In most start-up offices, it’s wonderfully rare that anyone should need to use the first aid kit, and for the most part it’s not something that staff needs to think about on a regular basis.
Office emergencies are relatively rare and as such it can be very tempting to forget about making a priority of office safety and taking the appropriate health and safety measures. Even though people in start-ups tend to be young and carefree – first aid is a necessity.
As with anything in life, however, disaster always seems to strike when we’re least prepared, and that’s why the law states that it’s absolutely essential to keep your kit well stocked and ready, as well as ensuring that you and all other employees are well versed in the first aid workplace policies in your area.
We’ve put together a few things you need to know about first aid in the office in order to help you gather all the supplies you need to deal quickly and efficiently with an emergency situation:
Appoint a Health and Safety Officer
If you haven’t done this already, it’s vital that you do; appointing someone in this capacity to ensure that the kit is properly stocked at all times and that everyone is apprised of the appropriate policies and procedures will go a long way toward not only obeying the law but avoiding disaster should a real emergency occur.
Assess the Situation
Not every office has the same needs as far as their first aid kit, particularly as not every office has the same level of staffing, risk and/or activity; perform a comprehensive risk assessment to ascertain the supplies you should keep on hand in order to address an emergency; be intelligent and remember it’s better to be slightly over prepared then left floundering in a bad situation.
Leave Out Potential Allergens
Depending on how many office staff you have, there are a wide variety of potential allergens in the average kit, from ointment and painkillers to other over-the-counter meds; if someone in the office requires any of these items for health reasons, they should be able to supply them on their own, while keeping them away from others who may be allergic.
Post Your Medical Emergency Plan
Writing and posting your formal emergency plan is a must in any office; information should be posted in a position where it is readily available when required and all employees should be apprised of both its location and contents.
The plan should include the address and phone number of the office, as well as the location of the first aid kits and any staff members who are specially trained to administer assistance; also include any emergency numbers as well as directions to and contact information for the medical services facilities closest to your location.
Keeping employees informed is a vital part of dealing with an emergency quickly and efficiently.
Buy Prepackaged
There are a variety of companies who sell prepackaged first aid kits and purchasing one of these handy supplies has a few advantages; first of all, as experts in emergency supplies, they’ll know firsthand the items a company such as yours may require; these kits are also quite conspicuously marked and recognizable to employees, and the items inside are generally of sound quality.
So regardless of how unlikely an office emergency seems at your place of work, always be well stocked and prepared for a first aid emergency; keeping all staff well informed and ready will go a long way toward dealing with a crisis in the most safe and effective way.
