We all have five minutes.
Five minutes to make a cup of tea, water the plants, feed the dog, scroll your phone… Or discover that the antiseptic in your first aid kit expired… sometime around 2017? Yikes… Can I even use that?
This World First Aid Day, St John Ambulance Australia is encouraging everyone to spend just five minutes checking their first aid kit, because being prepared isn’t just about having a kit. It’s about making sure it’s ready when you need it, so that you are not using long expired saline hoping it won’t agitate your already red and swollen eye further.
So, when was the last time you checked yours?
First aid kits have a habit of becoming the cupboard equivalent of a junk drawer. They get shoved up the back, will have a few missing adhesive strips here, a semi-opened antiseptic there, and some old gauze you’re not quite sure about whether it even came with that first aid kit? Suddenly the kit you thought was ready for an emergency isn’t quite so ready after all.
This isn’t any judgement. We’ve all been there. Think of this encouragement as a spring clean of sorts.
Take five minutes to check
- Adhesive strips and dressings: are they still in good condition and within their expiry dates?
- Antiseptic and other products: have they expired?
- Gloves: are they still packaged and usable?
- Saline: is it in date and unopened?
- The whole kit: is anything missing, damaged or running low?
If something is expired*, damaged, or missing, replace it. Five minutes, and a quick trip to the St John online shop now, could save you precious time later.
So, how prepared are we?
It turns out, first aid kits are already pretty common in Australian homes, cars and workplaces with almost eight in ten (78%) Australians having access to a first aid kit.
- At home, two in three (65%) Australians reported having one around
- Another 36% of people will have one in their car
- while only 28% reported having access to one at work
So, if you’re thinking, “I’m pretty sure we have a first aid kit somewhere…” there’s a good chance you’re right.
There’s a bit of a generational difference too, with Millennials (83%) and Baby Boomers (80%) more likely than Gen Z (70%) to have access to a first aid kit.
But having one is only half the job. The real question is: what’s actually inside?
Five minutes today. A better prepared tomorrow.
Your first aid kit is one small part of being prepared, but it’s an easy and fantastic place to start!
This World First Aid Day, set a five-minute timer. Check your kit. Replace what’s expired. Restock what’s missing.
And while you’re at it, ask yourself one more question – When was the last time I refreshed my first aid skills? Because having the equipment is important and knowing what to do when it comes time to use that equipment, well, that’s super important.
