Tradesman’s first aid kit: what should be there

Working as a tradesman means, that there is always a possibility of minor injury. To be ready for such situations (and to follow the law), each workplace should be equipped with suitable first aid kit. Suitable in this case means, that you adjust the contents to the potential risks of your workplace.

Basic contents

The HSE suggests a list of basic first aid equipment as follows:

• Leaflet, that explains basics of first aid at work (you can download it for free from HSE websites),
• plasters — individually wrapped and in various sizes,
• sterile triangle bandages,
• medium sized and large wound dressings,
• sterile eye pads,
• disposable nitrile gloves,
• safety pins.

Size of your first aid kit should be accustomed to the number of workers as well as the level of risk on your workplace. Also, now in the pandemic time it is advisable to include sterile masks and anti-viral hand sanitizer to your kit.

You might find useful

As a tradesman you might also find more than useful to add following items in your first aid kit:

Tough-cut scissors

Although you may have some in your toolbox, first-aid scissors should be clean, used only for first aid purposes. They can be used to cut clothes or bandages.

Disposable splinter probes

There isn’t a tradesman, who never suffered a splinter. Individually packed splinter probes are a hygienic way how to remove them without risking an infection.

Finger dressings

For minor injuries on your fingers as cuts or grazes, finger dressing is much more suitable than standard plaster.

Cleansing wipes

As tradespeople work in an environment often full of dust, it is important in case of injury to prevent infection. Sterile cleansing wipes are ideal for that purpose.