Office First Aid Must-Haves

Is your business covered?

It doesn't matter whether you're a roughneck on an oil rig in Weld County or you spend your days pecking at a keyboard in a trendy shared office space downtown, you're bound to need some form of first aid. And by first aid, I mean treating very minor ailments like paper cuts, headaches, sore throats, etc., and not something like losing a finger or worse. That's what 911 and worker's compensation are for. However, good first aid practice can help in any case – even the serious incidents – and it's actually required by OSHA that your employer provides "adequate first aid supplies."

Now every industry is different, and every kit should be tailored to the industry's needs. Industries where an injury is likely to cause severe bleeding (think, construction) should probably have adequate-sized bandages to help slow the bleeding. Meanwhile, office settings probably won't require as much. OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.151 does not necessarily state what's appropriate for which workplace, but the American National Standard Institute or ANSI does, and OSHA's job is to enforce it.

Thus, ANSI separates workplaces into two categories: "Class A," which would be your low-risk office setting and "Class B," which would be your high-risk industrial setting. Each has minimum requirements, however, the minimums are hardly enough if you want to send the message that you care about your employees. Luckily there are companies out there, like Quality of Colorado, that will set you up to meet the law's minimums and then some.

For example, here's a photo of our Class A kit. Note the surplus of over-the-counter medicines such as Ibuprofen and acetaminophen, which is a nice touch because I've definitely had a few afternoon headaches that I was able to treat.

Quality of Colorado First Aid Box

Now that's a nice, useful touch to the office. What are your thoughts, people? Do you use Quality of Colorado too? If so, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Is your business covered?

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