First Aid FAQs Answered by the Experts
We answer some of the questions we hear most frequently about first aid here. Click on the links on this page to see some of our handy guides and resources about equipping yourself with first aid, whether for business or personal use.
What is first aid equipment?
First aid is immediate assistance given to anyone who has suffered an injury, illness, or medical condition. First aid attention might be the only treatment necessary for mild or minor injuries and conditions. Or it could be the essential interim treatment a casualty needs before a paramedic or doctor sees them. First aid could be the only thing to save someone’s life, so it’s vital first aid equipment is close by at home, in workplaces, and anywhere there is a safety risk.
First aid equipment is a set of supplies and tools used to treat immediate injuries or other medical conditions. First aid equipment includes items used to give CPR and clean and dress wounds. You may also find items like foil blankets and instant ice packs in first aid kits.
Want to know more about what first aid equipment you need? Check our definitive first aid equipment checklist. Or learn more about the types of first aid equipment and their uses.
What to Do With Expired First Aid Supplies
It’s important to ensure your first aid supplies don’t go out of date. Out-of-date supplies might not work as well as they should and could even be dangerous to use. Here are some examples.
- Wound dressings and bandages may deteriorate, meaning that wound coverings might not be as strong, absorbent, and durable as needed.
- Eyewash and wound wash solution seals may become compromised over time, affecting the sterility of the fluid.
- The alcohol may evaporate from prep pads and swabs over time and affect their disinfecting properties.
Your first aid supplies may expire before you use them, so you may be wondering what to do with out-of-date first aid supplies. When your supplies expire, you should replace them as soon as possible to ensure you have the proper equipment ready in case of an accident or emergency. The out-of-date supplies should be disposed of in the general waste provided they have not been soiled by bodily fluids.
You can ensure you always have in-date first aid supplies by doing any of the following
- Checking the use-by dates of your supplies when you get them and setting a reminder in your calendar to replace them just before they expire.
- Carrying out regular use-by date checks or assigning this task to someone on your team and replacing the items when their use-by date approaches.
- Creating an account with Steroplast and arranging with your dedicated account manager for us to notify you when your items are approaching their sell-by date and arranging delivery of new supplies.
We have a solution for you if you're worried about the waste produced by using a first aid kit. Our eco-friendly first aid kit comes in a box made from 100% recycled materials, and its contents are packaged in medical-grade paper rather than plastic, meaning we've reduced plastic use to an absolute minimum.
You can order an eco-friendly first aid kit or a refill pack from our website.
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Where to Donate First Aid Supplies
Here are two UK organisations that accept donations of in-date first aid and medical supplies.
- Inter Care: collecting medical supplies for rural partner health units located in sub-Saharan Africa.
- MedAID: collecting surplus medical supplies and equipment from healthcare facilities to be distributed across resource-limited countries.
You can also check with the following organisations and businesses to see if you can donate supplies locally.
- Homeless and vulnerable individuals’ shelters
- Places of worship
- Police and fire departments
- Animal shelters
- The salvation army
- Blood banks
- Schools and nurseries
What first aid equipment is required on a construction site?
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 state that construction sites in the UK should have the following.
- A first aid box with enough equipment to cope with the number of workers on site.
- An appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements.
- Information telling workers the name of the appointed person or first aider and where to find them. A notice in the site hut is a good way of doing this.
First aid supplies in a construction site first aid kit should meet the needs of the first aid risk assessment of the site.
Learn more about first aid requirements of construction businesses from the Health and Safety Executive.
Who is responsible for first aid equipment?
In businesses, organisations, and other places of work, who is responsible for the first aid equipment? Employers have a duty of care to their staff, customers, contractors, and any other people who come into contact with business operations and a legal obligation to protect their staff with first aid provisions.
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 set out the legal first aid requirements all businesses and employers must follow by law in the UK. According to the Health and Safety Executive, the national authority on health and safety, it is the responsibility of “employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces, including those with less than five employees and to the self-employed.”
An employer may appoint a chosen person to oversee first aid requirements in the team. Still, ultimately it is the employer's responsibility to ensure all the requirements are met.
We cover exactly what is expected of businesses when it comes to first aid provisions in our blog:
Visit our
Personal First Aid Online Guide
Find everything you need, from first aid kits, plasters & bandages to hot & cold therapy.
How to Store First Aid Supplies
Where is the best place to store first aid supplies? You should ensure your first aid supplies are protected in a box or bag. This will keep them well organised, ensure you have everything you need in one place, make the items easy to grab and bring to the location of an accident and keep the supplies protected from damage.
Keep your first aid kit in a cool, dry place out of the way so it won’t be damaged or compromised. However, ensuring the first aid kit is easy to find and use quickly is vital. For workplaces, we recommend a first aid kit station where your kits can be fixed to the wall and surrounded by clear signage, including instructions on their use.
If you need to store first aid kits at home, ensure they are kept away from children and pets. If you lock your first aid kit, ensure you and your family know where the key is at all times.
What first aid equipment is needed in the workplace?
What first aid equipment should be available in your workplace? This is not a straightforward question. Workplace first aid requirements really depend on the outcome of your risk assessment.
While first aid kit supply requirements for businesses vary, the Heath and Safety Executive recommends the following items at a minimum for a low-risk working environment such as an office:
- A leaflet with general guidance on first aid (for example, HSE's leaflet Basic advice on first aid at work)
- Individually wrapped sterile plasters of assorted sizes
- Sterile eye pads
- Individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile
- Safety pins
- Large and medium-sized sterile, individually wrapped, unmedicated wound dressings
- Disposable gloves
Browse our guidance on workplace first aid kits.
- Workplace First Aid Kits: What are The UK Legal Requirements?
- Workplace First Aid Kits: Where to Install Them and How Many you Need
- What Should be in a Workplace First Aid Kit?
- Warehouse Signage and First Aid: UK Legislation Business Owners Need to Know
- What Business Owners Need to Know about Accident Report Books
- What Goes in a Kitchen First Aid Kit?
Simplify Workplace First Aid
Interactive Online Guide & Downloadable Brochure
Simplify Workplace First Aid
Interactive Online Guide & Downloadable Brochure
Choose the format that works for you: check out our Workplace First Aid Interactive Online Guide or download our Workplace First Aid Brochure as an easy-to-save PDF. Both include a self-assessment, product details, pricing, and comprehensive training and support.
What first aid supplies should I have at home?
First aid equipment that should be available in the home should treat the most common injuries that occur in this environment—usually, cuts, grazes, burns, bumps, falls, bites and stings, and eye injuries.
Consult our guides below for detailed breakdowns of what to keep in different kinds of first aid kits.
- A Comprehensive Paediatric First Aid Kit Contents List
- Keeping a First Aid Kit at Home: Everything You Need to Know
- The Essential Small First Aid Kit Contents List
- What Should Be in a Car First Aid Kit?
- Travel First Aid Kits - What should the perfect kit contain?
- The Essential Pet First Aid Kit Checklist
How to Organise First Aid Supplies
Use a first aid box or bag to organise your supplies. A good first aid container should have different compartments that can keep your items organised so you know where everything is and locate exactly what you need in a crisis.
A box like our Deluxe First Aid Box has a see-through perspex lid so you can easily view the different compartments in the case. Business owners might also consider a First Aid Box Wall Bracket to mount your first aid box on the wall making it easy to spot.
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