How to check a team first-aid kit in five minutes.
A kit that was complete in September is rarely complete in November. Plasters get used, a cold pack goes missing, and tape gets old. A short, regular check fixes that. Here is how often, and how.
How often to check
St John Ambulance recommends checking a first-aid kit every six months, and more often if it is kept in a vehicle or somewhere warm. The UK Health and Safety Executive simply says to check your kit regularly.
A team kit is not a kit on an office wall. It travels, gets opened every week and lives in car boots. So we suggest:
- A full check at the start of each season.
- A quick check every month in season (Benchkit's default reminder is every 30 days).
- A look after any big incident, when a lot was used at once.
- A check before a tournament or away trip.
The 5-minute check, step by step
- Lay it out. Empty the kit by group: wound care, tape, cold, emergency, tools, hygiene.
- Count against the list. Use the contents list in the lid. Note anything below the target number.
- Check dates. Look for the egg-timer symbol on sterile items, saline, wipes, gloves and cold packs. Note anything that runs out before the next check.
- Check packaging. Torn or wet sterile packs go, even if the date is fine.
- Test the tools. Scissors cut, tweezers close, the torch works.
- Check the emergency card. Is the venue address right? Is the nearest defibrillator still where the card says?
- Write the refill list and the date. Buy what's missing, and note when the next check is due.
Season-start checklist
Once a year, do a bit more. This is the season-start list from Benchkit:
- Do a full kit check of every kit
- Replace everything that expires during the season
- Update the emergency card (venue, AED, emergency department)
- Find the nearest AED and check you can get to it during training hours
- Agree who brings the kit to each session and match
- Remind parents: players bring their own prescribed medicine (inhaler, auto-injector)
- Print a fresh contents list for the lid
- Subscribe to the calendar feed for reminders
Keep a simple check log
Write down the date, who checked, and what was replaced. A log helps the next person, and it shows your club that the kit is looked after. Keep it about items, not people: there is no need to record who was hurt.
| Date | Checked by | Replaced or missing | Next check |
|---|---|---|---|
Print this page for a paper log. The menus and links are hidden when you print.
Tick through the kit on your phone
Benchkit's kit-check mode walks you through every item: count, enter a date, done. Missing and expiring items land on the refill list, and the next check goes in your calendar. Free for teams.
Set up your kit, freeQuestions
How often should a first-aid kit be checked?
St John Ambulance recommends every six months, and more often if the kit is kept somewhere warm such as a car. For a team kit used every week, a quick monthly check in season plus a full check at season start is sensible.
Who should check the team first-aid kit?
Agree one named person per kit, usually a coach, team manager or the club's first-aider. Write their name and the check date on the log.
What should I write down when I check a first-aid kit?
The date, who checked, what was missing or replaced, and the date of the next check. There is no need to record anything about injured people.
How long does a kit check take?
About five minutes for a team kit if you have a contents list to check against.
Sources
First-aid information, not medical advice. Kit lists are guidance: what you carry should match the training of the people using it. A first-aid course (for example from St John Ambulance or the Red Cross in your country) is the best preparation. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.