Yup The date provides sterility reassurance, in real life I am sure it wouldn't matter - but if you had an issues and the plaster was out of date... Also if you set your own date - how old is OK? I have seen plasters from before dates were invented, I would not choose to use them :) I always donate them to a first aid charity for training use or use in own refresher training!!!

I have a regular clear-out of our first aid supplies (and all sorts of other areas), just before I go out to The Gambia. I sponsor a school out there and they are not bothered about use-by dates on a bandage -they'll welcome items out there that most of us take for granted or would discard. A stethoscope from a defunct OH unit was swopped out at the local (Gambian) hospital for much needed malaria tablets. It's worth asking around your workplace if anyone knows of a similar charity.

As an add-on to my previous post.... I did some basic safety training with the newly opened secondary school and if anyone has any PPE, especially safety specs, that they don't need please let me know off-forum. Imagine a science lab, used by a group of 12 year olds, where the very light weight bunsen burners are linked up through over-weighted rubber tubing and finally connected into a butane gas cylinder sitting in the sun. Oh - and the benching is bare plywood. Fume extract was basically an open window. No flam cabinets. No ppe. I'll be back out there at the end of November and I have a spare suitcase!

Good idea about the charity thing, I'll make sure they're binned and new ones ordered. thanks all :)