The top 8 things to keep in your first aid kit.

We often get asked, ‘What should be in my First Aid box?’

The short answer is, it depends!

It depends on the outcome of your first aid risk assessment. You can get up to date information on undertaking a first aid risk assessment here 

Common sense says that it’s important to have a well-stocked first aid kit so you can deal with minor incidents and accidents.  It should be kept out of the reach of children and stored in a cool and dry place.  It is important to regularly check the expiry dates of the items in your first aid kit, especially sterile items such as bandages, sterile eye pads and plasters and to replace with new ones.    Also, if you use an item from the kit, ensure it is swiftly replaced.

First Aid Kit Legal Requirements 

Although there is no legal requirement under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 to buy first aid supplies that adhere to the British Standard BS 8599 for first aid kits, the outcome of the risk assessment should be the first consideration. For more information, see this.

Contents of a First Aid Kit:

As a guide, where work activities involve low-level hazards (work environments in this category include offices, libraries shops etc) a minimum stock (for a small workplace with less than 25 staff) of first aid items would be:

1. 1 leaflet giving general guidance on first aid – there is a free one here.
2. 2 sterile eye pads
3. 2 large, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings
4. at least 3 pairs of disposable gloves (more info here)
5. 4 individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile
6. 6 safety pins
7. 6 medium-sized, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings
8. 20 individually wrapped sterile plasters (of assorted sizes), appropriate to the type of work (you can provide hypoallergenic plasters if necessary)

Additional items to consider for a first aid kit:

9. 1 pack of sterile wet wipes
10. 1 roll of microporous tape
11. 1 face shield
12. 1 foil blanket
13. 1 burn dressing
14. 1 pair of clothing shears
15. 2 finger dressings

These extra items may be kept in the first-aid kit if there is room, or stored separately.  You may also wish to consider a first aid kit suitable for travelling and also one for your car.

If your workplace is engineering, processing, warehousing, construction or manufacturing, it may be categorised as a high-risk workplace and the requirements will be different.  The things that are not recommended to be included in a first aid box are any kind of medication or tablets. If you help, reach out to one of our first aid training experts and we can advise what specifically to have in your first aid box depending on your workplace and sector you operate.

As well as providing first aid, food safety and health and safety training, First Response (First Aid) Ltd also supply businesses and individuals throughout the UK with first aid supplies for the workplace, travel and home.

If you would like some advice on what you need for your workplace First Aid kit please get in touch with us.  You can download a First Aid Supplies brochure from our website here.