FACT SHEET
First Aid Kits — Essential for 4WD's
St John Ambulance recommends 4wheel drivers learn first aid and maintain a well-stocked first aid kit — to help treat people with injuries and save lives in emergencies.
A first aid kit should provide useful sterile materials to treat minor injuries, such as abrasions and cuts. In addition, it should contain materials for major trauma injuries including severe bleeding.
St John kits also contain a resuscitation chart for emergencies such as drowning, heart attack, and electrocution. St John kits contain a first aid guide to assist the first aider in any number of first aid situations. This is important to serve as a reminder to people who have learnt first aid and to inform those who haven't what to do.
A Few Key Tips:
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Learn first aid. First aid is a practical skill; a person's ability to render first aid is aided hugely by learning first aid from a trained first aider.
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Never use cotton wool as a first aid material, the cotton fibres can cause complications in wound healing.
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Never put a lotion on a burn, correct first aid treatment for burns is to run the injured part under cold running water for 10 minutes (and seek medical aid if the burn is larger than a 20 cent piece).
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Keep a first aid manual and resuscitation chart in your first aid kit — even as a trained first aider, it can be difficult to think clearly in an emergency. A manual and chart can act as a life saving reminder and prompt.
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Ensure your kit has large universal dressings and pads for severe bleeding.
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Keep the kit in a location where it is accessible.
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If your first aid kit is accessible to children ensure you keep your medications in a location out of reach of children.
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When you use items from your first aid kit replace them.
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Make sure you have a copy of the poisons information centre number in your kit. The number is 131126 (Australia wide).
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Ensure your kit is dust proof and easy to identify.
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Dispose of materials that have passed their use by date.
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Remember that accidents can happen any where, any time, any place — keep a kit at home and in the car.
For More Information:
Call Customer Service on 1300 360 455
