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First aid on a small crew: the kit and the person who knows it

First aid on a small crew: the kit and the person who knows it

First aid and emergency 5 min 29 CFR 1926.50

Carpentry, Roofing, Landscaping

Why it matters

A small crew on a house in the country can be 30 minutes from help. The first few minutes after a bad cut or fall are on you. That means a kit that is stocked and dry, and someone on the crew who is trained to use it.

The talk

A three-man crew is framing a house way out past town. One of them slips with a utility knife and opens up his forearm. The foreman runs to the truck for the first aid kit. It's under the seat, the lid is cracked, and the gauze is soaked from last month's rain. The only bandages left are the little ones for paper cuts. Nobody on the crew has taken a first aid class since high school. They wrap a shirt around it and drive. He makes it, but it shouldn't come down to luck.

OSHA's first aid rule is short. If a clinic or hospital isn't close enough in time and distance, someone with a valid first aid certificate has to be on the job. The rule doesn't put a number on it. OSHA has said that where serious injuries can happen, close enough means a few minutes away, not half an hour. First aid supplies have to be easy to reach when needed. The kit has to be in a weatherproof container with each type of item sealed, and it has to be checked before it goes out to each job and at least once a week, with used items replaced. Our emergency plan talk covers the address and who calls 911. This talk is about the kit and the person.

Here is how a small crew handles it. Know who on the crew holds a current first aid card. If nobody does, tell the foreman, because that has to change on remote jobs. Keep the kit somewhere everyone can grab it, not locked in one person's truck. Check it every week. Look for wet or torn packages, empty slots, and things that have expired. Replace what got used, right away, not next month. Keep gloves in the kit and use them, since blood can carry disease. If this job has special risks, like chainsaws, chemicals, or heat, ask whether the kit needs more than the basics. Practice using the pressure bandage before you need it.

Key points

  1. If help is far away, someone on site must have a valid first aid certificate.
  2. First aid supplies must be easy to reach when needed.
  3. The kit must be weatherproof, with sealed packages.
  4. Check the kit before each job and at least weekly.
  5. Replace used items right away.
  6. Keep gloves in the kit and use them.
  7. Know who on the crew is trained.

Do this

  • Find out who has a current first aid card.
  • Keep the kit where everyone can reach it.
  • Check the kit every week for wet, torn, or empty items.
  • Restock what you use the same day.
  • Ask if this job needs extra supplies.

Do not do this

  • Do not lock the kit in one person's truck.
  • Do not use wet or torn packages.
  • Do not wait until next month to restock.
  • Do not treat a bleeding coworker without gloves if you can help it.
  • Do not head out to a remote job with nobody trained.

Talk about it

  1. Who on this crew is first aid trained, and when does their card expire?
  2. When was our kit last checked, and what is missing?

This is a short crew briefing. It does not replace a competent person, training, or the law.

Training aid only. This talk is not legal advice. It does not replace your company's safety program, a competent person, the equipment maker's instructions, or the OSHA standard itself.

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