Guest Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Hi, very busy and stressful week as I prepare for reinspection. I need to find a list of what I am meant to have in my first aid boxes, can anyone help. I know I should be able to lay my hands on it easily but my brain is fried (3 weeks unitl my holiday). Can anyone give me a list of what I should have or can you point me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 our list is at work but sure start supplied ours also my boss was inspected at her new setting and they told her that scissors are not to be stored in first aid boxes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennim Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 our list is at work but sure start supplied ours also my boss was inspected at her new setting and they told her that scissors are not to be stored in first aid boxes From September ALL people working with birth to 5 must have a paedeatric first aid training qualification. Have just done mine and they said scissors are ok because the 1st aid kit is never situated where children can reach it and get to equipment, other wise you are hunting for scissors which may be a long way off - what if you are off-site? First aid is a perennial nightmare, so many different views put forward in all areas of the country! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 In the standards it says you should be given this information on first aid course. And in the EYFS it states "Providers must have a first aid box with appropriate content to meet the needs of children" There is a publication from DFEE called Guidance on first aid for schools HERE We risk assessed and decided what we needed in our first aid box. Some places say 5 triangular bandages and 20 plasters, but we would at least double the amount of plasters as we have a concrete outdoor area that tends to eat children, so we get through a lot of large knee size plasters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Thanks, I attended a first aid course late last year but don't remember being told what should be in the box! Age!! I shall look at the link at work tomorrow, the funny thing is we have about 7 first aid boxes which I probably wont manage to scrape enough contents out of for one fully equipped box!!!! I didn't think you were allowed to put plasters on children due to allergy risks or is this an urabn myth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Plasters have been extensively discussed in previous posts, I think last comment that on first aid training practitioners are told the risk of infection in an open wound/scratch/graz is higher than the risk of allergy, so use plasters. I used gauze coated so that it didn't stick to wound held on with micropore tape. Sorry haven't got a list to hand but what I did do when my 1st aid box was replenished was to seal it with a rectangular label, on the label I had the list of contents and the date that the box was last checked, with signature of checker, then if opened seal was broken so at a glance I knew an item needed replacement, should it be used on my day off and I wasn't informed. Ofsted liked this idea. Must say though I rarely had to use any items from the 1st aid box, most accidents dealt with cold compress and TLC We had a box for within the setting and a smaller one ready and sealed for outings. Agree with Shiny that risk assessment would define if any particular 1st aid resources are used /needed more than others, also we used to evaluate our accident records every half term, to see if tere was any pattern to when and what type of accidents happen, within this record we also included detail of 1st aid given, so this is another way to 'measure' useage of 1st aid box contents. Maybe when we have a difinitive (spl?) list it could be added to the resource section of the forum for future reference. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I've recently completed a first aid course. It was led by a former paramedic who was fab. She suggested we keep a scunchy in the first aid box to tie long hair up so its not all over the place when you need to be leaning over a casulty, at least 3 pairs of gloves in various sizes, bags to throw away waste, pen and paper to record what, where, when for the emergency services. All this stuff would be in the settting but it would save people rushing round laying there hands on things. Also suggested was a prompt card with CPR actions on, bull nose scissors, clingfilm for burns, 20 individual sterile dressings, 2 sterile eye pads, 4 triangular bandages, sterile wound dressings in various sizes. Check the date on your bandages etc, they go out of date. You can get a mouth sheild but she said you can breath through anything, jumper, pillowcase, ect, the air gets through as she demonstrated but you dont have to touch the casulty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Hi Lots of good advice on here already (think the cling film is a good idea) but I'll just attach my tick list in case it is of any use. I laminated it and put in the box and checked it each term. I did start using plasters so will also attach the consent form I used. Good luck with your Inspection! CONSENT_FORMfor_plasters2.doc Contents_of_first_aid_box.doc3.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I didn't think you were allowed to put plasters on children due to allergy risks or is this an urabn myth? Plasters Myth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 This was what we were told at a recent Health & Safety course by someone in the know! Quote The Approved Code of Practice for first aid [Currently HSE L74 but likely to change this year] sets out the recommended minimum contents for first aid kits for the workplace as 'this is what you should have and variance needs to be reasonable and supported by an assessment of need'. Loosely interpreted, it means this is the minimum! Also note that, in my opinion, where children are concerned, it would be reasonable to change safety pins for adhesive hypo-allergenic tape [just as good and unquestionably safer!] and to ensure that you have hypo-allergenic individual adhesive dressings rather than the more tradition 'sticky plasters'. Advising parents that you have done this usually resolves any difficulties later on. Leaflet giving advice on applying first aid 20 assorted individually wrapped adhesive dressings [if you have staff handling food, the blue detectable ones are a sensible addition too] 2 x sterile eye pads 4 x individually wrapped triangular bandages [preferably sterile] 6 x safety pins [see note above] 6 x medium [12 x 12] individually wrapped sterile wound dressings 2 x large [18 x 18] wound dressings as above 1 x pair of disposable gloves I would also add 2 x small dressings for use on little children, yellow disposal bags for soiled dressings and a pocket mask for resuscitation. UNQUOTE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizzy Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 From September ALL people working with birth to 5 must have a paedeatric first aid training qualification. Have just done mine and they said scissors are ok because the 1st aid kit is never situated where children can reach it and get to equipment, other wise you are hunting for scissors which may be a long way off - what if you are off-site? First aid is a perennial nightmare, so many different views put forward in all areas of the country! I didnt know this, i thought it was you must have 1 on duty at all times, not the whole of the staff. Is it stated in the EYFS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 No, fizzy, not all staff have to be trained, but I supose it could be a good idea to have at least 2 incase one is off for any reason. Page 26 of the Statatory frameowrk book, specifc legal requirements, Illnesses and injuries: At least one person who has a current paediatric first aid certificate must be on the premises at all times when children are present. There must be at leat one person on outings who has a current paediatric first aid certificate. First aid training must be approved by the LA and consistent with guidance set out in the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. (This last paragraph is in the EYFS revisions sheet) EYFS_table_of_changes_May_2008.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizzy Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Thanks Rea, was starting to panic then. we have 3 out of 5 first aid trained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Thank you to everyone who offered a list or advice, I have printed off the plasters poster as well. I think I will be able to put together a comprehensive list using everyones advice. I am glad I got around to doing this before Ofsted arrived as out of the 6 boxes I located I did only manage to have 1 which is complete.(matching the list inside the box) The children are also going to benefit massively as there were huge amounts of bandages that were out of date and therefore not sterile anymore!!!!!!!!!!! Still awaiting the big 'O', lets hope I can pull off a miracle and raise our grading! fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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