Your legal responsibility

You must have the equipment, facilities and people to provide first aid to employees.

Every workplace should have at least:

• A suitably stocked first-aid box; and
• A chosen person to take charge of first aid arrangements.

What law applies?

• The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981
• The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982

First aid items

There is no standard list of items to put in a first aid box. It depends on the needs your workplace. However, where there is no special risk in your workplace, a minimum stock of first aid items could include:

• A leaflet giving general guidance on first aid
• 20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings (assorted sizes)
• 2 sterile eye pads
• 2 individually wrapped triangular bandages (preferably sterile)
• 6 safety pins
• 6 medium-sized (approximately 12 cm x 12 cm) individually wrapped sterile unmedicated wound dressings
• 2 large (approximately 18 cm x 18 cm) sterile individually wrapped unmedicated wound dressings
• 3 pair of disposable gloves

You shouldn't keep tablets or medicines in the first aid box.