What should legally be in a first aid kit

Many bodies offer first aid training courses and provide official first aid certificates upon completion, as well as reminders when refresher first aid at work training is due. First aiders must regularly renew their qualifications through refresher sessions, undertaking full first aid courses every 3 years with an annual refresher first aid course in order to keep them in practice. The cost of these first aid courses will depend on the number attending the first aid training as well as the level of risk at your organisation.

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These analytics services collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone. We use marketing automation software which helps us make sure you recieve the most relevant communication from us. These profiling cookies track your website usage so we can more efficiently service your needs. Where can I find emergency first aid at work? What are the First Aid Kit essentials? Under the Health and Safety First-Aid Regulations , employers must provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities, and personnel.

Every workplace and the self-employed have these legal duties. This includes providing a suitably stocked first aid kit which ensures that employees and others at the workplace are able to receive immediate assistance if they are injured or fall ill.

This article provides guidance on how to determine what needs to be included in a first aid kit. It gives a suggested list of contents for a basic kit and outlines what additional products may be needed. It also explains what to do with expired first aid supplies that you may have and not know what to do with. To determine what needs to be in a workplace first aid kit, a first aid needs assessment needs to be carried out.

Employers are responsible for carrying out or arranging for this and using the results to determine what equipment, facilities, and personnel are needed, including the contents of a first aid kit. Other factors to consider may include lone or remote workers, site locations such as remote to the emergency services , and providing first aid assistance to any non-employees including members of the public. In addition to using the first aid needs assessment to determine what should be in a first aid kit at work, the information gathered during the generic workplace risk assessment can be consulted.

If you want to further develop your first aid awareness, take a look at our online Workplace First Aid training course and online Paediatric First Aid training course. As a minimum, employers must appoint an appointed person to take charge of the first aid arrangements.

Some very low-level hazard workplaces may not need a qualified first aider, and so the appointed person alone will provide sufficient cover. Note that, in some circumstances, it may be suitable for the first aider to also act as the appointed person at a workplace.

Appointed persons are responsible for maintaining any first aid equipment and facilities. This includes ensuring that the first aid kit is sufficiently stocked at all times. Employers may also delegate the task of carrying out the first aid needs assessment to the appointed person, if they are competent, though the overall responsibility lies with the employer.

They should be made aware of the outcome of the first aid needs assessment and what this means for the contents of the first aid kit, including the minimum quantities of supplies required. The appointed person should regularly check what supplies are in first aid kits, depending on factors such as the size of the business, and replenish any supplies that have been used.

The contents of first aid kits must also be checked to ensure they are in date, and any expired products should be dealt with, as explained later in this article. Most small accidents can be dealt with in the workplace — provided that you have a well-stocked first aid kit to hand. There is no mandatory list of items to put in a first aid kit. However, all workplaces must have a suitably stocked first aid kit on site.

By Standard Number Part Number:. First-aid Kits Mandatory. When larger operations or multiple operations are being conducted at the same location, additional first-aid kits should be provided at the work site or additional quantities of supplies should be included in the first-aid kits: 1.

Gauze pads at least 4 x 4 inches. Two large gauze pads at least 8 x 10 inches.