First aid kits

Your first aid kit should be organised, properly stocked and available at all times. It’s a good idea to keep a range of first aid kits handy, for example in the home, in the car and at work. You can purchase first aid kits from pharmacists, Ambulance Victoria and St John Ambulance Australia (Victoria).

It is strongly recommended that you take a first aid course, so that you know how to help if someone is suddenly injured or taken ill. If you are buying a first aid kit for general use by staff at your workplace, remember that Australian States and Territories have differing regulations on the contents. Check with the Victorian WorkCover Authority if unsure.

Contents of a basic first aid kit
First aid kits vary according to their particular use. For example, a first aid kit for a farm will contain a few different items to a first aid kit for a city-dwelling family.
A basic first aid kit will contain:

• 1 x 50 pack adhesive dressing strips
• 2 x triangular bandages
• 1 x small conforming elastic bandage (5cm wide)
• 1 x medium conforming elastic bandage (7.5cm wide)
• 2 x medium crepe bandage (7.5cm wide)
• 2 x eye pads
• 2 x small wound dressing (no.13)
• 2 x medium wound dressing (no.14)
• 2 x medium combine dressing pads (9 x 20cm)
• 2 x large combine dressing pads (20 x 20cm)
• 3 x medium gauze dressing (7.5 x 7.5cm)
• 2 x small Melolin dressing (5 x 5cm)
• Adhesive tape (2.5cm wide – preferably Micropore)
• 4 x Sterowipes (alcohol swabs) or iodine sachets
• 4 x saline Steritubes (minimum 10ml)
• 1 x sterile eyewash bottle
• 1 x pair scissors
• 1 x pair tweezers
• 1 x 12 pack safety pins
• 2 x disposable gloves (medium and large)
• 1 x resuscitation mask or face shield
• First aid booklet
• Note pad and pencil.

• Keep the first aid kit in a dry, cool location.
• Make sure the first aid kit is easily accessible, and that everyone in the family knows where it is.
• Some items, such as solutions, may have use-by dates. Check regularly and replace when necessary.
• If an item is used from the first aid kit, promptly replace it.

• Adhesive strip dressings – small strips of gauze attached to a sticky backing. These dressings are used for minor cuts and skin injuries.
• Non-adhesive dressings – best used for covering burnt or abraded skin. Never use adhesive dressings on burnt or abraded (scraped) skin.
• Wound dressings – these thick pads are used to help control bleeding and reduce the risk of infection. The different sizes accommodate different sized wounds.
• Bandages – can be made from a range of materials including cotton, paper or elastic. Bandages are used to hold dressings or splints in place, reduce swelling, offer support to an injured arm or leg or restrict movement.
• Triangular bandage – can be used as a sling, to hold splints in place or to support fractured limbs.
• Sterile eyewash solution – used to flush eyelashes, insects, dust, sand or similar particles from the eye. Never attempt to remove an embedded object – seek urgent medical attention.

• Wash your hands before treating the wound.
• Put on the disposable gloves provided in your first aid kit.
• Try to avoid breathing or coughing over the wound.
• Cover the wound with a sterile dressing.
• Don’t handle the dressing unnecessarily.
• Try not to touch the dressing’s surface before applying it to the wound.

• The injured person should be sitting or lying down. Position yourself in front of the person on their injured side.
• Ensure their injured body part is supported in position before you start to bandage.
• Gently hold a ‘tail’ of bandage below the injured site. Wrap the bandage one full turn around the limb, so that the ‘tail’ (and wound dressing, if used) is held in place.
• Bandage up the limb, making sure each turn overlaps the turn before. Alternatively, you can bandage in a ‘figure eight’ fashion.
• Make sure the bandage isn’t too tight, or you will reduce blood flow to the extremities. Check by pressing on a nail of the injured person – if the pink colour returns within a couple of seconds, the bandage isn’t compromising the person’s circulation. If the nail remains white for some time, loosen the bandage. Keep checking, especially if swelling is a problem.
• If you’re treating a bleeding wound, tie the bandage knot over the wound site.
• If you’re trying to keep an injured body part still, tie the knot on the uninjured side.

• Use a triangular bandage. Open it up and place it lengthwise against the person’s body. Make sure the point of the bandage is towards the person’s elbow on their injured side.
• Arrange the person’s arm so that it is held in front of their body and bent at the elbow, with the forearm slightly up above the horizontal.
• Tie the hanging end of the bandage to the top end by looping it behind the person’s neck. Make the knot on their uninjured side. Their injured arm should be comfortably supported in the sling.
• Fold the point of the bandage along the person’s arm, and pin it securely. This will prevent their arm from slipping out the back of the sling.

• Always call triple zero (000) for an ambulance in a medical emergency
• St John Ambulance Australia (Victoria) Tel. (03) 9696 0000
• WorkCover Advisory Service Tel. (03) 9641 1444 or 1800 136 089

• Keep a range of first aid kits handy including at home, in the car and at work.
• You can purchase first aid kits from chemists, Ambulance Victoria and St John Ambulance Australia (Victoria).
• Consider doing a first aid course, so you know how to help if someone is injured or becomes ill.

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