"How To Inspect Your First Aid Kit" is the first of a three-part series showing you how to inspect, sanitize, and restock your first aid kit. In this article, we use a standard 4 shelf industrial first aid kit as an example but the principles can be applied to any first aid kit. See our "How To" section for more articles. This step ensures your cabinet will be ready to sanitize and restock when you have finished the inspection.
Why Inspect Your First Aid Cabinet?
The purpose of inspecting your first aid cabinet is to organize, prepare for replenishment, and ensure it is safe to use. Following these basic steps is easy and only takes a minute. The 4 steps to inspect are:
The purpose of organizing is to ensure that the contents of your kit are safe and ready to use. Regardless of the type of container/box/bag your supplies are stored in, the following points still apply to you. OK, Here is what you should look for as you organize.
1. Check for Unsafe/Damaged Products
Check for damaged, soiled, dirty, or even partially used products. As a practice, all items should be single-use to prevent cross-contamination. That means that a tube of ointment that has a resealable cap should be considered contaminated. If this is for home use you can be a little more lenient. Open bottles of eyewash should be thrown out. partially used ointment It is best to use "single-use" type products.
2. Check for expiration dates
Many of the items in a first aid kit have a shelf life. The expiration date will be marked on the container or individual package. Items including sprays, ointments, wipes, medicines, eyewash, and eyedrops will all have dates. If an outer box does have dates, be sure to check the product inside. Many times like products you are replacing will have different dates. When you mix them it is important to use the old dates first. Product placement and rotation are important. Always put the newer product behind the older one. Be especially careful when inspecting the door pouches. More about this will be covered in the "restock and refill" article.
3. Review and observe the usage and available inventory.
As you check your supplies, pay attention to how much has been used. This will help you plan for the future, avoiding the possibility of running out of a particular item. Good observation can also help you pinpoint the types of injuries that are occurring, possibly helping you to change work or safety processes and create a healthier and safer workplace.
4. Arrange and organize the product to its appropriate location in the cabinet.
Why are we talking about this now when we have to check the supplies, sanitize the cabinet, and then restock? Every item has its place. Consistency is key to managing and maintaining your supplies. When someone uses the supplies, they will always look in the same spot for that item. It will also help you speed up the inventory process after we clean and sanitize the cabinet. Know where your supplies are supposed to be and move the items back to their dedicated spot. This includes items on the door.
After you do this a few times it moves along quickly and this first step should only take a minute or two. We have prepared more "How To" articles to prepare your first aid kit for success. See tour next article about how to organize, sanitize, and maintain your first aid supplies. Once that is complete we will show you how to refill and restock your first aid supplies.
MFASCO is here to help. We are the first aid kit refill experts!
We know what it takes to maintain your first aid supplies. Since 1966, MFASCO Health & Safety has been making first aid kits and offering resources to help you maintain your kit. Every MFASCO brand first aid kit has a simple refill list where you can quickly check and refill your kit. Check out our first aid kit refill options below.
Restock your first aid supplies with confidence!
MFASCO not only manufactures first aid kits, but we also offer easy-to-use first aid kit refill tools right here on our website. Take a look at these helpful resources.
#1 - Refill This Kit Now - Every MFASCO brand workplace first aid kit has an easy-to-use refill list. A QR code is located on the kit which, when used, directs to the refill section for that first aid kit. This can be used as a checklist to inspect as well as reorder the necessary first aid supplies to maintain your first aid kit. You can also go to any product detail page and look for the "Refill This Kit" link.
#2 - "Reorder List" allows you to save refill items to a single list.
#3 - ReStockKit is a visual refill system for larger kits that hang on a wall.
#4 - Finally, Make-A-First-Aid-Kit allows you to create your own kit or refill list in a few short minutes.
#5 - Refill Reminders. When you use our reorder list, you can schedule reminder emails to be sent to you.
We're here to help.
We have helpful articles and videos on how to refill and restock your first aid supplies. MFASCO Health & Safety is ready to help you select the right tools and supplies for your needs. Give us a call or email us for assistance.
