There are millions of workplace injuries globally every year, but with quick first aid response, you can significantly reduce the impact of injuries and even save lives. From sprains to chemical spills, having a first aid system in place is already considered a necessity for all companies.
Implementing first aid in your workplace means having the right supplies, training employees to respond effectively, and conducting regular hazard assessments and inspections. This guide will walk you through what you need to know about first aid measures, from setting up kits and training your team to keeping everything organized with modern tools.
First aid essentials for every workplace
Companies must provide first aid kits as part of occupational health and safety regulations. The contents of these kits are standardized, and they have to comply with specific provisions. This often depends on your area, with global standards like ISO and ILO (International Labour Organization) Guidelines as well as DIN 13157 and DIN 13169 for Germany.
There are no legally required testing intervals for inspecting first aid materials. Instead, employers are responsible for setting proper inspection periods as part of the risk assessment process. Employers must make sure to supplement or replace first-aid materials:
- After use
- When they become unusable
- After the expiration date has passed
How many first-aid kits a company must provide for its employees depends on the size of the company and the type of work. You’ll also have to adapt the contents on specific workplace hazards. In larger workplaces or higher-risk industries, employers must have dedicated first aid rooms or stations.
In general, establishments in manufacturing, processing, and similar industries must provide more first aid kits per employee than administrative and manual establishments.
What should be in the first-aid kit?
The regulations for the contents of first-aid kits in companies are clear. Companies must check the dressing material and the necessary accessories to be able to provide first aid regularly for completeness and unadulteratedness.
The contents of a first aid kit may vary depending on the specific requirements and necessities of a workplace. For example, here are some essentials:
In every first aid kit, at minimum there are:
- Standard medicinal plasters
- Quick wound dressings
- Plaster strips
- Bandage packets
- Bandage cloths
- Compresses
- Triangular cloth
- Scissors
- Fixation bandage
- Non-woven cloth
- Disposable gloves
- Rescue blanket
- Eye compress
- Mesh bandage
- First aid booklet
A table of contents and the first-aid booklet make it easier to check that the materials are complete. According to the regulations, this may be accompanied by other first-aid dressing materials. Inform yourself about the regulations that apply to your operation and keep your knowledge up to date.
In addition, it is important to ensure that you’ve safely stored the box in a work area that is accessible to all.
To make managing your first aid kits even easier, you can try using these pre-made first aid templates. They streamline your inspections, help you stay compliant, and ensure your kits are always fully stocked.
How to conduct a first aid hazard assessment
Instead of just providing the medical care necessary for accidents and injuries, you should also focus on preventing such incidents. Regular hazard assessments in your work area will help.
During a hazard assessment, you’ll do a thorough review of your workplace to identify the types of risks, injuries, or illnesses your employees might face. Some questions you might ask include:
- What tasks are employees performing in each area of the workplace?
- Are there potential hazards like slippery floors, sharp objects, heavy machinery, or hazardous materials?
- Do any tasks involve heavy lifting or physically demanding work that could lead to strains or sprains?
- Have there been any accidents or injuries in the past? If so, what were the causes?
- How many employees are in the workplace, and how are they distributed across different areas or shifts?
- Are there employees with specific medical conditions (e.g., allergies, asthma) that require workplace-specific first aid supplies?
Once your hazard assessment is complete, you can then compile each hazard, rank them based on risk level, and update your first aid kits and implement proper safety measures. For example:
- If your workplace involves chemical risks, the first aid kit should contain eye wash and burn dressings.
- If employees work with sharp tools, there should be clear operating instructions near every equipment.
- For workplaces with outdoor sites that are potentially exposed to hot weather, there should be shaded rest areas and hydration stations.
What to include during workplace training for first aid
On top of a well-stocked first aid kit and safety measures, employees must know how to conduct first aid. This means there should be a thorough first aid training program, including:
- Basic life support skills, like performing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
- How to position an unconscious person to keep their airway clear
- How to stop bleeding, clean wounds, and apply bandages
- How to handle burns and scalds, sprains, and injuries
- Emergency scenarios like heart attacks and strokes
- Mental health first aid, such as for panic attacks
Ideally, every employee should have basic first aid knowledge, but it’s especially important to have assigned first aiders in the workplace. For larger teams, you would need more trained individuals for coverage across shifts.
With proper training, your team can handle emergencies more quickly and effectively. This can be critical in saving lives or minimizing the severity of an injury.
Inspecting and maintaining first aid kits
To ensure the maintenance of the first aid kit and safety checks in the office, you should schedule regular inspections or assign a staff member to act as an inspector. It may be helpful to contact OSH experts for advice. You should also be aware of the specific requirements for occupational safety and health inspections in your industry.
During a first aid inspection, you would check the contents of the first aid kit–not only if the items are present, but also if they’re still in usable condition. In particular, check for expired items, like medicines or ointments, then replace any used or damaged items.
After this, check if the kits are easy to find and access, you’ve marked their location clearly, and you’ve distributed well throughout the workplace. Store them away from extreme heat and moisture as well.
If you have first aid rooms and stations, go through these too during your inspection. Don’t forget to verify if emergency contact details, such as local hospitals, are up-to-date and easily accessible.
A digital checklist for first aid in the workplace
With a first aid kit checklist template, you can confirm if everything is complete, within expiration dates and properly stored. A digital checklist would allow you to easily perform regular checks of the contents via tablet or smartphone – online or offline. Using the desktop software, you create your checklists for the first aid kit and then evaluate the collected data.
By using the mobile app, you significantly reduce the risk of missed inspection intervals, documentation errors, and reputational damage. Lumiform also supports you with more checklists in other areas of occupational health care. Take advantage of the other benefits:
- The flexible form builder helps you turn any custom paper list into digital checklists in minutes
- Lumiform offers over 12,000 pre-built templates so you can get started digitally quickly and confidently.
- Using the super intuitive mobile app, you can take any exam in the field with your teammates in a foolproof, time-saving way.
- The app automatically bundles audit results into one report that you can send to stakeholders.
- Extensive analyses help you uncover inefficient areas in your company faster and thus continuously improve audit processes.
Try Lumiform for free and make first aid management easier!