What should you have in Your Restaurant First Aid Kit?

Article by Lindsay CleghornAh, the First Aid Kit. This homely little box seems utterly useless, nothing more than a dust-collector that is until you have an at work accident. And then where is it when you need it? Certainly not sitting in its designated location, full of the necessary supplies you need to treat a burn, cut, or scrape. Today we want to help you get prepared for the inevitable, workplace injuries. Read on to learn what supplies you need to have a well-stocked kitchen first aid kit.RegulationsThe federal Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires restaurants, and all businesses for that matter, to have first-aid kits. However, it doesn't clearly specify what is necessary. OSHA standard 1910.151 states that your business should have "adequate first-aid supplies." Appendix A recommends that your kit meet a standard set by the American National Standard Institute, but doesn't specifically require it. Asleep yet? Hold on and read on!Meet the RequirementsThe applicable minimum standard for workplace first-aid kits is ANSI Z308.1-2003. Confused? Dont be. Its very simple. A type 1 kit, which is designed to sit on a shelf, is adequate for indoor business settings. Type 1 kits should have:

• Absorbent compress that is at least 32 inches square and 4 inches on each side or longer
• 16 1-by-3-inch bandages
• A 5-yard roll of 3/8-inch-thick adhesive tape
• Four 3-by-3-inch sterile pads
• One large 40-by-40-by-56-inch triangular bandage
• At least ten 0.14-ounce single-use antiseptic packages
• At least six 1/32-ounce packages of single-use burn treatment
• Two pairs of latex-free (to prevent any potential allergic reactions) gloves should be included

This is a great place to start when building your restaurants first aid kit. But depending on your own needs, you may choose to add other things, or extras of something depending on how fast you go through a product.Preventing and Treating InjuriesWhew! Got that covered. While a first-aid kit is necessary and useful, it's only part of what your restaurant can do to keep its employees safe. Using protective kitchen equipment such as metal mesh gloves for prep cooks, non-slip mats, and wearing slip resistant shoes can help reduce the risk of injury. Training some or all of your employees in first aid in case of an at work accident is also a good idea. Federal law may also require it if you aren't adequately close to a medical-treatment facility.Now you know what types of materials to put in your homely little dust collector (AKA the first aid kit). While first aid kits cant magically prevent accidents from happening, they can help in fixing those accidents faster and more effectively. However, it is important to remember that in order to keep that first aid kit just sitting around as a dust collector, you will need to train your staff appropriately on how to lessen the risk of accidents from happening in the first place.For these work safety tips and more check us out at srmax.com