What first aid equipment do I need to be compliant?
When you have completed your first aid needs assessment, you will need to provide the materials, equipment and facilities to make sure that the level of cover you have decided is necessary is available to your team at all times.
First aid equipment and kits need to be suitably marked and easily accessible in all places where your working conditions require it.
The minimum level of first aid equipment required by law is a suitably stocked and easily identifiable container (first aid kit). It is your responsibility to provide at least one of these for each work site with a sufficient quantity of first aid materials suitable for the particular circumstances of that workplace.
We have created this guide on the number and size of the first aid kits that you might need:
| What degree of hazard is associated with your work activities? | How many employees do you have? | Number and size of first aid kits? |
|---|---|---|
| Low-hazarde.g. offices, shops, libraries | Fewer than 25 | 1 x small |
| 25-50 | 1 x Medium | |
| More than 50 | 1 x large per 50 employees | |
| Higher-hazarde.g. light engineering and assembly work, food processing, warehousing, extensive work with dangerous machinery or sharp instruments, construction, chemical manufacture | Fewer than 5 | 1 x small |
| 5-50 | 1 x medium | |
| More than 50 | 1 x large per 25 employees |
BS 8599 is a technical standard published by the British Standards Institution listing the recommended contents of first aid kits for workplaces and motor vehicles. The table below shows that recommended contents:
| BS 8599 Recommended Contents | Small (10 person) | Medium (20 person) | Large (50 person) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol free cleansing wipes | 20 | 30 | 40 |
| Burn relief dressing (10x10cm) | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Conforming bandage (7.5×4.5cm) | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Eye pad dressing (sterile) | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Finger dressing (sterile) | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| First aid guidance leaflet | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Foil blanket | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Large dressing (18x18cm sterile) | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Medium dressing (12x12cm sterile) | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| Microporous tape (2.5cmx5m) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Nitrile gloves | 12 | 18 | 24 |
| Resuscitation face shield | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Safety pins | 6 | 12 | 24 |
| Triangular bandage (90x127cm) | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Universal shears (scissors) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Washproof assorted plasters | 40 | 60 | 100 |
| Eye Wash 250ml (sterile) | – | – | 1 |