A couple months ago an attendee on a first aid course told me that HSENI said that they couldn’t keep plasters in their first aid kit – I was highly dubious.
Last week another attendee told me that on their last first aid training the trainer told them they couldn’t keep plasters.
It is a subject that comes up very regularly on courses. So, can you keep plasters in your first aid kit?
If you buy a BS-8599- first aid kit there will be plasters in it. This number, (BS-8599), is the British Standard for first aid kits. If you weren’t allowed to stock plasters, they wouldn’t be in the kit.
If you look at the HSENI website the recommended contents of a first aid kit include “individually wrapped sterile plasters (of assorted sizes)”. Why would both HSE and HSENI recommend that you should have them as a minimum requirement if you aren’t allowed them?
Up until a few years ago, HSE actually had a page on their website called Myth Busters and they had two different articles in relation to people thinking that they could not keep plasters in their first aid kit. Interesting how they were both on the Myth Busters page…….
In conclusion, you absolutely can and should have individually wrapped sterile plasters in a variety of different sizes and shapes. If you are concerned about the risk of allergic reaction, stock hypoallergenic plasters which are readily available. The main priority is to clean and cover the cut to stop it getting infected.
