5 Reasons To Fire Your First Aid Service

When OSHA was established April 28, 1971 a new industry was born. By 1974, Federal regulations for health & safety standards were established, paving the way for mobile first aid companies to market their services with the support of OSHA’s 1910.151 medical services and first aid standard.  The mobile first service industry flourished during the 70’s and 80’s while helping manufacturers stay compliant with these new regulations from the federal government.

Much has changed since 1974.  Health & safety practices have developed over time, include more employee feedback and participation.  Unfortunately, many of the mobile first aid service processes are still very much the same as they were 45 years ago and they come with a significant cost.  With the new ANSI standards and updated First Aid Kits that offer smart compliance, it is easy and cost effective to bring the maintenance of these kits inhouse.

Here are our 5 reasons to fire your first aid service.

1.  A sales person is making the spending decisions.
Most mobile first aid representative is a salesperson who is paid on commission.  The more they sell, the more they earn.  Quotas and incentives to sell are standard practice in this industry.  Do you really need the items they are selling you?

2.  Save 50 - 75% of the cost.
Paying hundreds of dollars every month adds up significantly. The cost for a service includes the drivers salary plus commission, vehicle costs, insurance, plus the cost of the product.  You can easily reduce your costs by 50-75% when you maintain the cabinets yourself.  Check your invoices, you are charged a monthly service charge even if nothing needs to be replaced.

3.  Your paying them to do the job right - but are they?
Have you looked inside the cabinets and confirmed that the appropriate supplies are there?  Have you given them a list of items you want them to maintain and are they following your wishes?  Is what is there more than what you really need?

4.  Invoice & billing practices.
Take a close look at your invoice and you will discover that specific quantities are usually not included for medicines, bandages and ointments.  Vague product descriptions and quantities are common in this industry.  Descriptions like "small box" are done intentionally to allow services to reap profits and make it difficult to do a product comparison or know how much your are really paying for the products.

5.  Be a part of the process.
When a service maintains your first aid supplies you are distanced from the process.  It is important to know what injuries are taking place so that training and awareness can be improved.  Did you know, that companies where an employee monitors and maintains the supplies lower the number of accidents? Less accidents mean even greater savings!

Twist OP has several options to help you maintain your supplies. With only a few minutes a mont you can reap the savings and benefits of maintaining first aid supplies yourself.  If you are interested in learning more about maintaining your own supplies, call your sales rep and set up an appointment to have our Facilities Specialist help set up a program and get you started today.

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