First Aid Kit

Urgency Care

Short of ER or regular doctor: go to ex Mosaic Urgent Care. https://www.mymosaiclifecare.org/Main/Location/st-joseph-mo/mosaic-life-care-at-st.-joseph/Urgent-Care/

From Jeff Frazer, EMT in Maysville MO

EMT kit -

1. Maxipads x 2: Wound Dressing or for its intended purpose.
2. 4x4 Sterile Gauze x 2: Wound Dressing
3. 4 Inch Non-Sterile Roller Gauze: Wound Bandage (Combine item 1, 2, 3 in plastic bag)
4. Zip Tie: To hold tourniquet windlass rod in place or attach casualty card to patient
5. Triangular Bandage: Use for a sling, a pressure dressing or tourniquet
6. Tongue Depressor: Finger splint or visualizing the airway
7. Sterile Roller Gauze: Wound dressing, bandage, or for packing wounds. As an alternative, a roll of coban or an ace wrap could be included instead.
8. Tourniquet Windlass Rod: 8 tongue depressors taped together for tightening a tourniquet
9. Nitrile Gloves: 1 pair.
10. Providone Iodine Pads x 2: For wound cleaning or water purification
11. Alcohol Prep Pads x 6: For wound cleaning or fire starting
12. Bandaid Assortment x 20: For protecting small cuts or as tape for splints
13. Butterfly Closure x 5: Wound closure
14. Casualty Card: To record treatment given, as well as medical history
15. Red Zipper Pouch: To contain items. Safety Pin attached to zipper to ease use under stress.

Liquid:

1. Iodine - disinfectant
2. Rubbing alcohol - disinfectant
3. Hydrogen peroxide - oxidizer
4. Eyewash bottle

From Yoonseo

Hydrogen Peroxide 16oz

Rubbing Alcohol 70% Isopropyl

Neosporin 1oz

Latex-Free Powder-Free Exam-Quality Disposable Gloves 200pce

Medical Tape

Sterile Gauze Sponges 50pce

Stainless Steel Scissors

Stainless Steel Point Tweezer

Cold Pack 24pce

Sterile Gauze Roll

Hemostatic

Emergency Blanket

Sterile Adhesive Bandages

Liquid Sprayer

Burn Relief Gel

Slant Tweezer

Multi Trauma Dressing

Lister Scissors

Sterile Gauze Roll

Case Studies

Marcin of sweet Maysville, Missouri in the United States

Case: stepped on a screw which went in about an inch. One week later after a trip to Spain, the subject's foot is swollen:

Antibiotics

• Vitamin C, A, D (10000 units), A, and K

Eric Lotze

Backround

• So the main injuries i've seen on the jobsite are:
  • Heat Stress / Heat Exhaustion
    • Not entirely relevant to First Aid ; almost a step above it, BUT having Water / Bottled Water + Ice Available, as well as some form of Electrolytes (Be it a Sports Drink (with electrolytes plants crave!), or even just extra Granola Bars / Protein Bars in your Lunch Box for others as well as yourself just in case etc) can help a TON with that, and along with looking out for yourself + others can help turn something that would be work day ending/an ER visit into a calm break etc
  • Cuts/Scrapes
    • On the scale from a small abrasion, to a pretty nasty slice from a Pocket Knife opening something, or Sharp Corners/Edges on Sheet Metal etc
      • These aren't some HUGE concern, but spreading blood all over is a Bloodborne Pathogen risk, and even if that is irrelevant etc (due to the person not being infected and/or being properly treated etc) it is unsightly and can spook others etc so getting the bleeding under control+under a bandage gets someone back in the game, even if it would be overkill if you were chilling at home on the couch etc
    • Most of the Abrasion Ones are just:
      • Clean if Off (if there is dirt in there etc), either in a sink / with a bottled water, OR with Sterile Saline Spray or Sterile Saline Rinsewater (Although aseptic would be cooler!)
      • Get some Antibiotic Ointment on there (Although from an Antibacterial Resistance perspective this may not be the best)
    • Get your Bandaid Bandage on there
      • For cuts that are in the annoying area between "instantly clots up, just a scrape" and "bleeding out and dying need Hemostatic Gauze wound packing and/or a Tourniquette etc, some of that Clotting Powder may be a nice (and more inexpensive) way to reduced the time sitting there waiting on a cut to clot as you want it MOSTLY stopped pre-bandaid or it will soak through
      • This is from personal experience with the occasional razor knife/blade pocket knife cut/sheet metal scrape RIGHT ON a damn capillary etc
  • Migraines / Aches and Pains
  • Cold/Flu/Covid (Although the latter especially SHOULD be a stay at home / self isolate type situation, this is just due to crappy Sick Leave policies and people needing the money)
    • Diarrhea / Stomach Issues (Either from a "stomach bug" or even just travel / crappy food etc, but can be VERY good to have on hand)

Takeaways from all that

• SO the majority of what you are preparing for can be covered by:
  • Packing a big lunch + cooler with ice in it + keeping a watch on how you+your team are doing
  • Having a Cuts and Scrapes First Aid Kit + Some Anti-Diarrheal meds in your backpack/on person
  • Having a bin as a sort of " Portable Medicine Cabinet " with your NSAIDs / Pain Meds, Some Allergy Meds, also we do some Boat Stuff on occasion so i threw in some Anti-Seasickness Medication and some other things
    • This stays in my car so is usually with me at the shop, if we go on small day or less jobs i don't bring it (just my cuts and scrapes one), but for LONG/multi-day trips i bring the larger box with me

My Kits

• A Small Pouch With
  • Bandaids
  • Antibiotic Ointment
  • Bug Itch Cream + that heat thing that works pretty well too
  • Anti-Diarrheal Tablets
• A Larger Box With:
  • Sterile Saline Spray
    • Larger Bandages
  • Just about every OTC medicine

Things i Want to Get/Add but haven't yet

• A Forehead Thermometer or some similar non-contact one for checking fever etc
• A Pulse Oximeter (a bit extra, but can come in handy in more intense first aid while not being that expensive/complex
• A PROPER Trauma First Aid Kit / IFAK / Stop The Bleed kit
  • Mainly thinking if i see a bad motorcycle crash, but could come in handy in various work incidents too
• That clotting powder
• Dedicated Bags for Cold Compresses + Phase Change Heat Packs
• A more organized car/bag system, also probably a roll of Trash Bags + Paper Towels (and/or one of those Box of Rags things)
• Dakin's Solution for use as a Wound Wash
  • Would be Aseptic, unlike Saline, but less tissue damaging than Alcohol etc
    • Although some Alcohol Disposable Wipes / Hand Sanitizer is a good add too, for cleaning hands/tools after bandaging up etc
      • I currently keep a mini-bottle in my lunch box and car, and use a larger bottle to refill at home (to save money/reduce plastic bottle buying)
• A CPR Bag Mask (or at LEAST a Barrier Device)
• Narcan (Need for cold(er) storage is my main holdup for this right now

Semi-Controversial Bit

• Depending on where you are working, there may be some homeless people around etc
• Having the meds/gear to help out someone either Overdosing or in Withdrawal can be huge from a Harm Reduction perspective
• Granted some people are prejudiced vs Homeless People / People with Addictions etc
  • HOWEVER there is also an aspect of Perceived) Safety/Privilege to Intervene etc involved in there etc
• I know one of the jobs i was on for electrical i helped out a guy with some Waters and got him some help, but he was chill (all things considered), and i have had some mental health stuff too so i feel for that, either way this is something I DO because i am passionate about it thus prepare for it, BUT i can "get" it if you don't want to be getting into that etc
• Unhoused Person Help Kits / having a BIT of spare cash + contacts on hand is a topic adjacent to this i can cover sometime too
  • Also just having Waters/Snacks on hand, ESPECIALLY in heat stroke season

Note About OTS Kits / "Compliant" Kits

• As per OSHA , jobsites have to have a First Aid Kit (and MAYBE a Thermal Burn First Aid Kit ) on hand
• Compliant ones are available OTS pre-packed
• HOWEVER
  • They typically have:
    • Off Brand Everything
      • Not the WORST for Antibiotic Ointment etc, although it is often in Packet Form (Akin to a Ketchup Packet) rather than the tube with a plastic nozzle, thus a pain to dispense, ESPECIALLY when in the field/stressed out
      • For Bandaids however they are typically really crappy, ESPECIALLY for use in dirt/sweat in the field, not chilling at the house
    • Also if Management doesn't keep up with it they can be expired, even if still good by the dates etc
• ALL IN ALL
  • I either say get them and replace with better stuff as it is used (and/or get OTS ones to get their nice bag/organizer) or go full custom
  • May be a bit more complex/cost a bit pricier but WAY worth it

Notes on Company Policy

• Personally i think each Company Vehicle should have a kit + Cooler / Ice Water
  • If multiple trucks will be on a jobsite, making sure at LEAST one has a good kit should suffice
• Any time you are doing Hot Work , add a Thermal Burn First Aid Kit to the mix
• Any time you are working with something Highly Acidic or Basic, add a Acid/Base Neutralization Kit for splashes/exposure + gear cleanup
• Emergency Eyewash Stations are GREAT, especially if designed such that they can be used as an impromptu sink as well
  • Main thing is check them frequently + keep spider webs/dirt out etc, don't want to get even MORE contaminated
    • An inexpensive Hose Mounted Unit, especially if 3D Printed would be good to get
    • In terms of site/warehouse design though, these, along with Emergency Showers and standard Sinks are good to add (even for just "mess control" )
• Eyewash Bottles (and Wound Wash or the impromptu use of a Drinking Water Bottle) are nice more storable+portable options, but shouldn't be seen as a direct substitute for Sinks / Eyewash Stations etc
  • Since it is a (somewhat) expensive consumable instead of something literally "on tap", this can lead to hesitation in their use, ESPECIALLY with crappy management
• Routine Checking (Weekly-Monthly) of Stocks of Supplies + Functions of Equipment is a Must
  • If Time is not Intentionally Set Aside, It Will Not be Done is a rule that holds true in work environments especially
• While you don't want to get TOO safety-snob about it, a good Work Culture + Available PPE and even Written Plans/Drills etc can help
• If you have the money, these kits are another good addition, especially to larger worksites/facilities:
  • An AED
  • A Fire Blanket Station in similar frequency to First Aid Kit Stations / Fire Extinguisher Stations
  • A Heat Stress Station (Temporary can be a Pop Up Tent and Cooler, More Emergency Minded can be a station with Cold Compresses etc (saw some of these on a big jobsite and thought it was a good idea) )
    • That one Atmospheric Storage Tank cleaning job, think it was an Ethanol had the BEST " Hydration Station " / Heat Stress Station i've seen yet
      • They had:
        • Bottled Waters
        • Gatorade (Although similar Sports Drinks are fine too!)
        • Bag Popsicles
    • All under a nice pop up tent in a centrally located area
    • Short of MAYBE the plastic use (which is HARD to avoid, albeit not impossible; i need to make a page on that) was just about as good as it can be done
      • They aren't needed with good enough prevention, BUT a Cold Plunge can be used as a sort of "last resort pre-calling an ambulance/going to the ER" option, and sports like football especially have those setup for summer practice etc
• All in all i want the policy to be
  • 1.) Compliant (Duh)
  • 2.) Set up such that if anything happens you can easily see+know where the gear you need is (organization+proper dedicated stations (not in a cabinet etc) + clear marking of them), anyone can know how to use it (training) , and it is well stocked (Good gear + frequently checked/organized)
    • FINALLY it needs to be close enough that it isn't but a few meters away at most (25-50 or so is about the max distance, short of on the go/temporary setups)
      • Can look at code requirements for Fire Extinguishers etc for guidance

See Also

• The "Healthcare sub-section of the "Construction Sets" Page