Emergencies can and do take place anytime and anywhere without warning in a place of business. If said emergency requires a first-aid kit, having a fully equipped kit that can address minor injuries or illness is essential.
When it comes to regulations, all industries must comply with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151 no matter what kind of work employees perform. This rule states “Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available” in 29 CFR 1910.151(b). However, the first aid program needs to correspond to the hazards specific to the workplace. An office and a construction site are completely different, and the first aid protocol needs to take that into consideration.
It is important to remember the goal of a first-aid kit is to take care of the injured person until emergency care arrives. This is if it requires medical professionals. The key is to have the best first aid kit for your business capable of addressing the emergency.
All the first aid kits on this list are Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and/or American National Standards Institute (ANSI) compliant.
Best First Aid Kits for Businesses
- Top Pick: Rapid Care First Aid 3 Shelf All Purpose First Aid Kit Cabinet
- Runner Up: Rapid Care First Aid 4 Shelf All Purpose Extra Wide First Aid Cabinet/Trauma Center
- Best Value: First Aid Only 50 First Aid Cabinet with Medications
Rapid Care First Aid 3 Shelf All-Purpose First Aid Kit Cabinet
Top Pick: This Class A+ first aid kit is OSHA/ANSI Z308.1 2015 compliant. It has a full spectrum of first aid products that meet these standards. It can service up to 200 people with more than 1,000 items in the kit. This includes unitized and color-coded items for easy identification along with a first aid booklet.
Rapid Care First Aid 4 Shelf All-Purpose Extra Wide First Aid Cabinet/Trauma Center
Runner Up: The 1,063 first aid and medical supplies in this kit can service 250 people. The kit meets ANSI 2015 Class B standards and OSHA guidelines. It comes with a tourniquet, blood stopper, reusable splints, and trauma pads along with scissors, bandages and an assortment of medications.
First Aid Only 50 First Aid Cabinet with Medications
Best Value: This kit exceeds the 2015 ANSI Class A requirements. You can treat 50 or more people with the contents in the case which include medications, bandages, masks, gloves and more. The SmartTab ezRefill System comes with the FAO SafetyHub app so you can monitor the usage and inventory. When you run low, the app will remind you it is time to resupply the kit.
First Aid Only 50 Person Large Plastic SmartCompliance First Aid Cabinet with Medications
First Aid Only 195 Piece First Aid Kit
Not all OSHA or ANSI compliant first aid kits have to be big. This kit from First Aid Only is 10.75 x 3 x 11 inches and a little under a pound. But it is still OSHA compliant. It includes 195 essential first aid supplies to treat minor injuries for 50 people.
First Aid Only 195 Piece First Aid Kit, OSHA Compliant
Xpress First Aid 250 Piece First Aid Kit
This kit meets ANSI A+, Type I&II Standards as well as OSHA compliance. You get 250 essential first aid supplies that are enough to treat 50 people. It features items for wound care, burns and swelling, and medication in a storage case with a compartment for easy identification.
Xpress First Aid 250 Piece First Aid Kit, ANSI/OSHA Compliant
Be Smart Get Prepared – 351 Piece First Aid Kit
This is a comprehensive kit that meets and exceeds OSHA ANSI/ ISEA 2015 guidelines for 100 people. The case has tilting shelves to easily access the items in the box. You will find sterile eyewash, antibiotic ointment, burn cream, instant cold compress, and first aid guides in English and Spanish in the kit.
Be Smart Get Prepared – 351 Piece First Aid Kit – Exceeds OSHA ANSI/ISEA Standards for 100 People
Rapid Care First Aid with 16 oz Eye Wash Station with First Aid Kit
There are some industries that require an eyewash station. This kit is OSHA/ANSI and FDA compliant for eyewash and it also includes a 25-person first aid kit. The eyewash kit comes with a 16 oz bottle of a sterile isotonic buffered solution. You can use it to flush or irrigate eyes to clear dust, chemicals, and other foreign material as well as to relieve itching and burning of eyes and skin.
Rapid Care First Aid, 16 oz Eye Wash Station with First Aid Kit, OSHA/ANSI & FDA Compliant
Things to Consider About Emergencies and a First Aid Kit
As a business, you should hold emergency drills regularly to keep your employees safe. This includes going through a first aid kit to learn what is in it and how to use the tools. If you can have one or more employees get first aid certification, it will be that much better.
The goal is to be prepared when there is an emergency so you can help each other.
- Expiration date: Regularly check the supplies in your first aid to make sure they are not expired. Expired medication can have unintended consequences. These days it is easy enough to set a reminder on your computer or app on a phone.
- Keep the kit in the same place all the time: There is nothing worse than not finding the kit when you most need it. Make keeping and replacing the first aid kit a company policy in your place of business.
- Consider specialized kits for your industry: Beyond a regular fist aid kit, consider a specialized kit if there are hazards specific to your industry.
- Restock used items: Some items will likely run out before others. So, make sure to regularly check your supply.
- First aid kit information guide: Make sure the information guide in the first aid kit comes from a reliable source. Moreover, go over it so you know what it is in it. This will make it easier to help the injured person under the stress of an emergency.
It is worth mentioning a first aid kit is not a mobile trauma center. But a quality kit should treat minor traumatic injuries such as burns, cuts, stings, splinters, sprains, abrasions, and strains. You can also get some heavy-duty kits suitable for EMTs. However, you also must remember you are a phone call away from medical emergency personnel. If you are not, you should consider a more extensive kit to address more serious emergencies.
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This article, “Best First Aid Kits for Businesses” was first published on Small Business Trends