Do you have a first aid kit?

Last night while I was washing the dishes I cut my finger. I have no idea what I cut it on but it immediately started to bleed. No problem, I was able to clean the cut and apply a Band-Aid and yes I drained the water and rewashed the dishes. I keep a small first aid kit at home and have it stocked with bandages, gauze, tape etc. For years I never felt that I needed a first aid kit and until we adopted our children and had a home study I had never kept a kit in the house. I am pretty active and I am usually bumping into something so the kit has been used often. If you don't have a first aid kit, please get one. Today, if you can. It could save a life. Plus, they're not expensive and, if you do it yourself, they're easy to put together. These days, though, you can buy ready-made kits. Drugstores and online retailers sell them but you can also buy them from your local American Red Cross Chapter or the Red Cross Store online, costing from around $15 to $50. The Red Cross also provides guidance on what you should have in a good first aid kit. Here's their list:

2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches) 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes) 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch) 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram) 5 antiseptic wipe packets 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each) 1 blanket (space blanket) 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve) 1 instant cold compress 2 pair of non-latex gloves (size: large) 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each) Scissors 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide) 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide) 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches) 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches) Oral thermometer (non-mercury/non-glass) 2 triangular bandages Tweezers First aid instruction booklet www.redcross.org

In a business, you will need something more substantial, depending on the number of employees and type of work being done. There may also be legal requirements at both national and state level. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (osha.gov) will be able to guide you.