The Healthy You Is the Better You

Posted on: 29 April 2020

First-aid kits are a valuable item to have in your home, RV, on your boat, or even just hanging around in your vehicle. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) lifeboat first-aid kits are a good choice. Here are a few things different about these USCG-approved kits.

The kit will have a portable and lightweight design.

The USCG first-aid kit is going to be made to be portable and is not something that is going to be hard to carry or that will add a lot of heft on a lifeboat. You can expect the total kit to weigh very little, the case to have a handle for easy toting, and the exterior shell to be designed to be impact-resilient so it can be carried without concerns of damage. Likewise, the kit will be a relatively conservative size so it can be tucked away in a small space. Traditional kits are not always so lightweight and often come in little more than a light plastic case.

The kit will have items outside of the usual first-aid kit. 

You may be surprised to see some of the items in a USCG first-aid kit. These kits often include items that you would not find in an ordinary first-aid kit. Some examples include the following: 

Ammonia inhalants — Often referred to as smelling salts, ammonia inhalants are designed to be used to rouse someone if they have fainted or they are otherwise unconscious. These are chemical compounds that should be handled with care, but they can be highly effective for their purpose and useful to have around in an emergency situation.

Rubber tourniquets — Rubber tourniquets are simple bands that can be used to restrict blood flow to a wound. If you have ever had blood drawn, you likely had a rubber tourniquet wrapped around your upper arm and tied. In an emergency when someone has suffered a serious injury, these bands can be critical for preventing drastic amounts of blood loss.

Eyewash and dressing kits — You normally do not find items in a first-aid kit meant to help when someone has sustained an eye injury. Eyewash and dressing kits contain a sterile wash that can be used to clean the eye after an injury or exposure to a harmful substance. the dressing kit may contain a sterile eye pad to be placed over the eye.

Overall, the USCG-approved first-aid kit can be a valuable thing to have around whether you are out on the water, in your vehicle, or just at home. Check with an emergency supply company to find coast guard approved lifeboat first-aid kits and more.