Best First Aid Kit

[Post]

Just seeing if someone had a link to the best or some of the best home first aid kits in which to buy as a prep and add to?

[Deeps]

What might be the 'best' for me might not be the best for others. No harm in having a nose round to see what others have but a FAK isn't going to be able to cover everything, its First Aid.

I've knocked my own up, the 'beefiest' thing in it is a field dressing and a couple of triangle bandages (multiple use items). Bit of burn gel and gauze, wipes, plasters, pills etc and a small lighter and torch.

[jansman]

The standard for a current kit is BS ( British Standard) 8599.That is a workplace kit.A small kit would contain:

6 pairs plastic/ non latex gloves
1xconforming bandage
2x triangular bandage
1x foil blanket
40 plasters
1x large wound dressing
4x medium wound dressings
20x NON alcohol wipes
2x eye pads
1x CPR face shield
6x safety pins
1x pair scissors( ideally snub- nosed shears)
1x burn dressing
2x finger dressings
1x adhesive tape ( low adherent like Micropore)
Sterile water if there is no access to clean running water.

Also,technically,tablets,medicines,lotions and potions,should not be stored in a first aid kit,as first aiders are not trained to dispense them.

However,what most households have is a home medical kit,rather than first aid in reality.A CPR face shield would not feature in most domestic kits for instance,as statistically,less than 6% of the non medical population know how to give CPR and more than half of that figure have lapsed in current training!

I recently re- qualified for my Emergency Workplace First Aid.It is at this point I cannot stress enough ,the value of proper first aid training,as it gives you priceless knowledge.In three years,everything had changed or tweaked,and the emphasis is upon simplicity now. Courses are out there via the Red Cross,St.Johns and even local councils.You can do a one day course for fifty quid.I actually funded my own course for my own benefit,as my tightwad employer would not...but I digress.

Here at Chez Jansman,we have a first aid kit ( white emblem and writing on green background) as described above.That sits upon a plastic box that contains the pills and potions.One item in there is a small roll of clingfilm for burns dressing(for use between 10 minutes minimum running under cold water,and transportation to a doctor).Cheap,simple and easy to use.

At work,besides the standard kits,I carry a small kit in my cargo pocket.A plastic bag containing a large wound dressing,a CPR shield,1 pair of gloves and a space blanket.This is because I may be anywhere within the large building and grounds.This paid off back in the Autumn when a member of the bakery staff accidentally stabbed herself!

A modern kit is pretty basic,and rather common sense really.I would urge everyone though,to get training.

[ForgeCorvus]

The first thing that always passes through my head whenever someone asks "Which is the best X?" is "For?"


Training is better then gear.
Gear can be improvised, Knowledge can't be.

Buy the kit you can use and don't be tempted to get everything.... Most of us are unlikely to need a pelvic binder.

That said my First Aid training is about as basic as it gets while still having some (a couple of evenings when I was in the Cubs and a few hours on my YTS course...... The most recent of those was over 30 years ago), but I have a FFD and a roll of micropore in my bag.

[Yorkshire Andy]

For what?


A standard first aid kit

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Medium-Workp ... nav=SEARCH

(Used that seller ^ a few times no problems)

Reason I ask is your skill level reflects your kit...

I carry celox and a cat tourniquet in my kit plus trauma dressings. But I'm qualified to use them

Trauma dressings are no Biggie but cats and celox can cause live changing damage if used wrongly ....


For home id advocate a burns kit as well especially if you have kids burns gell dressings kick the crap out of cling film. (From personal experience)


https://www.reliancemedical.co.uk/produ ... t-aid-kit/

Don't forget OTC pain killers allergy and dodgy gut medications

[jansman]

Training IS better than kit. But kit is needed, even at a domestic, layman level. A plaster or a bandage when that diy moment happens.

I have to stress the training though. In November, my son in law’s dad, who lives next door to his dad, got the call that he had collapsed in the bathroom. He ran round, ambulance called - “ go for the AED ( defibrillator) at the co op.” He sprinted the 500 yards and when he got there, there was NO AED!!! It had been vandalised. Imagine that? The helplessness?

But nobody knew CPR!

If you are not trained, do you know how many chest compressions to give, how fast, and how many rescue breaths? Do you know where to give the compression?

It was that incident that convinced me to put myself through an updated course. I never want to be that helpless person.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Training IS better than kit. But kit is needed, even at a domestic, layman level. A plaster or a bandage when that diy moment happens.

I have to stress the training though. In November, my son in law’s dad, who lives next door to his dad, got the call that he had collapsed in the bathroom. He ran round, ambulance called - “ go for the AED ( defibrillator) at the co op.” He sprinted the 500 yards and when he got there, there was NO AED!!! It had been vandalised. Imagine that? The helplessness?

But nobody knew CPR!

If you are not trained, do you know how many chest compressions to give, how fast, and how many rescue breaths? Do you know where to give the compression?

It was that incident that convinced me to put myself through an updated course. I never want to be that helpless person.

When I was on my requalification I was the last to do the 5 mins or so of CPR with AED know the chap really well he gave me every error on the AED trainers remote control... Finally battery flat.. I kept going with him smirking... As some had stopped doing cpr and failed to resume on hearing a error message "check pads" , system error etc

[jansman]

Exactly. If the tech fails, keep the compression going.

My trainer told me that from next year, basic first aid is to be taught in secondary schools. Not before time.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Exactly. If the tech fails, keep the compression going.

My trainer told me that from next year, basic first aid is to be taught in secondary schools. Not before time.

Just hope it's going to be tought by qualified first aid trainers on the requalification for first aid at work there were 6 teachers who couldn't even remember the recovery position between them ......

[jansman]

It is a worry. However, as my trainer said, it’s better to do something than nothing; provided you have some knowledge...