ArborTimes Winter 2023

There’s no getting around OSHA regulations. Employers must have a first aid kit equipped with the mandated supplies.

However, mandated items cannot be re- placed with better alternatives and still meet the minimum standard, but they can be added. “You can make things more stringent than OSHA, you just can’t make them more lax,” Ball says. Both

experts recommend not add things ran- domly. Instead, add them based on the rate of incident, workforce and training. RATE OF INCIDENT The most common non-fatal injuries are lacerations, sprains and fractures. In terms of first aid supplies, the kit needs tourniquets and splints. How many de- pends on how many on the team are realistically at risk for those injuries. In other words, it’s a judgment call. Stice recommends following the motto of re- dundancy: “Two is one and one is none.”

3. ADD EXTRA SUPPLIES The OSHA regulation mandating first aid supplies represents the minimum standard, but it doesn’t always jive with real-world needs. “With a basic first aid kit you could manage, but it will be diffi- cult with the bare minimum, especially when you’re under duress,” Stice says. He explains, “You could use materials on the OSHA list, such as a pressure dressing for a wound that doesn’t re- quire pressure to control bleeding, but you’re better off using a pressure dress- ing when you need a pressure dressing.”

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