First Aid for First-Aid Kits
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory developed a smart first-aid storage cabinet that secures the supplies placed inside with a mechanical lock linked to an RFID reader.
By Mary Catherine O'Connor
June 1, 2008—When you're at work and need a bandage from the first-aid kit to treat a cut, the last thing you think about is reporting the item to your company. It's a common occurrence that results in a lot of understocked first-aid kits in workplaces.
"Most employers have rules about reporting injuries or using first-aid supplies, but those rules are not always followed," says Peter Lichty, occupational medical director at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy's National Laboratory for science and engineering research, managed by the University of California.
Back in the mid-1990s, the first-aid kits located throughout the lab were often pillaged, making them insufficient for supplies in an emergency. In reaction, the lab's management decided to do away with the kits altogether. The facility operates an on-site clinic, so it established a new policy: You get injured, you go to the clinic. But that left employees who often work well past office hours without access to first aid during those times.
June 1, 2008—When you're at work and need a bandage from the first-aid kit to treat a cut, the last thing you think about is reporting the item to your company. It's a common occurrence that results in a lot of understocked first-aid kits in workplaces.
"Most employers have rules about reporting injuries or using first-aid supplies, but those rules are not always followed," says Peter Lichty, occupational medical director at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy's National Laboratory for science and engineering research, managed by the University of California.
Back in the mid-1990s, the first-aid kits located throughout the lab were often pillaged, making them insufficient for supplies in an emergency. In reaction, the lab's management decided to do away with the kits altogether. The facility operates an on-site clinic, so it established a new policy: You get injured, you go to the clinic. But that left employees who often work well past office hours without access to first aid during those times.
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