the new kits please visit the BHTA website