Your Guide to First Aid Kits

Top Tip! The number of first aid kits you have should depend on the number of employees on site.

 

 How many first aid kits do you need

 

The National Standards for First Aid Kits

The most recent update, known as BS 8599-1:2019 is the newest national standard for workplace first aid kits in the UK. There are kits in differing sizes, known as small, medium, and large. In addition to workplace kits there are more specific kits suited to travel, personal issue, and critical injury.

BS 8599-1:2019 first aid kits contain increased quantities of items, such as more disposable gloves, gel burn dressings, fewer medium sterile dressings, but more large sterile dressings, foil blankets, safety scissors and fewer triangular bandages. Conformity to the standard means that anyone using the kits, as well as patients receiving the first aid, are protected from inferior first aid materials.

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, states that employers must provide ‘adequate and appropriate’ first aid equipment, facilities, and training so that anyone who has an accident at work can receive immediate help.

First aid kits should be appropriate to the number of employees and suitably stocked depending on specific hazards. They should be checked regularly to ensure they are fully stocked with suitable items that are in date.

Also, all employers should have at least one trained first aider, although businesses in high-risk industries and those with large numbers of employees require considerably more.

Although health and safety has improved and accident rates have fallen across many industries, employers still need to be careful not to relax their first aid procedures, and ensure they are regularly reviewed.  

Once a business has everything in place, all employees should be made aware of the procedures, and signs should explain where first aid equipment is kept and who the relevant people are to administer it.  Plus, plans need to be put in place for what happens if first aiders leave the business, are off sick or on holiday.

 

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Disclaimer: The information provided is for general guidance only and is not legal advice. Please note that legislation and regulation information may not apply to your area and/or may have since been updated. Please check regulations and legislation with your local authority. You should also seek independent advice about any legal matter.

 

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