The UK’s most dangerous industries finally have a first-aid solution that can meet their every need and more. That’s all thanks to the Hybrid Trauma Kit from Aero Healthcare. Those working in construction, arboriculture, farming, offshore and other high-risk sectors can benefit from a lightweight, compact first aid kit that is practically indestructible.

As well as revolutionising workplace first aid, the Hybrid Trauma Kit considers every risk an individual could face. And that’s not an overstatement either.

From defibrillators to burns kits, the Hybrid Trauma Kit offers far more than a regular workplace first aid kit that, let’s be honest, wouldn’t cut it for industries like these.

What is our Hybrid Trauma Kit?

A Hybrid Trauma Kit goes way beyond the contents of a regular workplace first aid kit. It’s also three times the size but is still lightweight. It considers more than the basic risks an industry might commonly experience, such as slips, trips and falls, and looks at ways to provide first aid for more life-threatening injuries, like sudden cardiac arrest or crush injuries.

Why is the Hybrid Trauma Kit important?

The highest-risk industries often have two things in common; they’re often based in rural locations and they’re predominantly male-dominated. Whilst some sites do operate close enough to larger cities and within a short distance of the nearest hospital, most don’t have this privilege. That’s why access to more potentially life-saving products is essential, especially where risks, such as crush injuries and catastrophic bleeds are so high.

How can the Hybrid Trauma Kit be used in construction?

In 2022 alone, the construction industry reported 30 fatalities. Although this is a significant drop from the year 2017-2018, where the figure reached 36 fatalities, it is still a number that firms are actively trying to minimise. As a result, construction businesses across the UK have invested in more defibrillators, and greater first aid provision, and are even training construction workers up to FREC level 3. It’s one way to ensure the most remote sites always have access to more experienced medical care.

However, channelling workers through FREC3 qualifications, maintaining training and purchasing FREC3 first aid kits have become expensive for firms. As a result, the Hybrid Trauma Kit, from Aero Healthcare, becomes a more cost-effective and efficient choice. For example, the HeartSine^® Samaritan PAD 500P defibrillator comes equipped with an all-in-one Pad-Pak^TM, meaning there’s only one expiry date to consider instead of two. Likewise, the first aid kit elements include a whole range of products, from minor cuts and grazes to major trauma injuries, meaning firms only need to source one item and not multiple smaller kits.

How can the Hybrid Trauma Kit be used in farming and agriculture?

Regularly coined the most high-risk industry in the UK, farming, agriculture and arboriculture workers face sharp and heavy machinery every day. As a result, the risks of crush injuries and catastrophic bleeds are much higher than in other industries. With 831 registered agriculture incidents in 2019, a total of 162 incidents were caused either by being struck by a moving object or coming into contact with moving machinery. These risks are often the cause of life-altering injuries, driving a need for appropriate first-aid consumables in the workplace.

Most farmland or forestry work occurs in rural areas; having access to a Hybrid Trauma Kit could save lives. As well as the risk of traumatic injuries, slips, trips and falls on the same level also equalled a total of 180 incidents. What’s more, slips, trips and falls can cause a range of injuries, from broken bones to minor grazes. First aid kits need to be versatile. That’s why a Hybrid Trauma Kit is incredibly important.

One of the most rural counties, Somerset, has around 1,835,000 hectares of farmed area of and countryside. It is also a county with less access to publicly available defibrillators. Unfortunately, this creates a reliance on ambulance crews to bring a device with them or a bystander to drive miles in search of one. For the best possible outcome, devices should be within 90 seconds of an incident. Likewise, sharp machinery and heavy objects risk crushing body parts and causing severe bleeds. As it can take up to 3 minutes to bleed out from a major artery, it hits home how little chance someone might have without a tourniquet and trauma kit. This is covered in the Hybrid Trauma Kit.

How can the Hybrid Trauma Kit be used for offshore worksites?

Offshore is another industry that is incredibly remote and sometimes inaccessible, depending on weather conditions. Reliance on air ambulance or the coast guard isn’t always possible. As well as dealing with dangerous materials, the majority of offshore workers are also men. One study showed that men are two to three times more likely to suffer from sudden cardiac arrest than women. And as the condition has no early warning indicators and doesn’t discriminate based on age, it means every male is at risk.

That’s why a Hybrid Trauma Kit for offshore workers is vital. As well as ensuring potentially life-saving equipment is available, even in their remote location, it also enables their chances of survival, which would typically reduce by up to 10% per minute without treatment. Travel time is not something offshore workers can afford. They also need equipment with a high IP rating to cope with severe weather conditions and temperature changes, which the Hybrid Trauma Kit has (IP Rating 67).

How is it different to other trauma kits on the market?

One key difference is that this Hybrid Trauma Kit includes a defibrillator, whereas most Trauma Kits fail to include these. Typically, trauma kits would include a series of bandages, wraps and sealants, as well as tourniquets and haemostatics. They’d be designed to treat the most serious of injuries, such as severe haemorrhaging and crush injuries, prior to the arrival of emergency services. As sudden cardiac arrest is also a higher possibility in these jobs, a Hybrid Trauma Kit also considers this detail, ensuring that the most rural worksites have access to potentially life-saving treatment.

Need the Hybrid Trauma Kit for your workplace?

Whether you want a Hybrid Trauma Kit or a regular workplace first aid kit, Aero Healthcare can help. As part of our mission statement, to reduce the number of preventable deaths, we’re raising awareness around the importance of first aid at work, as well as the availability of life-saving devices. If you’d like to find out more about our products and our work, contact us today.