Do you have a first aid kit in your workshop or work truck?
I have one on my workshop, although now’s a good time to replace it as some of the bandage sizes were used up and a lot of the ointments and creams have expired. Have you checked the contents of your first aid kit lately?
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I used to carry a clear-windowed zippered wallet in my backpack when taking the kids to the park, and I have grown accustomed to keeping a couple of bandaids in my wallet. Small first aid kits are convenient for tossing into a glove box, trunk, or seat pocket when travelling.
I usually prefer to piece together my own kit, but certain consumables can be hard to find, such as individually-sized antibiotic ointments and non-alcohol cleaning wipes. Bandages can vary in quality, with cheaper ones featuring weak adhesive and thin materials. This is less an issue with name-brand kits, but there’s not as much name-brand kit selection as I’d like.
Shown above is a “Contractor’s First Aid Kit” which sells for $20. This seems like a good kit for general workshop use, although I’m not familiar with the brand.
I have had good experiences with Johnson & Johnson’s first aid kits in the past, complementing them with additional small adhesive bandages. I have purchased various Johnson & Johnson first aid kits in this size and smaller sizes, and they’ve been extremely useful.
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This one is priced at $12.
These are my preferred small-size bandage types:
- Nexcare Waterproof Bandages – Buy now via Amazon
- Curad Extreme Hold Bandages – Buy Now via Amazon
One thing I will likely add to my first aid kit are quick-clot bandages.
If you want to build your own wall-mounted first aid kit, check out this metal enclosure:
Do you have a first aid kit in your workshop or truck? Is there any particular size, brand, or configuration you would recommend?
skfarmer
i guess you could say i do.. my wife and i are both emr’s and we have jump bag in each of our primary drivers. each bag has a bp cuff, stethascope and a good assortment of bandages and ointments as one would normally carry as well as tweezers, scissors, knife and glass punch.
i also have several smaller kits in tractors and trucks.
i don’t get too hung up about expiration dates on things. a clean bandage is a good bandage in an emergency and any ointment or medication is a just a bridge to get you to better care either at home or a higher level of care.
RickB
35 years as an EMT, the last 31 with a wife who work’s as and hold’s a BSN — Your comment regarding expiration dates, clean bandages and ointments is EXACTLY how we and our retired and currently working Medivac friends from Connecticut to Florida feel as well.
“First Aid kit’s are “On-Hand” medical assistance to help get you to better care”.
Ed Sichler
I have a J&J kit like the one shown in my garage. Both of my cars have small kits in the glovebox plus my car tool bag has one as well. My two outdoor sheds both have small kits as well. Over prepared for sure but small accidents happen on a regular basis, especially outdoors when playing with a 1 yr yellow lab who thinks all there is is to play with her.
Eddie the Hook
I keep band aids & a pair of tweezers in a zip lock bag in each tool box. Is this on topic or will my comment ne blocked ?
Stuart
When two people have opposing opinions, there’s a right way to disagree. Repudiating someone’s personal opinion with personal judgements and several pages of off-topic arguments and anecdotes in a single comment is not conducive to discussion.
In that post, the off-topic comment I removed was nearly 30% longer than my post and ALL of the 26 untouched comments and replies combined.
I left the moderation note in place of the removed comment to avoid having to call anyone out specifically.
Eddie the Hook
Stuart buddy, I don’t remember writing a long rambling comment or attacking someone else or their opinion. If I did, I apologize for doing it.
JoeM
Might’ve been one of mine. I tend to ramble something fierce. Sometimes people do raise a really good point and I wanna have this… really deep conversation about it, and it annoys many people when I do. Don’t assume it’s you. You’re not the only poster on the site, and many of us have real reputations for upsetting people, intentionally or not.
Scott
Yes, In my workshop and truck. Anybody know where to find bandaids / sterile stick pads that can be opened one handed or with a hand and an elbow? I’m usually in the shop by myself and it always seem to be my fingers that get cuts.
RickB
Many times while building my ’32 Ford 3W I found that using two finger’s and holding the bandage corner with my teeth helped open the package.
Max
Adventure Medical Kits sells easy open bandaid.
A W
Probably overkill, but I keep a MyMedic Solo + CAT + Israeli Compression Bandage in each vehicle and my laptop bag. At the house, I’ve got a larger kit, plus most supplies arranged in a Craftsman Versastack that makes everything easy to find.
I’ll email you a few photos.
A W
In terms of recommendations, one of my kids had a skin reaction to a cheap bandage, so I stick to Band-Aids or Curads. The Curad elbow/knee, fingertip and knuckle bandages are particularly useful.
I’ve been impressed with MyMedic, especially at Black Friday pricing, and their “Solo Advanced” kit is just about the perfect EDC kit for the size and capability.
Scott K
I’ve bought KN95 masks from them a few times. I have a handful of misc items in my cart that I’d like to add to my first aid kit. I’d also like to learn how to properly apply a tourniquet to keep in my school bag.
A W
There are some good YouTube videos on how to apply a tourniquet. MyMedic recommends the Rapid Application Tourniquet because it’s small and versatile (will work on small children and pets). Personally, I prefer the Combat Application Tourniquet from a simplicity and ease of use perspective. I would get one, watch a few videos and then practice with it until you’re comfortable using it in an emergency.
I also really like the Israeli Compression Bandage in case of severe bleeding to the head or torso, or extremities where the bleeding can be staunched with ~ 30 lbs of continuous pressure.
Scott K
I appreciate the suggestion. Israeli bandages are pretty cool- I’ve noticed that they typically have an expiration date. Do you know if that refers to their elasticity or what they’re treated with?
A W
The date is usually about 5-7 years out, similar to a child car seat. If I had to guess, I would say it’s probably to guarantee that the plastic compression applicator isn’t too brittle, which is the same logic for car seats (the manufacturer cannot guarantee performance under stress with old plastic).
Dt
Mainly, the expiration date is for the sterilization.
Chrisk1970
Wood shop huge. Work car (cruiser) small kit. Remember your ABC’s…ambulance before cruiser….hahahahahahahahah
Ron
I definitely have first aid kit in my shop and in my truck with me at all times. I just bought a new first aid kit and it is fantastic they come in three different sizes.
I ordered all three of them.
https://www.paramedicapproved.com/
Jesse
I have a large kit in my truck, a large kit in my shop, and a functional kit in my car. Quick clot is the one thing I add to all the kits. Gauze and powder.
Jesse
Sorry – fat fingered it – the powder is built into the gauze.
Zack
I did not even read the other comments but a smart person would make sure there were first aid kits anywhere there might be dangerous equipment, chemicals, or anything that could pose a potential hazard. It’s not uncommon for people to have a great many dangers in their home and not a single first aid kit inside. It kind of speaks to one’s intellect. Just sayn’.
Zak
Most of the folks that do not have a first aid kit in such places almost always lack foresight and are rarely proactive. Not all but most.
JoeM
I “kinda” agree? It’s very smart to keep first aid as close to as many dangerous places as possible… but then there’s people like me. Where they need it to be even closer than that. My own kit stays only a few feet behind me, and if I go somewhere I may need my tools, it comes with me, and gets clipped to me. Effectively letting me treat myself and others as needed.
I did First Aid in Scouting, got through a ton of classes, and chose to stop 2 courses short of Military-Level Field Medic, here in Canada. Had I continued, it would have involved needles, injections, and pharmaceuticals… and I really didn’t want to go there. I find it easier to just make a bandage out of Gauze and Tape, as needed. And to Splint and Tie with things on the spot. I’d rather not buy the extra equipment, with the number of small wounds I treat regularly. I also prefer to resupply from the Red Cross online store, where buying this stuff in bulk is so much cheaper and easier. Resupplies from the actual agencies that certify first aid and EMT operations makes carrying extra pre-assembled and pre-formatted bandaging pretty obsolete.
But, yeah, keeping first aid as close to where it’s needed most often is a high priority. And if you know you, personally, are the problem, then keeping it as close to yourself is the ideal goal. It is silly to think otherwise. Safety is safety for a reason.
Eric
I’ve been working with tools and playing in the junk and steel my whole life and have never been one to ever keep a first aid kit around, I mean really the way I look at it is what is mostly in a first aid kit is for minor injuries and if it’s a small injury what’s the point of going to the first aid kit but if it’s a big injury then nothing in that first aid kit is going to help you anyway
JoeM
No, that just means your particular First Aid Kit is poorly assembled. I don’t keep Band-Aids or Small-Wound pre-fabricated bandages of any sort in my kit. Whether it be a large wound, or a small wound, I have the equipment for both, including ways to flush and disinfect a wound for safety.
Don’t underestimate the need for barriers to infection. A wound might not bleed, but if it’s open and you get a bacterial infection, it’s deadly.
Dave P
In every truck, along w tourniquets, which we practice using at our quarterly safety meetings. At those meetings we resupply each kit. Normally the most-needed item is white athletic tape because many of the guys wrap their fingertips rather than wear gloves when handling rough materials.
None of the cheapie kits have tourniquets or large enough bandages in them. I don’t really care if we run out of band aids, but I’m a stickler for having big bandages/dressings and tourniquets in every vehicle. No one ever bled to death because of a shortage of band aids…..it’s the stuff those little kits lack that is important.
Jeremiah Ducate
As mentioned whatever kit you have adding protection for major trauma.
Tourniquet/s, large quick clot pads, large dressings or even feminine hygiene pads( I first heard this in emt class). Think about the most traumatic injuries which require asap emergency treatment and how to keep someone alive until then. Many first aid kits neglect these items.
I really like athletic support tape over most first aid tape. It sticks better longer and is more flexible. Another addition is a bottle of sterile or very clean water(climate permitting)
Not quite first aid, I recently found that suture staplers are surprisingly affordable and now know of one source.
SteveS
I keep a fairly comprehensive first aid / general wellness bag in the car and a much smaller one in my hiking sling. The car kit proved useful for preliminary treatment of a friend’s burn while we were en route to the nearest ER which was across a state line and half an hour away. For less serious incidents, having pain reliever, topical antibiotic, cortisone, OTC upset digestion meds and the like on hand can mean the difference between being miserable and having a good time.
I too prefer to put together my own kits, but the inexpensive ones are good starting points, come with convenient small cases or bags to organize supplies, and can be supplemented / upgraded easily.
Addison
Yes, Trucks, car, job site trailer, shooting bag, and hiking bag. Don’t forget the tourniquets.
Koko The Talking Ape
Fine Woodworking has an excellent article specifically for woodworkers, written by an ER doc and woodworker. He likes soap and water, Tegaderm, Coban tape, cyanoacrylate glue (superglue) and interestingly, latex exam gloves (you put them on over a cut finger, and use tape to apply pressure until the bleeding stops. That lets you keep working.)
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2010/10/28/cutting-edge-first-aid
There’s a pay wall, but if people are interested, I can try some workarounds.
Also, since I work alone, I’ve been trying to arrange things so I can do all the first aid one-handed for when the other hand is bleeding. Not easy. Maybe they should work on that!
I haven’t tried this, but there are clotting agents that might be handy. Here’s one in sponge form.
https://kk.org/cooltools/quikclot/
Koko The Talking Ape
And basically, I’ve stopped using regular band-aids. There are all sorts of bandages out there that work better.
But if you’re working on somebody else’s cut, then you don’t use any kind of bandage. First you clean the cut with soap and lots of (clean) running water, or povidone iodine (Betadine) if that’s not available. Then use steri-strips across the cut to pull it closed. If it’s a long cut, space out the strips to let air get to it. Apply a little tincture of benzoin if there’s a lot of blood to help the steri-strips stick. Then cover with gauze and tape to protect the wound from random shmee and to absorb any blood oozing out. Nonstick pads are good.
I welcome any corrections!
Fyrfytr998
I have a kit for the house, but it would make sense to keep an IFAK in the garage since stopping a bleed could mean the difference between remaining conscious and passing out.
Bruce
I have a first aid kit in my Scout/Backpacking/Hiking supplies that’s fairly light, it started as a kit from Campmor and I’ve kept it up to date over the decades, replacing bandages as used and upgrading to a larger tube of antibiotic cream. It’s got some other misc items in it, like iodine tablets for water treatment.
For each work truck in my company I stock an ANSI Z 2308 1-2015 Type IV Class A kit. Class A kits have enough material in them to keep the truck ready for all first aid needs for a year. I like these because you can buy restock kits and just swap out the supplies every year. It’s standard and it’s comprehensive enough to get your through minor scrapes or at least bandaged up enough so you can proceed to the emergency room. Shop spaces get the same thing but just a Type I kit because we mount them where they won’t be damaged.
Mac
Truck/car, shop, master bedroom closet and in my go bag.
I prefer to make my own. I really like Pelican cases… especially the small ones…and recently been trying out the Harbor Freight editions…so far the small ones are junk.
Training… everyone should take a CPR class every couple of years and I have collapsible airway masks on my keychains and kits. You can buy packs of them for about a buck each.
Israeli tourniquets are also a must carry… especially if operating saws…chainsaws…and with all the damn shootings going on…
-Mac
Peter Fox
Definitely agree with the build it yourself group.
Most pre assembled kits are over priced and significantly lacking in resources for anything more than minor cuts and scrapes. For a workshop or automotive kit you should really have a wide range from basic band-aids all the way up to pressure bandages, packing gauze and proper tourniquets.
Either a official “Stop the Bleed” kit ( https://www.amazon.com/CURAPLEX-Stop-Bleed-Basic-KIT/dp/B076CS19W7 ) or a reputable equivalent ( https://www.amazon.com/Recon-Medical-Tourniquet-Compressed-Emergency/dp/B077TYVS6T ) are good starting points to build a more complete first aid kit around. Be careful however of inexpensive knockoff as they have have a high chance of failing or breaking when actually needed.
In addition you should strongly consider basic first aid, CPR and “Stop the Bleed” training courses. Additionally there are several good channels on YouTube that provide good videos on the subject. They are not a replacement to training but help considerably.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhScPcuVSTlxwpsq1H_KKw
https://www.youtube.com/user/SkinnyMedic/videos
In particular this video although heavily focused on the CCW and firearms community covers the heavier stuff quite thoroughly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF5GhoYKK3g.
These are some of the kits that I have put together and have strategically placed at home, in my car and at work. https://photos.app.goo.gl/aXPqdJf65zH5UQXu5
Tator
I have 3 fully stocked packout first aid kits in the work van, work truck and the shop/ house. The shop kit is mounted to the wall with a packout mounting plate and has many extra goodies including a list of contacts and phone numbers in case of an emergency. I chose the packout containers because my vehicles already have full packout storage and water tight seals. I ordered some green first aid stickers from Amazon to contrast and label the red containers.
Sky
I’m not a person who actively practices over-the-top safety. This is a great topic that I’d be more interested in learning about. Which first aid kit should I buy and what kind of injuries will they support and not support. Just two days ago I was polishing some stainless steel and an edge slices the tip of my finger off pretty decent. Of course there was no first aid or bandages in my van or on the job. I’d be interested in learning about some extensive kits for acids, burns, cuts, crushes, etc. Thanks for looking out!
MoogleMan3
I have one in the house and a simple one if the workshop. I used compact packouts for mine. Simple and sturdy. Just bandaids, alcohol and a few other things.
dave
I have a three kits at the house.
The first major trama, a couple different celox for gunshot or chain saw accidents, multiple different water jel for severe burns, pvp ointment (iodine) and enough gauze wraps and pads to stop blood, stay alive until help arrives or we get to the hospital and pack wounds and sanitize horrible.
The next more cleaning, sanitizing gauze and wipes and wraps and largish bandages. I have boxes of individual use packages (antibiotics, small sanitizer). If fills the common stuff in the trama or bandaid pack / box and supports trama.
The third an assortment of bandaids, packaged alcohol wipes, sanitizer and antibiotic.
Branden H
I carry an ITS Tactical Trauma kit on my EDC bag and have stocked it up with a few extra first aid essentials. I try to keep that bag within a few minutes or less of my person at all times.
Mike K
I don’t keep them in the car anymore. The heat here in AZ will destroy so much of that stuff by the time you use it. I’ve got various kits in every bag that are all custom built for their area of us. Kit in my shooting bag doesn’t need a million bandaids, but the kit in my daily carry bag with 2 young boys gets extra bandaids. Our off-roading/go box/survive for a few days box has the big kit with all the stuff the ER nurse girlfriend wants.
With Amazon now we just order what we want and put together kits. Seems like most pre-built kits aren’t that great either with the quality or the amount of what you really need.
Wayne R.
I put together a medium sized field kit with my work tools for the usual skin injuries. A dog fight at the dog park inspired me to assemble additional dog/person kits for each car and a bigger one in the house.
The content jumble in workplace kits, with a million little packets/tubes/bandaids/pills never sat well with me, and really sort of modeled my first aid kits like a tool kit, usable stuff, identifiable contents, easy to get what you need.
Have since made similar kits for family members with growing families.
Just about every time I use these kits I remember the old days of just using electrical tape for gashes until we could get back to civilization and clean up. Never had a problem…
Bhozar
I have a kit in the garage topped up with large packs of burn gel and small eye washes. Stored next to two 500ml eye wash bottles.
I keep thinking it would be worth going on the work first aid course, but as no-one has been in the office for the last year none are being run. Don’t know how involved they are for an office-based company either.
Wayne R.
The local Community College has EMT certification courses. When the USA was experiencing a lot of mass shootings, and a lot of guns were being bought up and ammo shortages were sustained, it seemed to me that lucid prepping should be more focused on EMT training than being armed to the teeth.
At the time I wasn’t able to pursue that training, but it should be coming back. Along with, unfortunately, more mass shootings?
First aid is good and necessary, but these days trauma/wound care should get more attention than it does.
JR3 Home Performance
I use a $40 osha approved kit from amazon. I have the same kit in all my vehicles and the house for standardization. Most of them have been used even if just for minor purposes
Jay
In the shop I usually get by with a paper towel and duct tape until I can get to the medicine cabinet.
(My dog got in a fight once and we patched him up with a maxi-pad and duct tape to get him to the vet.)
Robin
I have a first aid kit in my garage that I walk past every time to go into the kitchen to get a band aid.
I need to be more observant about my first aid kit.
Craig Wiener
You should check out
http://www.mymedic.com for amazing first aid kits.
KevinB
I got one in my house. I broke down another one and made 10 of those altoid kits , have them in cars, backpacks, toolbag, tacklebox, etc
Joe H
My go bag I take in every vehicle has a small first aid kit but covers the most common stuff and I keep an Israeli bandage in there. The first aid kit that stays in the truck is probably a couple steps down from an EMT’s bag. The Israeli bandage/shears combo is probably the most important combo as that might keep me alive if a saw fell on my leg.
Frank
I keep a couple of different IFAKS in my truck.
For quick access I keep a County Comm Grab and Go IFAK
https://countycomm.com/collections/edc-kits/products/grab-go-first-aid-kit
with a couple of extras.
For major wounds I keep these in the back of my truck:
https://www.amazon.com/Be-Smart-Get-Prepared-73-Piece/dp/B01N9163PO
https://www.amazon.com/Be-Smart-Get-Prepared-270-Piece/dp/B01MRJ1FTI
I’ve added a couple of Israeli bandages, some extra Celox, a couple of chest seals, tourniquets, nasopharyngeal airways, collapsible splint.
Chris I
Nope. I don’t make mistakes.
Sean
Sterile eyewash bottles are in every work truck.
Wayne R.
The lifespan of those bottles is frustratingly short.
Hon Cho
Carry a small kit on the bike along with a mylar space blanket and a tourniquet, Had the kit minus the space blanket on a ride where a riding partner was involved in a freakish low speed crash where the blanket would have been very useful until the ambulance arrived.
Have an AED in the house from when I was taking care of parents. Don’t know if I’ll spring for the expensive replacement battery when the current one times out since it’s mostly just me in the house and I don’t think I’d be able to use it on myself. That points to a general problem with first aid supplies no matter where they are located–folks need to know where they are and how to best use them.
Robert Ziemba
I do carry one, but not a store purchase ready made kit. I prefer to assemble my own, just because I get to choose the variety and quantity of bandages that I want in it. I bought this organizer tray set that fits into a surplus ammunition can, and it lets me sort and store things a little bit better.
https://www.amazon.com/MTM-Ammo-Can-Organizer-Black/dp/B0074024OO
I used to have a clear plastic kit, but I found that once you started using things, the pieces started to slide around and get real jumbled. I work in construction, and there’s a fair number of cuts and stuff on my job so I can come in the Gang Box rarely comes with a stocked medical kit.
MFC
Put a razor in you kit if you don’t have one.
Just butterfly taped a 3″ gash across the back of a friend’s calf. On the ambulance we used the razor to make sure adhesive would stay put. Remember, we are hairy across a large portion of our bodies and tape “don’t want none uh dat”.
Joe H
I remember hearing a story an EMT told about how they responded to a guy who had the hairiest chest they ever saw and the wife of the patient had to go fetch her razor so they could apply tape to his chest. Ever since then both EMTs made sure to carry a razor with them.
Paul
Does a roll of electrical tape count?
John N.
Seriously, it’s better than nothing. For smaller cuts you can use CA glues even if not medical-grade.
DRT
Yup, I have also used CA and it worked fairly well. More recently though, I have moved to “liquid bandage” which you can get at any drugstore. Works great on small, sharp cuts as long as you aren’t bleeding. It doesn’t stick to wet blood.
John N.
Tourniquets that can be deployed rapidly and one-handed are under-rated, in my opinion. I severed the radial artery while working alone (in my right arm, of course, so I had to take care of the injury with my off-side hand…). I improvised until EMTs arrived things would have been a whole lot easier if I’d had a tourniquet available.
I now have a dozen or so scattered around the various first aid kits that are everywhere from shop to vehicle, including one that I use for periodic practicing.
There aren’t too many injuries that require a tourniquet, but when life throws one of those your way there is often nothing that’s even close. Improvised tourniquets are better than nothing, but often not much and usually a whole lot slower to deploy.
FWIW – I do not get exercised about Chinese imports for many things, but I’d make sure I was getting the real US-made deal when buying these.
Philip Proctor
I use homemade kits that I keep in red Klein canvas zipper bags.
Bob
Good topic. Got me thinking about eye wash stations and finaly organizing the mess in the “medicine cabinet” where a disorganized pile of first aid supplies live in the house.
Also reminds me I need a few Israeli bandages for the vehicle kits. I like the RATS and CAT tourniquets. Worth the few extra bucks vs the knock offs.
Mac
My first aid kits include tweezers, electrical tape, alcohol, and super glue. Well versed in quick patch jobs, but definitely not anyone elses medic. Can’t always find the tweezers and have been known to tape needle nose pliers in a pinch. Generally have some baking soda on hand too although it’s use cases are less common.
Max
Vehicles and camping/hiking/hunting/range bags have full sized kits including tourniquets and Israeli bandages. I have a few boo-boo kits around the house.
Adventure Medical Kits have great full size kits that need limited additions. I like the Sportsman line.
Dark Angel Medical for anything that involves firearms.
Chris
James Hamilton (aka Stumpy Nubs) did a really good (youtube) video about first aid kits for shops a couple months ago. He covered everything from which basics to include (and to *not* include), along with to how to prepare for the most severe shop-specific injuries like “just cut off a finger” that you won’t find support for in any standard kit.
Chance Cook
I think adding quick-clot bandages to first aid kits is a great idea. You never know when someone will get hurt. You also don’t know how severe it will be so clotting it as quickly as possible is a great idea.