Let’s suppose a technician at your shop suffers a laceration injury. A coworker rushes to the first aid kit, opens it and finds – nothing.
Someone has helped themselves to the first aid supplies.
“Wouldn’t happen at my shop,” you say. Don’t be so sure.
Officials at OSHA say it is an ongoing job to make sure first aid kits are not only available, but are useful during emergencies.
Location
OSHA officials say it is important to decide if the kits should be wall mounted or portable. “You don’t want someone to suffer a laceration injury 200 yards from an immovable first aid kit.”
Next, they emphasize the need to regularly inspect first aid kits. Missing or low supplies should be replenished, and items should be checked to confirm they haven’t expired.
They also suggest using a checklist to verify that each kit is fully stocked.
“Keep in mind that the work environment can affect the quality of the supplies,” the OSHA officials note. “For instance, high temperatures and high humidity levels can cause supplies to spoil faster than they otherwise would have.”
Finally, they advise keeping the kit itself, plus the supplies inside, clean.
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