14 Essential Items for a Workplace First-Aid Kit in Singapore

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2019 and has been updated in July, 2020 with more accurate and relevant information.

Did you know that there is more to do and check once you have installed your new first aid kit in your workplace? What most individuals do not realise is that a first aid kit is not a set and forget solution.

All Singaporean workers are protected by the WHS Act and businesses are legally responsible for providing their staff with first aid kits, facilities and trained personnel, at all times.

However for many first aid kit items, there is an expiry date and if these items are not replaced when expired, they may be deemed useless when an accident or emergency occurs.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR FIRST-AID KIT MAINTAINED

Here are the things you should do to keep your first-aid kit maintained:

Choose two dates a year to check your first-aid kit.
Replace all supplies that are close to the expiry date.
Make sure the first-aid kit opens easily and shuts properly.
Ensure that the first-aid kit is not damaged.
Check that all of the contents and supplies are adequately stocked.
Make sure the sterile products are uncompromised and still sealed.

Only by regularly checking your first-aid kit can you be certain that they will be ready to use when you need them.

Education around the location of your first aid kit, what it contains and how to administer the items is crucial for your employees. It is also highly recommended that there is at least one employee who has been certified in first aid.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE WORKPLACE FIRST-AID KITS?

First Aid kits help save lives. They are the first step towards getting real medical assistance in case of an emergency. Therefore, ensuring they are maintained is important. It is easy to forget about it and business owners often don’t have the time to maintain it.

Thankfully, Alsco has the answer. Our affordable managed rental service helps you in two ways:

Our kits are limitlessly restocked with hospital-grade first aid supplies – for free
Our service is affordable – we charge you a single, all inclusive monthly fee – that’s it!
We keep track of when your items expire, so you don’t have to, ensuring you’re always well stocked

WHAT SHOULD YOU KEEP IN A WORKPLACE FIRST-AID KIT?

Here’s a list of the essential items you should keep in a workplace first-aid kit in Singapore:

Individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings
Crepe bandage 5 cm
Crepe bandage 10 cm
Absorbent gauze
Hypoallergenic tape
Triangular bandages
Scissors
Safety pins
Disposable gloves
Eye shield
Eye pad
Resuscitation mask
Sterile water or saline in 100 ml disposable containers
Torchlight

These are the general items that can be found in a basic first-aid kit, that is appropriate for an average workplace with no special risks. It’s a first aid kit that will suit a school office, corporate office, retail shop or a restaurant.

CONTENTS OF A WORKPLACE FIRST-AID KIT

Alsco’s first aid kits are restocked at no extra cost

Individually Wrapped Sterile Adhesive Dressings

These are sterile absorbent pads with an adhesive covering and surround. Adhesive dressings are an essential component of any first aid kit, as they provide an effective method of treating larger wounds.

Crepe Bandages (5 Cm & 10 Cm)

These are elasticated cotton bandages ideal for wound dressing, supporting strains, and providing compression to alleviate any swelling. They are handy for ankle or wrist sprains. Having different bandage widths allows different levels of coverage, depending on the scope of injury.

Absorbent Gauze (Packet Of Ten)

This is a light, open-meshed fabric of muslin or similar material used in bandages, dressings, and surgical sponges. Absorbent gauze comes in white cotton cloth of various thread counts and weights, supplied in various lengths and widths and in different forms (rolls or folds).

Hypoallergenic Tape

This is a lightweight, breathable paper tape that is gentle, yet offers secure adhesion especially on sensitive skin. This tape works well on frequently changed bandages and on ‘at risk’ skin injuries.

Triangular Bandages

A triangular bandage is a piece of cloth put into a right-angled triangle, and often provided with safety pins to secure it in place. It can be used fully unrolled as a sling, folded as a normal bandage, or for specialised applications, such as a head bandage.

Scissors

These are an instrument used for cutting cloth, paper, and other material. Ensure they are sharp and sterile.

Safety Pins

A pin that makes a closed loop, thereby properly fastening the pin to whatever it is applied to, with an end of the pin that is covered to protect the user from the sharp point.

Disposable Gloves (Pairs)

These are latex gloves, worn over the hands to help prevent cross-contamination between caregivers and patients.

Eye Shield

A protective screen against further injury or light; plastic goggles for caregivers to wear.

Eye Pad

Small pads designed for absorption of secretions from the eyes. These pads typically consist of layers of absorbent materials such as soft cotton. They are used along with eye shields to prevent further injury or infection.

Resuscitation Mask (One-Way)

This is a plastic device used to safely deliver rescue breaths during a cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest.

Sterile Water Or Saline In 100 Ml Disposable Containers

Used only where clean tap water is not available – this is water that has been sterilised to ensure an absence of any bacteria in the water. It is used for mixing, diluting, dissolving water-soluble drugs or cleaning injuries in the absence of clean tap water.

Torch Light

A device to provide light as you attend to the injured, in the event of a power outage or darkness.

We understand the challenge of ensuring items that you need are available and ready to go when you need them.

Depending on the workplace hazards unique to your business and the number of people in the workplace, you may require specific items such as gel sprays that provide relief for burns and specific quantities of certain items.

Alsco will tailor your workplace first aid kits to your specific needs. We will also visit you regularly to check if anything needs replacing or restocking.

Alsco first-aid kits are the best tools for the worst situations.

MINIMUM CONTENTS OF FIRST-AID BOXES FOR SINGAPORE WORKPLACES BASED ON EMPLOYEE NUMBERS

Contents	For every 25 persons employed or less	For every 50 persons employed or less	For every 100 persons employed or less
Individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings	20	40	40
Crepe bandage 5 cm	1	2	4
Crepe bandage 10cm	1	3	6
Absorbent gauze (packets of ten pieces)	5	10	15
Hypoallergenic tape	1	1	2
Triangular bandages	4	4	6
Scissors	1	1	1
Safety pins	4	4	6
Disposable gloves (pairs)	2	2	4
Eye shield	2	2	3
Eye pad	2	4	6
Resuscitation mask (one-way)	1	1	2
Sterile water or saline in 100 ml disposable containers (only where tap water is not available)	1	3	3
Torch light	1	1	1

DOWNLOAD FREE WORKPLACE SAFETY POSTERS

Prevention is better than the cure, though.

In addition to keeping your first aid kits properly stocked and regularly maintained, promote a safe and healthy environment to minimise the risk of accidents.

We’ve created useful safety posters with motivational messages to help you spread safety awareness and practices at your workplace. These free and printable posters help remind your workers to work safely, every day.

Download these safety posters and place these in strategic locations at your workplace.

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