Why Your First Aid Kit Is an OSHA Compliance Issue
OSHA's medical services and first aid standard, 29 CFR 1910.151, requires employers to provide adequate first aid supplies when a medical facility is not in near proximity to the workplace. OSHA does not spell out every item in the regulation itself. Instead, its non-mandatory appendix points employers to ANSI/ISEA Z308.1, the national consensus standard for minimum requirements for workplace first aid kits. In practice, that means a compliance officer, insurance auditor, or safety manager will judge your kit against Z308.1 language.
Z308.1 divides kits into Class A, designed for common workplace injuries, and Class B, built for higher-risk environments such as construction, manufacturing, and heavy fabrication. Kits are also rated by type: Type I for indoor stationary use, Type II for indoor portable use, Type III for mobile or outdoor use, and Type IV for rugged mobile industrial use with water resistance and impact protection. Knowing your class and type determines the quantities you stock, not just the item list.
The 15 Required Items in a Class A First Aid Kit
Walk your kit against this list before your next shift. A Class A kit must contain adhesive bandages, adhesive tape, antibiotic application packets, antiseptic wipes or packets, a breathing barrier for rescue breathing, a burn dressing with a gel coating, burn treatment packets, cold packs, eye covering with a means of attachment, eye or skin wash solution, a first aid guide, hand sanitizer, a pair of medical exam gloves, a roller bandage, scissors, sterile pads, a trauma pad, and a triangular bandage.
Class B kits require the same categories in larger quantities, plus a splint and a tourniquet. Many employers now stock the tourniquet in every kit regardless of class, because uncontrolled bleeding remains a leading cause of preventable workplace death. If your operation involves saws, presses, glass, or vehicles, treat bleeding control supplies as essential rather than optional.
Restocking Mistakes That Fail an Inspection
The most common finding is not a missing item but an expired one. Antibiotic ointment, antiseptic wipes, burn gel, and eye wash all carry expiration dates, and an expired product counts as an absent product. Second is quantity: a single bandage in a stripped kit does not satisfy the standard. Third is documentation. Assign one person to inspect kits monthly, initial and date an inspection log, and reorder immediately rather than at the next budget cycle.
Location matters too. Kits must be readily accessible, clearly marked, and never locked behind an office door on an off shift. If your site relies on cabinets in multiple buildings, map them and post the locations where employees actually work.
Supplies Alone Are Not Compliance
A fully stocked kit is useless without a trained responder. OSHA expects that in the absence of a nearby infirmary or clinic, someone on site is adequately trained to render first aid. That training should cover bleeding control, CPR, choking, burns, and when to activate emergency medical services.
If your certification has lapsed, or your employer needs proof of training on file this week, FastCredentials offers fast, employer-accepted first aid and CPR certification you can complete online and download the same day. Start your course with FastCredentials and walk into your next shift fully compliant.