What should company first aid boxes contain?

The first aid kit (or first aid kit) is a container where all the objects deemed necessary in situations of medical emergency are kept.There is therefore equipment dedicated to the dressing of wounds and bruises, some self-medication medicines and instruments such as scissors, tweezers, syringes or thermometers and blood pressure monitors.

The content of a first aid kit is regulated by specific legislation,which also establishes when and where his presence is mandatory.

Let us now delve deeper into all these aspects,highlighting what the first aid kits must contain based on where they are located.

The legislation on first aid kits: which companies it concerns and what it establishes

The Ministerial Decree n. 388/2003, followed by legislative decree no.81 of 9 April 2008,Consolidated Law on health and safety at work regulates first aid in a workplace and consequently also the presence and composition of first aid kits to carry out the first medications in the event of an accident.

The presence of the first aid kit ismandatory in all offices, all companies and schools and must be prepared by the employer, regardless of the number of employees.

Companies are classified into three groups (A, B and C) depending on the type of activity carried out,the number of subjects involved and the risk factors present.

The group A includes all companies with more than 5 employees and those that operate in high-risk industrial contexts such as thermoelectric or nuclear power plants, quarrying and mining activities, manufacturing of explosives,powder and ammunition,or belonging to the agricultural sector.

Within group B are all those companies with three or more collaborators that do not fall into group A.

The group C includes all companies or production units with fewer than three workers that do not fall into group A.

Athe occupational doctor determines together with the employer the group to which the company belongs.

The employer must guarantee, under penalty of a financial penalty of up to 4,467 euros or imprisonment for 2 to 4 months, the presence of the first aid kit.The box must be positioned in very specific places in order to make it easily available and thus facilitate the timeliness of the intervention.

The first aid kit must therefore be positioned in an easily accessible place within the workplace.It must also be appropriately signposted, with a rectangular sign on a green background with a white cross pictogram, clearly presenting the wording “first aid kit”.

The first aid kit, physically,it can have the shape of a real transportable briefcase or it can be a metal cabinet to hang on the wall.There are empty first aid kits and cabinets on the market that can be purchased and then appropriately integrated with the necessary material.

In the case of workers who use company means of transport to work away from the company headquarters,the employer is obliged to equip each vehicle with a medication package and a means of communication suitable for quickly contacting emergency assistance services.

What should the first aid kit contain?

According to DM 388,the first aid kit must have a minimum content which differs depending on the classification of the company.

In particular, companies in groups A and B must have a first aid kit containing the minimum equipment indicated in Annex 1;companies in group C, however, must equip themselves with the minimum materials indicated in Annex 2.

For both types of first aid kits, the employer is required to compulsorily check every six months that the aids contained are not expired or missing.In this case, he must arrange for the replacement or replenishment by purchasing specific replenishment kits of the first aid kits.

Annex 1 of the first aid kit

In the first aid kits pertaining to Attachment 1,or suitable for companies with more than 3 employees or belonging to risk sectors,must contain:

• 5 pairs of sterile disposable gloves to avoid infections;
• 1 splash guard protection visor;
• 1 bottle of 1 liter povidone iodine cutaneous solution with 10% iodine for the disinfection of minor wounds;
• 3 bottles of saline solution (sodium chloride - 0,9%) of 500 ml for washing wounds;
• 10 sterile gauze tablets 10 x 10 and 2 tablets 18 x 40 in individual bags to clean and disinfect wounds;
• 2 disposable sterile drapes as a base to place the material;
• 2 disposable sterile dressing tweezers for the removal of foreign bodies;
• 1pack of medium-sized elastic net to secure dressings;
• 1 pack of cotton wool to swab in case of heavy blood loss;
• 2 packs of plasters of various sizes ready to use for minor wounds or abrasions;
• 2 rolls of plaster 2.5 cm high to block the gauze;
• 1pair of scissors;
• 3 arterial tourniquets for major bleeding;
• 2 packs of instant ice for sprains or bruises;
• 2 disposable bags for the collection of medical waste or infectious material;
• 1 thermometer to measure body temperature;
• 1 measuring sphygmomanometerblood pressure;
• 1 copy of Legislative Decree 81/08.

This is the minimum provision of the first aid kit required by law.However, there are many first aid kits on the market with increased content and specific for the type of activity being carried out.

Even in schools, as in recreation and community centers, it is mandatory to have a first aid kit from group A-B,therefore containing the materials required by Annex 1.

To these however, in the case of schools,other specific contents must be added such as:

• 1 bottle of hydrogen peroxide;
• 2 4cm self-adhesive bandages;
• 2 elastic bandages of 10 cm;
• 1 stick for mosquito and insect bites;
• 1 sterile eyewash solution in disposable blister;
• 3 bandage padseyepiece;
• 1 bag for artificial respiration complete with mask (mod.adult);
• 2 isothermal blankets;
• 1 atraumatic plastic mouth opener for epileptic seizures;
• 1 soft bag.
  
  

Annex 2 of the first aid kit

For companies in group C (up to 3 employees) the first aid kit in Annex 2must contain:

• 2 pairs of sterile disposable gloves;
• 1 bottle of 125 ml povidone iodine cutaneous solution with 10% iodine;
• 1 250 ml bottle of saline solution (sodium chloride 0.9%);
• 1 bag of sterile gauze compresses 18 x 40 in individual bags;
• 3 bags of sterile gauze compresses10 x 10;
• 1 disposable sterile dressing tweezers;
• 1 pack of cotton wool;
• 1 pack of plasters of various sizes ready for use;
• 1 roll of plaster 2.5 cm high;
• 1 roll of hemmed bandage 10 cm high;
• 1 pair of scissors;
• 1 tourniquet;
• 1 pack ofinstant ice;
• 1 disposable bag suitable for the collection of medical waste;
• instructions on how to use these devices and how to provide first aid while waiting for the emergency service.
  
  

An intact first aid kit is essential

Have acompany first aid kit always integrate is fundamental, both from the point of view of safety at work and from the regulatory point of view.

The employer is obliged to equip his company with this device, ensuring that the minimum content,different depending on the type of company, is present.The designated first aid officer is then responsible for checking the materials in the box and their replenishment.

The price of a first aid kit can vary greatly depending on the number of devices inside.

In addition to those required by law, there aresuitable kits for every type of work, which are often recommended by the occupational doctor himself.

__KEEP_0__ offers a complete assortment of company first aid kits meeting the requirements of Attachments 1 and 2, as well as augmented with other types of medical devices,dedicated to specific activities, at a truly competitive cost.