Vehicle First Aid Kits: What you need
Why are Vehicle First Aid Kits important?
Are you on the road for your work? Do you work away from the office? Thousands of us are on the go. And when we are on the road, or at a worksite, we want to be safe, so vehicle first aid kits are important for help when those hair-raising events happen.
Here’s the problem though: to be prepared for emergencies requires more than just buying any old first aid kit from a store and chucking it in the ute. Cheap off the shelf kits often don’t meet Australian standards and can leave you empty handed in an actual emergency.
There’s a bit of thought that has to go into selecting and choosing a first aid kit for your vehicle. In this article, we’ll take you through 3 Questions that can help you when choosing.
What Vehicle First Aid Kit will help you handle an accident?
When we are on the road, we always have it in the back of our minds that we may encounter a car crash. When it comes to helping a person in an incident, you want to make sure that your kit has what can actually help. What are some items you might look for? You’ll want to make sure it has sufficient dressings to help get bleeding under control and saline to clean up wounds. Car incidents can lead to burns, so burn dressings are a must.
The government recognises this, so in the first aid code of practice you’ll find they encourage kits that actually have these items.
Yes, there is a price difference between a cheap kit and compliant one- but when you see what’s actually in them you can see why. Here’s an example.
New Kit or Refill?
Our servicing experts can help you figure out if you need to buy new kits, or we can refill and make additions to the vehicle kit’s to get them up to code.
What risks are involved in your line of employment?
The first aid kit you have in your vehicle shouldn’t be just for what what you encounter on the road, it should be ready for what you do when you arrive.
For example, a carpenter who keeps a kit in his ute, would need a larger first aid kit to help him handle any on the job injuries. On the other hand, a real estate agent driving around town wouldn’t need nearly as much.
So what are some items you may need in your kit? Is it possible for you to get burns in your industry? You’ll want a kit with burn dressings. Could your work leave you at risk of bleeds and gashes that are too big for a band-aid to handle? You’ll need something with a non adhesive dressing and crepe bandage.
Is this you? One kit you could consider are our tradies kits. They are full of items that can actually help you on a jobsite. Plus they are government compliant and made with tough cases that can stand up to being in your car.
Snakes?
Are snakes a risk for you? One thing our clients consider when buying kits is their risk of snakebite. Many customers pair the code of practice red soft case kit with a snake bite kit to be prepared and ready for this challenge.
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Snake Bite Kit$31.90 including GST -
Code of Practice First Aid Kit Portable Red Soft Case$124.22 including GST
Do you travel to isolated areas?
Ok, next question to think about is where you drive? In a city or major regional area their may be quick ambulance access. But out in rural and isolated areas, ambulance’s may be few and far between. So for a kit, there are some extra considerations.
Here are a few thoughts. You want to help keep people comfortable until emergency services (including those legends in the sky) arrive. A splint is super helpful for immobilising injuries. Decent thermal blankets and torches can keep you safe while you wait. And having an abundance of relevant dressings can make it easier to keep on top of things while you wait. Below are some options you may like to consider.
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Remote First Aid Kit$487.28 including GST -
First Response Run Kit$353.10 including GST
Let’s Wrap Up!
So let’s wrap up. When choosing a first aid kit for a vehicle remember these three important points. Make sure to get a kit that can actually help in a crash. Get a kit that suits your industry, and be extra prepared if you are in a rural or remote are.
We hope this article has helped make your first aid choices a little easier. If you’d like to have an expert help for free- try our free first aid consult.
Hey there! I’ve been a first aider since 2012, eventually becoming a first aid trainer and writer. When I’m not writing first aid articles you can find me birding and listening to jangle pop.
