General office first aid advice

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General Office First Aid advice and tips

So, your organization has taken the time to get some of your personnel trained in CPR and First Aid, and gone out and purchased a pre-made kit or created your own office first aid kit. What are some key things to remember, and general advice to follow, if someone gets injured or ill while at your organization?

First, make sure to keep the first aid kit accessible but with controlled access. It does need to be immediately available if there is an emergency, and so should be kept in a location with good access from the areas of the organization’s workspace, but not in a place where it could be easily removed without effort by a bystander or person not authorized to remove it. A frequent choice is at the reception desk, as these often feature the physical presence of the receptionist or phone operator at all times when the business is open. Other locations include manager or supervisor offices, and non-public open spaces such as wall-mounted kits near central walls or entrance/exit doors on factory floors or in warehouses.

Posted in or next to the first aid kit should be a list of emergency phone numbers, a large-type printout of the location’s physical address and callback phone number, and the inspection sheet for the first aid kit. At a minimum, the emergency phone number list should include the number to summon EMS, as well as the number to Poison Control. In the US the EMS response number is usually 9-1-1, but if your workplace requires a different number make sure that number is displayed instead. Poison Control, in the US, can be accessed by calling (800) 222-1222, and there may also be local numbers you can call as well.

Third, make sure that the kit is inspected regularly. Monthly inspections of the kit for completeness and expiration of any medications or supplies are recommended, and the inspection sheet should be kept with or in the kit. Any time the kit is used for first aid, any supplies consumed should be immediately replaced, to ensure the kit remains complete, and the inspection process permits expired items to be discarded and replaced as well as helping to catch any missed replacement opportunities if the kit is used and the items are mistakenly not replaced.

Finally, your organization should put together a first aid plan as part of the overall emergency plan, which should include an always up-to-date list of all of your organization’s staff trained in first aid; a blank first aid kit inspection sheet suitable for photocopy, which should include a place to write down the date of the inspection, the results of the inspection (such as “passed” or “needs fix” for example), and the signature or initials of the person performing the inspection; a blank list of the contents of the kit suitable for photocopy, with a space to mark the expiration dates for items which expire; and the list of persons authorized to order replacement equipment or supplies for the kit.

For additional information:

This article is intended to be advice only, and does not replace a formal assessment of the first aid or CPR needs for your organization.

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