What does the law say?
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 states that ‘an employer shall provide, or ensure that there are provided, such equipment and facilities as are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for enabling first-aid to be rendered to his employees if they are injured or become ill at work’. To summarise, all workplaces should have an adequate first aid kit that can be used if an employee becomes injured or ill in the workplace.
Our British Standard compliant workplace first aid kit contents are designed to take into account more modern and functional products, encompassing a wider range of common workplace risks and are therefore more comprehensive than our 'HSE compliant' kits.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) refer to these enhanced British Standard first aid kits in their latest First Aid at Work - Guidance on Regulations publication. The HSE states that "employers may wish to refer to British Standard BS 8599 which provides further information on the contents of workplace first aid kits."
What size kit do I need?
The size of the kit required is dependent on a combination of the level of risk and the number of employees in your workplace. Follow the simple steps below to ensure you have adequate first aid provision.
The table below provides guidance on the number of Workplace British Standard compliant first aid kits your workplace should have available. Please note that the table should be used as a guide and your workplace needs to evaulate the level of risk, as per Step 1 detailed above.
On the 1st January 2019, British Standard BS8599-1 was improved to also include specifications for Travel and Motoring First Aid Kits, Personal Issue First Aid Kits and Critical Injury Packs. We offer all of these types of British Standard compliant kits in addition to the Workplace First Aid Kits.
What goes into a British Standard compliant first aid kit?
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulation 1981 states ‘the contents of first-aid containers should be examined frequently and restocked soon after use. Sufficient supplies should be held in stock on site’.
It is crucial that you check your first aid kit regularly to ensure that supplies are in date and that used components are immediately replaced.
The table below shows the minimum contents that is included and should always be available in a British Standard compliant first aid kit.
Let's take a closer look at the individual components that make up a Workplace British Standard compliant first aid kit.
What first aid kit is right for my industry?
To help you select the first aid kit which is right for you, we've created category pages to help make it easier.
Firstaid.co.uk supply a range of British Standard compliant first aid kits in various sizes and cases from value kits in vinyl wallets to fully stocked first aid cabinets. First Aid Kit Refills can also be purchased separately as required. Click the category below to shop for your speicifc needs.
