Ensuring Your First Aid Kit Is Well-Stocked and Up-to-Date

Used items should be replaced immediately to ensure your kit is always ready for emergencies. Additionally, some items in your first aid kit may have expiry dates. Expired products should be disposed of and replaced, as they may lose effectiveness or degrade, potentially becoming unsafe.

We recommend regularly checking expiry dates on your first aid supplies, recording these dates, and setting reminders in your calendar. To simplify this process, download our checklist for tracking.

All St John Ambulance-branded kits come with a minimum shelf life of one year. The expiry date on the label indicates the earliest expiry date of any item in the kit

It’s crucial to maintain a well-stocked first aid kit tailored to the needs of your school.

• Plasters: Over time, plasters can lose their adhesiveness. If sterile, the wound pad may also lose sterility;

• Bandages: Expired bandages may deteriorate and lose sterility;

• Wipes: Sterile cleansing wipes may dry out or lose their sterility after expiry; and

• Gloves: Expired gloves may lose their protective properties, reducing their effectiveness against exposure to pathogens.

Handling Expired or Unused Medication

Unused or expired medication will be returned to parents directly or via the pupil’s transport provider or passenger assistant, with the action recorded accordingly. Contaminated medication, such as items dropped on the floor or dispensed but not administered, will be disposed of in designated waste bins:

• Pharmaceutical waste bins: For dry medications like tablets, capsules, and powders.

• Clinical waste bins: For liquids or medications that were unused or contaminated

These disposals should also be documented for accuracy and compliance.

To track your products effectively, familiarize yourself with the information on product labels. Labels typically included:

• Product Code (REF): A unique identifier for searching online or referencing when replacing items.

• Revision (Rev) Date: The month and year when the product artwork was last updated.

• LOT Number: Identifies the batch your product belongs to, which is important in case of recalls or safety updates.

• Expiry Date: Often marked with an egg timer symbol, indicating the month and year the product expires.

What If There’s No Expiry Date?

Not all products have expiry dates. Sterile items typically do, but if a sterile product lacks an expiry date, consult the manufacturer for guidance. For non-sterile items without an expiry date, assess whether they remain suitable for use based on their condition.

Restocking and Expiry Management

Expiry Information for Common Items

Checking Product Expiry Dates

Handsam Tasks

There is a Handsam 6-monthly task for checking first aid kits. The task wording is:

6-monthly: Check contents of first aid boxes and check list is in the box (determine necessary contents by risk assessment. See paragraph 13 table 2 of the HSE First Aid at Work guidance).

This table is reproduced below: