The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require all employers to provide adequate and appropriate first aid equipment. This means that if someone is injured or falls ill at work, they can be given immediate help. The Regulations are applicable to all workplaces, including those with fewer than five employees and to the self-employed. First aid kits should be stored somewhere where they can be accessed easily in an emergency. This blog looks at the contents that should be included in a first aid kit.
Are all first aid kits the same?
There is no mandatory list of contents for a first aid kit at work, although employers must ensure that at least one first aid kit is available. The contents will depend on what risks were identified in your first aid needs assessment.
How Many First Aid Kits Do I Need?
When it comes to first aid equipment, the minimum you will need is a suitably stocked first aid kit. While you can buy first aid kits that comply with British Standard BS 8599-1, these will not necessarily meet the needs of your specific workplace.
The findings from your first aid needs assessment will determine the contents that would be suitable for your first aid kit and any other first aid equipment that may be required. For example, if your employees work with chemicals you would need to include items to treat splashes on both skin and eyes. If you have employees with a history of heart problems, you could choose to install one or more Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
In addition to making sure you have the right equipment; you also need to make sure you have enough of it and that it is easily accessible. This could be as simple as providing multiple first aid kits on your premises. Remember that all contents of a first aid kit should be regularly checked and restocked as necessary.
What are the typical contents of a first aid kit?
As a guide, where work activities involve low-level hazards such as in an office, the suggested minimum contents of a first aid kit include:
- individually wrapped sterile plasters (assorted sizes), appropriate to the type of work e.g hypoallergenic or the ‘blue’ plasters for the food industry
- sterile eye pads
- individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile
- safety pins
- large sterile individually wrapped unmedicated wound dressings
- medium-sized sterile individually wrapped unmediated wound dressings
- disposable gloves
- face shields or pocket masks
- alcohol free cleansing wipes
- adhesive tape
- foil blankets
- guidance notes on first aid.
It is recommended that you don’t keep tablets and medicines in the first-aid box.
What other items can be included in a first aid kit?
Other contents of a first aid kit could include:
- Scissors - these are not essential but many first aid kits do include them.
- Blister plasters - these are nice to have but not essential.
If your first aid provision includes children, you may consider:
Prescribed medication e.g. an asthma inhaler – these items should not routinely be stored in a first aid kit but must be in a location that is easy to access in an emergency but where other children can’t access it. You should check local policies for where these are stored in your childcare setting.
Stickers – when working with children you may want something to reward them for being brave- just make sure the box isn’t cluttered with things that could make it hard to find what you need in an emergency, so you may find keeping them with, rather than in, the first aid box is safer.
What shouldn’t be in a first aid kit
There should not be any medication in first aid kits. If an employee requires medication, it is their own responsibility to keep this safe and if required carry on their person, such as in the case of asthma inhalers. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does make provision for employers to provide aspirin so that first aiders may use it in the case of a suspected heart attack, but the advice is not to store it in the first aid kit.
In childcare settings, it may be appropriate to have basic medication available such as paracetamol syrup, in line with local administration of medication policies. It may also be necessary to have prescribed medication for named individual children such as short courses of antibiotics or emergency relief medication like adrenaline auto-injectors for use in case of severe allergic reactions. None of these items should be routinely stored in the first aid kit which is accessible to all staff, even those who may not have received training on the appropriate administration of medication.
How often should first aid kits be checked?
The contents of a first aid kit in your workplace should maintained and checked regularly to ensure that the box is still complete and that the items have not become damaged or passed their expiry date. If items have been used, then this should be reported to the appropriate person as soon as possible so that replacements can be provided.
Who is responsible for the first aid kit?
The appointed person has responsibility for taking care of first aid equipment and calling the emergency services when needed. They are not required to undergo training, but if they do complete a First aid at work course, they will learn practical skills that could save lives in an emergency.
Do first aid kits expire?
All items in a first aid kit have expiry dates. It is the responsibility of either the appointed person or first aider to ensure that the first aid kit is replenished and all products within the kit are in date.
First aid kits for the workplace
British Red Cross Training offers a range of first aid products for the workplace including first aid kits. All our first aid kits are available in eco-friendly, 100% recyclable, wall mounted boxes or convenient grab bags.