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Where should I put my first-aid kit(s)?
Home » Home Health » First-Aid Kits » Where should I put my first-aid kit(s)?One of the main advantages of a first-aid kit is that it forces you to have a central location where you keep medical supplies. Consequently, everyone in your home knows exactly where all your medical supplies are because they are all kept together; thus, you never have to waste time searching for medicine or other first-aid supplies. Do not, however, feel that you must limit yourself to one pack; many experts recommend keeping slightly different kits in each of these locations:
• Home: If you only keep one first-aid kit, keep it in your home and take it with you when you need to. Even if you have other kits, the first-aid kit in your home should be the most extensive pack you have and include every item you might need. Store your kit out of the reach of small children, but teach your older children where it is as well as how to administer some basic first aid. Above all, make sure everyone in your family knows what to do and who to call in the event of a medical emergency.
• Car: Several experts recommend having a small, secondary first-aid kit inside your car. You can eliminate many of the items listed earlier, such as medication, but you should include items that help you treat cuts and injuries, and you may want to add items such as a blanket that you might need in the car.
• CampTravel/ing: When you travel, you are often far away from medical help, so first aid is especially vital to stabilize a sick or injured person until help arrives. Make sure you include supplies to treat cuts (i.e. bandages and disinfectant) and injuries from falls (i.e. cold packs for bruises). If you will be camping, pack your first-aid kit appropriately with sunscreen and insect repellant, as well as a splint and sting and snake bite kits. Finally, you should also have a plan for contacting help in the event of an emergency.
• Office: It is a good idea to keep a few basic first-aid supplies for employee use at your place of business. This can be a small kit, as employees should be responsible for their own medication, but you can include items such as bandages, tweezers, and a first aid manual. If you make a first-aid kit for your office, however, make sure that employees sterilize items after they use them in order to maintain a healthy work environment.
For most families, a large first-aid kit in the home and a second, smaller kit for your car or for travel is adequate. You can even transfer items from the home kit to the travel kit before you travel. Use a lunch box, tackle box, or Ziploc bag, or, if you do not have young children who would explore the kit’s contents, you can simply use a cardboard box. In any case, however, make sure everyone in the family knows where the kit is and how to use it.
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