An electrical first aid kit is an essential safety measure in any workplace that deals with electricity. A good kit – like the one NECA provides – contains a standard range of equipment and materials that are designed to provide immediate treatment to individuals who have been injured as a result of an electrical incident.
 
Note that these are not normal first aid kits, and that’s why you should acquire one from a specialised provider like NECA. Electrical first aid kits are specifically designed to help individuals deal with the unique risks and hazards that come with working with electricity, and this means they have specialised items in them.
 
What’s in an electrical first aid kit?

Electrical first aid kits will include everything needed to safely respond to an electrical incident, both for the victim and the person administrating the first aid. NECA’s kit, for example, includes:
 
Insulated Gloves: Insulated gloves are a critical part of an electrical first aid kit. The gloves should be made from good insulating materials that does not conduct electricity and is designed to prevent the flow of electric current through the body of the person administering first aid.
 
Insulated Boots: Insulated boots are as important as the gloves because the chances are that in an electrical incident there will be live wires or the risk of a current travelling through the ground.
 
Rescue Hook: Often in electrical incidents, it will simply be unsafe to approach the victim. In these circumstances, a rescue hook can be used. It is, simply, a long pole with a hook on the end that is used to pull a person away from an electrical hazard without making direct contact with them. The hook needs to be made from a non-conductive material and the pole needs to be of high quality to bear the weight of a person.
 
Insulating Blanket: An insulating blanket is used to wrap around a person who has been injured as a result of an electrical incident. The blanket is made from insulating materials and can reduce the immediate risk of further shocks.
 
Scissors: Scissors are used to cut clothing away from the person who has been injured to provide access to the injured area. But not just any scissors. These need to be specialised so that they’re not conductive, and where most scissors have metal, these one cannot.
 
Sterile Dressings: Sterile dressings are a common feature of many first aid kits but are essential here. They will be used to cover any wounds or burns sustained as a result of an electrical incident. These dressings should be sterile to prevent infection.
 
Saline Solution: Saline solution is used to clean any wounds or burns sustained as a result of an electrical incident. It should be used to flush the wound or burn and remove any debris or foreign objects. In electrical incidents, it is quite common for dust, dirt, and other elements to make their way into a wound, so this element of a first aid kit is critical.
 
First Aid Manual: A first aid manual should be included in an electrical first aid kit. This manual should provide information on how to administer first aid for various types of injuries and incidents, and, specifically, how to handle injuries from electrical incidents. These need to be handled differently, so a standard first aid manual isn’t as useful as a more general one.
 
Why it’s important to source an electrical first aid kit from the right source?

You can’t cut corners with the electrical first aid kit. If any of the equipment is defective, the health and safety of everyone on the site is at risk. This is why you should only source your equipment from proven specialists in safety, and you should regularly check to ensure that the items in the first aid kit are free from defects and damage.

 

Talk to the team at NECA if you have any concerns! With many years of experience in following best practices with health and safety on high-risk sites, we can help make sure your first aid strategy and kit is ready to cover any situation.