Make the Change From Cintas First Aid and Safety

For thousands of organizations across the United States, a visit from the Cintas First Aid rep has been a monthly occurrence for decades. Your rep shows up, restocks all the first aid kits, leaves behind a hefty invoice and is off to the next workplace.

For many organizations, using a van-delivered kit restocking service such as Cintas First Aid is just "the way things have always been done." At some point, management decided that there was nobody in the facility with the time and expertise to handle the job of restocking the first aid kits, so they outsourced the task to Cintas First Aid.

Why Cintas First Aid May Not Be For You

While there is a little doubt that hiring a service such as Cintas First Aid is a convenient option, it's important to note that convenience comes with some downside. Let's take a few moments to look at some of the most common issues with using a kit restocking service.

1.  You may not need or want many of the first aid supplies that are in your current first aid kit.

Minor cuts, scrapes and burns are by far the most common injuries that employees experience when working in an industrial setting. These injuries are typically easily treated with low-priced solutions such as bandage strips and antibacterial creams.

A mobile first aid service like Cintas First Aid wants to provide you with as many different types of bandages, gauze and supplies as possible, even if they'll rarely be used, because it drives up the price of your invoice. The reality is that the rep who restocks your "entire first aid kit" is typically only restocking the 3-5 most common products.

2.  You can restock your first aid kit on your own for less than half the price.

When you buy from Cintas First Aid, you're subsidizing their overhead, including your rep's salary and commission, vehicle costs, insurance, the cost of the product and many other hidden costs. Very little of the money that you're paying Cintas First Aid goes toward the purchase of actual first aid products. 

You can prepare for the unexpected, purchase safety products from leading manufacturers that are in compliance with OSHA regulations, while reducing your first aid costs by 50-75% by maintaining the kits yourself and having reasonably priced products shipped directly to you from Wesco.

3.  Restocking your first aid kits on your own is quick and easy.

Checking the contents of your first aid kits takes only a few minutes. To make the process go even faster, you can create your own checklist. Use an existing first aid kit contents list as an example. After a few months of restocking your kits and taking notes, you will have no problem keeping tabs on typical monthly injury occurrences, first aid product use and any abuse or theft of product.

Related: Learn about the new ANSI Compliance standard put into effect in 2022 for first aid kits.

Cost Effective Cintas First Aid Alternative: Replace Your First Aid Kit Restocking Service with First Aid Only's SmartCompliance Program

First Aid Only's SmartCompliance program is an economical alternative to first aid kit restocking services such as Cintas First Aid. With an innovative cabinet design and exclusive SmartTab ezRefill system, this is a comprehensive first aid solution that is both quick and efficient to maintain.

•  SmartCompliance cabinets come in a variety of sizes and configurations to help meet the specific first aid needs of your organization.
  
• SmartTab ezRefill system makes it easy to monitor and maintain your cabinets. The SmartTab indicator tells you when and what to reorder and helps to ensure that you don’t over-order unnecessary supplies.
  
• The unique design eliminates disorganized and missing supplies. The dispenser system reduces pilferage.
  
•  Clearly labeled compartments create a cabinet that is easy to use, maintain and restock.
  
• Expansion pockets allow you to customize your cabinet to meet your specific needs.
  
• First Aid Only's SafetyHub app helps you monitor consumption and keep kits in compliance with OSHA and ANSI standards. The app will also remind you when it's time to reorder, minimizing inventory costs.
  

It’s important to work with a company that can do more than just keep your first aid cabinets stocked. Choosing a provider who understands your specific work environment, can provide safety training (like CPR training or other training programs), and has the first aid safety solutions you need is vital to protect employees and keep your employees safe. Wesco can also help you with training and compliance.

Feel free to contact our Safety Support Team to discuss alternatives to your current kit restocking service or current first aid reordering system. We are confident that we can offer you a variety of options that better fit your budget or specific needs, allowing your employees to work safely and efficiently.