First aid kit essentials

The contents of your first aid kit ensure sick or injured workers can get care before emergency responders arrive. Set your team up for success by filling your kit with the right supplies for your workplace.

In Ontario, first aid kit requirements are outlined in Regulation 1101 under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. At workplaces with more than 15 but fewer than 200 employees in any one shift, employers must provide at least one stretcher, two blankets, and a first aid station with a first aid kit containing the following supplies:

• 12 rolls of one-inch gauze bandage
• 8 rolls of two-inch gauze bandage
• 2 rolls of splint padding
• 24 safety pins
• 6 sterile surgical pads suitable for pressure dressings, individually wrapped
• 48 sterile gauze pads, three inches square
• 8 rolls of four-inch gauze bandage
• 12 triangular bandages
• 48 adhesive dressings, individually wrapped
• 1 basin, preferably stainless steel
• 2 rolls of adhesive tape, one inch wide
• A current edition of a St. John Ambulance First Aid Manual
• Splints in assorted sizes

The size of your workforce dictates the size of your first aid kit. Businesses that are smaller and larger than the “average” company, above, have different requirements.

A company with up to five employees needs to have:

• A current edition of a St. John Ambulance First Aid Manual
• 1 card of safety pins
• 12 adhesive dressings, individually wrapped
• 4 sterile gauze pads, three inches square
• 2 rolls of two-inch gauze bandage
• 2 field dressings, four inches square, or 2 four-inch sterile bandage compresses
• 1 triangular bandage

A company with six to 15 employees needs to have:

• A current edition of a St. John Ambulance First Aid Manual
• 1 card of safety pins
• 24 adhesive dressings, individually wrapped
• 12 sterile gauze pads, three inches square
• 4 rolls of two-inch gauze bandage
• 4 rolls of four-inch gauze bandage
• 4 sterile surgical pads suitable for pressure dressings, individually wrapped
• 6 triangular bandages
• 2 rolls of splint padding
• 1 roll-up splint

Regulation 1101 requires that workplaces with more than 200 workers in any one shift have a first aid room—rather than a first aid station. Review the Regulation to determine what items (and in what quantities) must be kept in a first aid room.

Additional considerations

No matter the size of the company, employers should also keep in mind these guidelines from the Regulation:

Supply quantities: You may choose to increase the amount of each required supply, depending on the needs of your workplace.

Other supplies: Your kit must also include non-latex gloves in various sizes and a CPR mask. It should not include equipment that first aiders are not trained to use, nor should it contain medications.

Worker training: At least one worker with a valid first aid certificate (from a WSIB-approved training provider) must be at your workplace during working hours.

Maintaining the kit: Inspect the contents of the first aid kit at least four times a year. Note the date of the inspection and the signature of the inspector on the kit’s inspection card. Employers are responsible for keeping first aid kits properly stocked.

Other lifesaving devices for your workplace

Many Ontario workplaces benefit from also having an automated external defibrillator (AED) and a naloxone kit on site.

First aiders can use an AED to help someone who is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. The device delivers an electric shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm. Remember to inspect and maintain the AED according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Naloxone is a medication that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose. If administered immediately, it can restore a victim’s breathing within two to five minutes. Employers must provide a naloxone kit when there is a known risk of a worker having an opioid overdose at the workplace. The kit should be in the charge of a worker who is trained to recognize an opioid overdose, administer naloxone, and understand the related hazards.