Book: Local Action Chapter: Health and Safety Section: First aid kits Metadata: Details Buy this book

No matter how good your risk avoidance, sooner or later someone will hurt themselves. A first aid kit must be available and everyone should know where it is and who can help.

A standard first aid kit, normally sufficient for a group of 10-12 people, contains the following items. If your work results in a greater than usual need for first aid, eg because of clearing thorny undergrowth or working on two areas within a site, then have extra kits available.

A standard first aid kit:

• 1 guidance card
• 20 sterile adhesive dressings, individually wrapped
• 2 sterile eye pads
• 6 triangular bandages, individually wrapped
• 6 safety pins
• 6 medium, sterile, unmedicated dressings, individually wrapped
• 2 large, sterile, unmedicated dressings, individually wrapped
• 3 extra large, sterile, unmedicated dressings, individually wrapped
• Disposable fine elastic/rubber gloves to prevent contact with body fluids
• Where mains tap water is not available for eye irrigation, at least 900ml of sterile water or sterile normal saline (0.9%) in sealed disposable containers should be provided.

First aid boxes should be waterproof, made of suitable material designed to protect the contents from damp and dust, and clearly identified as first aid containers. Some chemists and office supply firms offer such kits ready made up, but these boxes are not always waterproof or sturdy enough to take on a conservation project. Old metal ammunition boxes are ideal. The markings used should be a white cross on a green background as required by the Safety Signs Regulations Act 1980. Any chemists should be able to supply the materials to stock them with. A standard first aid kit costs £13.99 from BTCV Tools & Trading in 2004.

A recommended welfare kit:

BTCV recommends that groups should also have a welfare kit. This must not contain any form of medication like aspirin. Volunteers should bring these themselves if they think they might need them.

Suggested contents are:

• 1 pair tweezers
• 1 pair scissors
• 10 safety pins
• needle and thread
• pencil
• sanitary towels and/or tampons
• toilet roll
• cotton wool
• 30 plasters
• 3 finger pouches
• insect repellent
• barrier cream
• sun block
• 5 x 10p pieces/phonecard
• a spare box of matches

All items in the welfare kit should be for self-administration only and should be marked as such.

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Sooner or later someone will hurt themselves.

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