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    First aid kit checklist

    Check your workplace first aid kit against HSE’s suggested minimum contents, add the extras your risks call for, and print the result for your records.

    Minimum contents

    HSE’s suggested minimum for a workplace with no special risks.

    Extras to consider

    Include these if your first aid needs assessment calls for them.

    Kit checks

    0 of 20 ticked

    What the law says about first aid kits

    The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate first aid equipment. There is no mandatory list of contents. HSE publishes the suggested minimum used in this checklist in its guidance on first aid at work(opens in a new tab), and expects you to decide what you actually need through a first aid needs assessment.

    Many employers buy kits made to British Standard BS 8599-1, which sets out contents for small, medium, large and travel kits. That is a sensible option, but it is not a legal requirement.

    How to decide what else you need

    Think about the injuries most likely in your workplace. Kitchens need burn dressings, workshops need more wound dressings, and outdoor or remote sites need foil blankets. Use our first aid needs assessment template to record your decisions, and the first aider calculator to see how many first aiders you need.

    Record first aid when it’s given

    Whenever first aid is given, record the date, time, place, the person treated, the injury and the treatment. Injuries also belong in your accident book, and some must be reported to the HSE. Check with the RIDDOR checker.

    Let first aiders record injuries in seconds

    With Accident Book, first aiders scan a QR code to record the injury and the treatment given, and managers are alerted straight away. £9.99 per site per month, with a 7-day free trial.

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    Frequently asked questions

    What should be in a workplace first aid kit?+
    HSE suggests that, where there is no special risk, a minimum kit might contain a first aid guidance leaflet, 20 sterile plasters in assorted sizes, 2 sterile eye pads, 2 triangular bandages, 6 safety pins, 2 large and 6 medium sterile wound dressings, and at least 3 pairs of disposable gloves. Your first aid needs assessment may show you need more.
    Is there a legal list of first aid kit contents?+
    No. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require adequate and appropriate equipment, but there is no mandatory list. HSE publishes a suggested minimum. Many employers buy kits made to British Standard BS 8599-1, which is a good option but not a legal requirement.
    Should a first aid kit contain painkillers?+
    No. HSE advises that tablets and medicines should not be kept in the first aid kit.
    How often should a first aid kit be checked?+
    There is no fixed legal interval. Check kits regularly, for example monthly, and after every use, replacing used and out-of-date items. Recording each check on a checklist shows the kit is being looked after.
    How many first aid kits do I need?+
    Enough for everyone to get to one quickly. That depends on the size and layout of your workplace, the number of people and the risks. Your first aid needs assessment decides this.

    First aid guides

    Browse all health and safety guides