28th July 2009, 03:56 PM
Surely the point of First Aid kits is that they should be suitable for the activity to which they are likely to be applied...in effect every archaeological project should be carrying out a risk assessment of the potential needs that a first-aid kit might have to cover.
St Johns Ambulance 'recommended' contents for first aid kits are to cover what they describe as 'low-risk' activities. I would guess that most archaeological projects are higher than 'low-risk'.
Personally I would include aspirin (to give to heart attack or stroke victims - remember the overweight machine driver, as I was told on a recent first aid course), eye bath, some kind of skin cream to relieve sunburn or wind chafe, salt tablets, charcoal tablets and one of those survival blanket things that marathon runners always have over their shoulders. I would also be happy to see condoms, tampons, sun cream, wet wipes and even Davids emergency dental equipment included in a site-related supplementary kit to the basic first aid box (dependant of course upon the location and specific project difficulties).
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...
St Johns Ambulance 'recommended' contents for first aid kits are to cover what they describe as 'low-risk' activities. I would guess that most archaeological projects are higher than 'low-risk'.
Personally I would include aspirin (to give to heart attack or stroke victims - remember the overweight machine driver, as I was told on a recent first aid course), eye bath, some kind of skin cream to relieve sunburn or wind chafe, salt tablets, charcoal tablets and one of those survival blanket things that marathon runners always have over their shoulders. I would also be happy to see condoms, tampons, sun cream, wet wipes and even Davids emergency dental equipment included in a site-related supplementary kit to the basic first aid box (dependant of course upon the location and specific project difficulties).
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...