Essential Parts of Any Sports First Aid Kit

Each sport is different and so the hazards players face are never the same. Your sports team first aid kit contents needs to reflect the hazards identified in your risk assessment in order to provide your team with the very best protection.

But there are some things that always find their way into a coach’s first aid kit no matter the sport. These are the sports first aid kit contents essentials.

Sterosport Sports First Aid Kit

We base our Sterosport Sports First Aid Kit contents list on the basic essentials needed for every type of sport. Our kit is designed to meet the requirements of the national governing bodies for sports in the UK meaning it contains everything you need to keep you covered and compliant with health and safety rules.

The kit is developed on the feedback and input of sports teams and leagues to ensure it is filled with provisions for real accidents and emergencies.

Adhesive Wound Dressing 

An adhesive wound dressing can be conveniently placed over a wound that is too large to be covered by a plaster. The adhesive edge of the dressing means it doesn’t need to be held in place by a bandage making wound dressing much easier.

Choose a dressing that is stretchy and flexible enough to be used on even awkward parts of the body (like joints) such as our Steropore adhesive dressings which are used throughout the NHS. We include four Steropore adhesive wound dressings that are 5cm x 7.5cm in size.

Conforming Bandage

A conforming bandage is a lightweight, stretchy bandage that can be used to wrap and hold dressings in place or provide lightweight support to areas like wrists or ankles. The bandage should be breathable and fray-resistant to help it stay in place while the person moves around.

Our Steroply conforming bandage has soft edges and is made from fray-resistant nylon/viscose material. As well as being used in the NHS it is a popular option for boxers and combat sports when wrapping hands.

Crepe Bandage

Ideal for supporting sprains and strains in sports, crepe bandage is made from ‘z’ and ‘s’ twist yarns, making it super flexible. Crepe bandage offers support to painful muscle strains but can also be used to bandage a dressed wound, creating a cushioned, padded environment.

We include two NHS-approved Sterocrepe bandage rolls in our kit that are 7.5cm x 4.5m in size and can be washed and reused.

Triangular Bandage

Triangular bandages are highly adaptable and can be used in a wide range of situations to support wounds or injuries. Use a triangle bandage to create a sling, wrap and hold a dressing in place, or secure an injured limb to a non-injured body part while the casualty is being moved or waiting to be seen by a medic.

There are two triangle bandages in our kit. They are calico-hemmed and can be washed and reused.

Clinical Waste Bag

A clinical waste bag can be used to safely dispose of body fluids and materials contaminated with body fluids. This is especially important when cleaning and dressing a wound in order to maintain a clean and safe environment.

We include one clinical waste bag in our first aid kit. Clinical waste bags can be purchased from our parent brand Steroplast Healthcare.

Elastic Adhesive Bandage

EAB is extremely versatile and used in all kinds of sports from rugby to boxing. Use EAB to tape ankles, knees, hands, wrists, and more. It provides support and compression for soft tissue injuries and can be used to reduce swelling. EAB is robust and protects players during activities.

Ours is latex-free, 100% cotton and CE marked for quality. Our Tearlite EAB can be torn by hand for quick application on the go. We include two different sizes of EAB in our kit, 2.5cm x 4.5m and 5cm x 4.5m, for use in different areas.

Eye and Wound Wash

Eye and wound wash is a sterile solution that can be used to clean out cuts and other wounds to safely dress them and minimise the chance of infection. It can also be used to perform an eyewash if something contaminates the eye. Performing an eyewash as quickly as possible mitigates the risk of serious injury.

Eye and wound wash like our Sterowash should be made from a gentle saline solution that mimics the body’s natural fluids (blood and tears), making it non-irritant when absorbed by the body. There are four 20ml Sterowash pods in our sports first aid kit.

Foil Blanket

Lightweight and compact, a foil blanket doesn’t take up much room but is known to be able to retain 90% of lost body heat. Foil blankets are a must for first aid kits for protecting a casualty from exposure and keeping them warm if they are in shock or severely injured.

There are two foil blankets in our sports first aid kit, coated on both sides with heat-reflective material and can be folded into a small, pocket-sized shape.

Freeze Spray

Freeze spray offers instant relief from muscle pain, cramp, or stiffness. The fast-acting spray can be used on the pitch or anywhere a muscle pain strikes, helping players get back to play quickly. It is non-flammable and residue-free.

We include a 150ml can of instant, CE-approved Sterofreeze Spray in our sports first aid kit.

Gauze Swab

Gauze swabs are another first aid kit must-have. They can be used in a huge number of different situations. From cleaning wounds to protecting them when applying dressings, to blotting up blood, gauze swabs are a highly useful tool.

Good gauze, like our Steroswab, is made from 8-ply cotton and won’t leave fibres in wounds helping you to properly clean them out before applying a dressing (which gauze can also be used as the primary layer for). Find 10 gauze swabs in our first aid kit.

Disposable Gloves

When you’re treating an injured person you may have to come into contact with their blood. Putting a barrier between you and the other person’s body fluids is essential to protect you from potential infection.

Before administering first aid put on a pair of disposable gloves to keep yourself protected. We include four pairs of nitrile gloves in our kit. Nitrile gloves are constructed to be puncture and graze-proof, offering you heightened protection against cuts from sharp objects that could put you at greater risk of infection.

Glucose Chews

High in sugar, glucose chews give the body a source of energy that is easily and quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. They are used by sportspeople and athletes to sustain levels of activity and perform well.

But glucose can also be used to deal with low blood sugar and hypoglycemia which can lead to confusion, drowsiness, and in serious cases coma, seizures, and even death. A pack of Lift Glucose Tablets is in our sports first aid kit.

Instant Ice Pack

When a player or sportsperson takes a knock, applying an ice pack quickly can help to bring swelling down, reduce pain, and even decrease the damage done to cells in the area. But how many sports players and athletes have access to a freezer during play? Applying ice just isn’t feasible.

An instant ice pack works by endothermic process and absorbs heat from its surroundings. With one of our Sterofreeze Instant Ice Packs, just squeeze and shake the sachet to get the cooling benefits, no ice is needed. There are two instant ice packs in our sports first aid kit.

Low Adherent Dressing

This is a versatile dressing that can be used to manage wounds with light or moderate exudate. Low adherent dressings are ideal for wounds that are sutured, minor burns, lacerations, road rash, and other cuts and grazes.

Our NHS-approved sterile Steropad dressings are double sided making them much easier to use, and are low-linting meaning they won’t stick to wounds. We include two sizes, 5cm x 5cm and 10cm x 10cm, in our kits.

Microporous Tape

For securing dressings and bandages in place, microporous tape sticks to the skin easily but isn’t painful to remove and doesn’t leave residue. Our microporous tape is hypoallergenic for sensitive skin. We include one roll in our kit.

Petroleum Jelly

Probably the most widely used product for sports first aid, petroleum jelly has many uses. It is an emollient capable of moisturising and soothing the skin. It creates a waterproof protective barrier. It provides lubrication for rubbing of chafing. Boxers apply it to their face to create a slippery surface and better deflect their opponent’s blows.

Find a 250g tin of petroleum jelly in our first aid kit.

Plasters

Small injuries and minor abrasions can be handled with a plaster which protects the open wound from bacteria and allows the athlete to get back to sports. Use waterproof plasters to retain a good protective barrier against rain, sweat, and other sources of moisture.

Sterostrip wash-proof sterile, hypoallergenic adhesive plasters are included in our sports first aid kit.

Resusciade

A resusciade provides a protective barrier between a casualty and someone performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as part of CPR. Simply drape the resusciade over the casualty’s nose and mouth and use the ear loops to hold it in place. The one-way valve lets air through while protecting both parties from potential infection.

Safety Pins

Safety pins can be used to fix bandages in place, fix slings, and hold injured limbs against the body to protect them by pinning clothes and bandages together. We include a bag of 12 safety pins in our first aid kit.

Scissors

Scissors are a necessary piece of first aid kit for cutting lengths of sports tape or bandage, as well as for cutting bandages or clothes to make them easier to remove.

Our Tuff Cut Scissors are stainless steel to keep them in good condition and are used in trauma, EMT, paramedic, and first aid situations. The rounded blades protect the casualty’s body when cutting and the scissors are strong enough to cut through a seatbelt.

Tweezers

Cuts and grazes often come with dirt, grit, or other offending materials that were pressed into the wound during a fall. Wounds must be properly cleaned before they can heal. Use a pair of tweezers to carefully extract material from a wound without hurting the casualty.

Alcohol-Free Wipes

Once all foreign material has been extracted from a wound it must be cleaned with wound wash and a sterile wipe. Choose alcohol-free wipes for wound cleaning because they are much more gentle on the skin. They do not cause a stinging sensation and do not further damage the trauma area.

Sutures

Continuing with sports after a cut is difficult if it is at risk of re-opening. Make sure cuts stay closed and help the body with the natural healing process by applying sutures that hold the wound together under a dressing.

Our sutures are made of nylon fibres that run the length of each suture and are designed for sensitive skin. In our first aid kit, we include three packs of 30 sutures which are 6mm x 75mm in length.

Dressings

Dressings can be used to protect any kind of wound from the elements, keeping it in a clean environment that minimises the chance of contamination from bacteria. Dressings allow the body to focus on healing and also protect the wound from being knocked, rubbed, or further damaged by providing padding.

It’s a good idea to include a range of dressings in your first aid kit so that you’re prepared for different kinds of injuries. In ours, we include:

• 2 eye pad dressings
• 2 finger dressings
• 2 medium-sized dressings
• 2 large dressings

Zinc Oxide Tape

Zinc Oxide(ZO) tape is a rigid adhesive tape used to provide high levels of support and immobilise joints to protect them during a range of different sports from climbing to combat. The robust cotton tape is non-stretchy and can be relied on for excellent support.

Our kit includes Sterotape Z.O tape in a 1.25cm x 10m roll with serrated edges for easy tearing on the go.

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