First aid kit

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Large and small first aid kits used by the British Red Cross for event first aid, in the internationally recognized safety green with a white cross. These kits also feature the red cross, which is a protected symbol under the Geneva Conventions and may only be used by the Red Cross or military. British Red Cross First Aid Kits.jpg
Large and small first aid kits used by the British Red Cross for event first aid, in the internationally recognized safety green with a white cross. These kits also feature the red cross, which is a protected symbol under the Geneva Conventions and may only be used by the Red Cross or military.

A first aid kit is a collection of supplies and equipment used to provide immediate medical care, known as first aid, for minor injuries and emergencies until professional treatment becomes available. Kits are assembled for a wide range of settings, and their contents vary according to anticipated risks, the training level of users, local regulations, and applicable standards. Personal or household kits usually contain only a limited range of basic supplies, while in many countries employers are legally required to maintain workplace kits that conform to national specifications, such as the ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021 standard in the United States or DIN 13164:2022 for motor vehicle kits in Germany.

Contents

First aid equipment is generally identified by the ISO 7010 "first aid" symbol (a white cross on a green background), while the red cross emblem is legally protected under the Geneva Conventions and reserved for humanitarian and military medical services. Proper maintenance of a kit involves regular inspection and the replacement of used or expired items.

Contents

A pocket mask in its case Laerdal Pocket Mask Case.jpg
A pocket mask in its case
Adhesive bandages are one of the most commonly used items in a first aid kit. Sparadrap 2.jpg
Adhesive bandages are one of the most commonly used items in a first aid kit.
Plastic tweezers Tweezer-plastic.JPG
Plastic tweezers
Disposable gloves are often found in modern first-aid kits. Disposable nitrile glove.jpg
Disposable gloves are often found in modern first-aid kits.

First aid kits intended for personal or household use typically contain a limited range of basic supplies for treating minor injuries or emergencies, such as adhesive bandages, sterile gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, simple analgesics, and emergency blankets. [1] [2] Most of these basic supplies are readily available through general retail outlets such as pharmacies. [3]

By contrast, workplace first aid kits are subject to minimum performance specifications under standards such as ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021 in the United States, which classify kits by anticipated hazards and container durability, while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations impose additional requirements in certain industries. [4] In Europe, motor vehicle first aid kits in Germany must comply with DIN 13164, which specifies a standard set of supplies required for passenger cars. [5] In Canada, workplace first aid is regulated at both the federal and provincial levels. The federal Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations specify the types and minimum contents of workplace first aid kits, including supplies such as a resuscitation mask with a one-way valve. [6] Several provinces impose additional rules; for example, Nova Scotia requires vehicles used to transport employees to be equipped with a Type 2 first aid kit. [7] :10

Core items

Basic items on a first aid kit consists of:

Trauma injuries

Trauma injuries, such as bleeding, bone fractures or burns, are usually the main focus of most first aid kits, with items such as bandages and dressings being found in the vast majority of all kits.

Personal protective equipment

A waterproof Pelican first aid kit First aid 19.jpg
A waterproof Pelican first aid kit

The use of personal protective equipment or PPE will vary by the kit, depending on its use and anticipated risk of infection. The adjuncts to artificial respiration are covered above, but other common infection control PPE includes:

Instruments and equipment

Medication

Topical medications

Airway, breathing and circulation

The ABCs (airway, breathing, and circulation) form a foundational framework in first aid training. [10] [11] Some standardized workplace first aid kits, such as those meeting the ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021 standard in the United States, include a CPR breathing barrier to reduce infection risk during rescue breaths. [12] [13]

Advanced first aid kits may also contain items such as:

Some first aid kits, specifically those used by event first aiders and emergency services, include bottled oxygen for resuscitation and therapy.

Besides the regular uses for first aid kits, they can be helpful in wilderness or survival situations. First aid kits can make up a part of a survival kit or a mini survival kit in addition to other tools. [14]

Specialized types

Workplace kits

In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all job sites and workplaces to make available first aid equipment for use by injured employees. [15] While providing regulations for some industries such as logging, [16] in general the regulation lacks specifics on the contents of the first aid kit. This is understandable, as the regulation covers every means of employment, and different jobs have different types of injuries and different first-aid requirements. However, in a non-mandatory section, [17] the OSHA regulations do refer to ANSI/ISEA Specification Z308.1 [18] as the basis for the suggested minimum contents of a first aid kit. Another source for modern first aid kit information is United States Forest Service Specification 6170-6, [19] which specifies the contents of several different-sized kits, intended to serve groups of differing size.

In general, the type of first aid facilities required in a workplace are determined by many factors, such as:

Vehicle kits

Contents of a vehicle first aid kit, in accordance with the German industrial standard DIN 13167 Contenuto kit pronto soccorso moto.JPG
Contents of a vehicle first aid kit, in accordance with the German industrial standard DIN 13167

Wilderness and expedition kits

Trauma, combat and tactical kits

First aid pack of the French Army Sac-de-rea-milouf-img 1004.jpg
First aid pack of the French Army

After the 2012 Sandy Hook School Shooting a collaborative effort between the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the Hartford Consensus, and federal agencies like the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security worked together to create the Stop the Bleed campaign which is focused on teaching everyday Americans how to stop major bleeding and trauma and has helped to popularize the availability and access of IFAKs or Trauma Kits. [20]

Trauma kits tend to have fewer items focused on basic items for scrapes and abrasions and instead focus on Tourniquets, Chest Seals, Hemostatic and non-treated gauze for wound packing, and pressure bandages among other things. [21]

Veterinarian kits

Symbols and identification

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) sets a standard for first aid kits of being green, with a white cross, in order to make them easily recognizable to anyone requiring first aid. [22]

The ISO only endorses the use of the green background and white cross, and this has been adopted as a standard across many countries and regions, including the entire EU. First aid kits are sometimes marked (by an individual or organization) with a red cross on white background, but use of this symbol by anyone but the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or associated agency is illegal under the terms of the First Geneva Convention, which designates the red cross as a protected symbol in all countries signatory to it. One of the few exceptions is in North America, where despite the passing of the First Geneva convention in 1864, and its ratification in the United States in 1881, Johnson & Johnson has used the red cross as a mark on its products since 1887 and registered the symbol as a U.S. trademark for medicinal and surgical plasters in 1905. [23]

Some first aid kits may also feature the Star of Life, normally associated with emergency medical services, but which are also used to indicate that the service using it can offer an appropriate point of care. Though not supported by the ISO, a white cross on red background is also widely recognized as a first aid symbol. However, for very small medical institutions and domestic purposes, the white cross on a plain green background is preferred.

History

Travel pharmacy, early 20th century Pharmacie voyage ancienne.jpg
Travel pharmacy, early 20th century

Older first aid kits have elements which are no longer used today. As the understanding of first aid and lifesaving measures has advanced, and the nature of public health risks has changed, the contents of first aid kits have changed to reflect prevailing understandings and conditions. For example, earlier US Federal specifications [24] [25] for first aid kits included incision/suction-type snakebite kits and mercurochrome antiseptic. The historic snakebite kit is no longer recommended.[ by whom? ] Mercurochrome was removed in 1998 by the US FDA from the generally recognized as safe category due to concerns over its mercury content.[ citation needed ] Another common item in early 20th century first aid kits, picric acid gauze for treating burns, is today considered a hazardous material due to its forming unstable and potentially explosive picrates when in contact with metal.[ citation needed ] Examples of modern additions include the CPR face shields and specific body-fluid barriers included in modern kits to assist in CPR and to help prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens such as HIV.[ citation needed ]

See also

References

  1. "First-aid kits: Stock supplies that can save lives". Mayo Clinic . Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  2. "Make a First Aid Kit". American Red Cross . Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  3. "First aid kit". MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. U.S. National Library of Medicine . Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  4. "Appendix A to §1910.151 – First aid kits (Non-mandatory)". Occupational Safety and Health Administration . Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  5. "Verbandskasten DIN 13164: Inhalt des Verbandkastens DIN 13164" (in German). German Red Cross . Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  6. "Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, SOR/86-304, Schedule I" (PDF). Government of Canada. 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  7. "Workplace First Aid – A Guide for Employers and First Aiders" (PDF). Government of Nova Scotia. 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  8. "First aid kit: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia". medlineplus.gov. Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  9. First Aid Manual 8th Edition. St John Ambulance, St Andrews First Aid, British Red Cross. 2002. ISBN   0-7513-3704-8.
  10. "Check, Call, Care" (PDF). Canadian Red Cross . Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  11. "Comprehensive Guide for First Aid/CPR/AED" (PDF). Canadian Red Cross . Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  12. Kelechava, Brad (14 October 2022). "Workplace First Aid Kits – ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021 – Classes, Types, and the Standard". ANSI Blog. American National Standards Institute . Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  13. "PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS; TITLE 8: Section 1512 of the Construction Safety Orders and Section 3400 of the General Industry Safety Orders; First Aid" (PDF). California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. June 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  14. "What Do You Need In A Survival Kit?". Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  15. 29 CFR 1910.151 (10 June 1998). "Occupational Safety and Health Standards: Medical services and first aid". Archived from the original on 16 November 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. 29 CFR 1910.266 App A (8 September 1995). "Occupational Safety and Health Standards: First-aid Kits (Mandatory)". Archived from the original on 15 August 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. 29 CFR 1910.151 App A (5 January 2005). "Occupational Safety and Health Standards: Appendix A to § 1910.151 -- First aid kits (Non-Mandatory)". Archived from the original on 23 December 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ANSI/ISEA (12 May 2009). "ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2009, American National Standard - Minimum Requirements for Workplace First Aid Kits and Supplies". Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  19. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (25 January 2006). "6170-6H, Kits, First Aid" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  20. "Stop The Bleed Campaign". stopthebleed.org. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  21. "Trauma Kits vs First Aid Kits". mountainmanmedical.com. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  22. "ISO 7010 - E003". Archived from the original on 4 May 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  23. "USPTO record for Johnson & Johnson's Red Cross mark". tsdr.uspto.gov. Archived from the original on 4 April 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  24. GG-K-391A GAUZE (19 October 1954). "Kit (Empty) First-Aid, Burn-Treatment and Snake Bite, and Kit Contents (Unit-Type)". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. GG-K-392 (25 April 1957). "Kit, First Aid (Commercial Types), and Kit Contents". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)