Running your business comes with a long list of responsibilities, and one key aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked is ensuring the safety and wellbeing of your employees and customers. First aid kits play an important role in promptly addressing injuries or medical emergencies in your workplace. However, as a busy business owner or manager juggling multiple tasks, managing your own first aid kits and ensuring compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements can be time consuming and challenging. This is where using a first aid supply provider can be beneficial. Let’s explore the advantages of outsourcing first aid kits and supplies management.

Inventory Management
On top of your lengthy to-do list, do you have time to continuously check your first aid cabinets to see if you have enough bandages or burn treatment? Can you find time to make sure the items in your cabinet are organized and easily accessible on a regular basis? As a professional first aid rental supplier, this service is part of weekly visits from Vestis. If you’re running low on antiseptic, we’ll replenish accordingly. This consistent level of inventory maintenance means your employees have access to the products available when they need them.

Workplace Compliance
Maintaining compliance with OSHA regulations is critical. OSHA requirements for first aid kits state that every business must have first aid supplies readily available, specifically:

• 1910.151(a) – The employer shall ensure the ready availability of medical personnel for advice and consultation on matters of plant health.
• 1910.151(b) – In the absence of an infirmary, clinic or hospital in near proximity to the workplace which is used for the treatment of all injured employees, a person or persons shall be adequately trained to render first aid. Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available.

Also, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) Minimum Requirements for Workplace First Aid Kits and Supplies (ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021) establishes minimum performance standards and requirements for first aid kits and their supplies. We offer two types of Class A kits, one with over-the-counter medications and one without. Both options meet OSHA requirements and ANSI recommendations.

By outsourcing your first aid kits and supplies management, a trained professional will inspect and monitor your cabinets. This helps you create a safer work environment for your employees.

Employee Productivity and Satisfaction
Not only are there OSHA requirements, but your employees also rely on those first aid supplies. Having items readily available can allow employees to continue shifts if accidents occur. In fact, 58% of employees we surveyed say using supplies from the first aid kit has allowed them to finish their work shift¹. If your kits aren’t continuously monitored, your employees may find missing or expired products, which could affect their productivity. And did you know that employees appreciate when their employer has invested in workplace safety? According to a recent study, 85% of employees we surveyed say they feel valued when their employer provides a first aid kit².

Cost and Time Savings
Outsourcing your first aid supply management may result in cost savings. By partnering with a reputable first aid rental supplier, you don’t need to purchase and maintain your own first aid cabinets or supplies for your business. For example, our flat, weekly rate service includes:

• Inspecting your first aid cabinets for items that are running low or expiring
• Replenishing products that are running low or expiring soon
• Recording each visit to log the inspection and service

This can help you streamline your expenses, allowing you to focus on core operations and growth. And you won’t have to make unexpected trips to the big-box store to buy supplies to refill a self-managed cabinet. In fact, in a recent survey, people who manage their own first aid supplies said they could use that time focusing on other business activities (see chart below).

Delivering Peace of Mind
Outsourcing first aid kits for your business can offer numerous benefits: from cost savings and compliance to inventory monitoring and employee productivity.

Contact us today to learn how our first aid service and supplies can help you streamline operations and provide a safer workplace for your team.

^1,2 Survey conducted by Big Village, funded by Vestis, 2022. Based on qualified respondents who work outside the home in a place of business.