What Should Be in a Workplace First Aid Kit or Box? UK Checklist
A complete UK workplace first aid kit and first aid box checklist for 2026: the British Standard BS 8599-1 contents, how many kits you need, and what to add for higher-risk workplaces.
First Aid Kit & Box Checklist
A free printable first aid kit and first aid box checklist for UK workplaces: the essentials to stock, a 4-step 10-minute audit routine with pictures, and how a first aid kit audit app automates it.
What Size First Aid Kit Do I Need? Small, Medium & Large BS 8599-1 Sizes
BS 8599-1 first aid kits come in small, medium and large. See what each size contains, how many people each covers, low vs high risk, and how to pick the right size for your workplace.
BS 8599-1 2026 Amendment
What the April 2026 amendment to BS 8599-1 (BS 8599-1:2019+A1:2026) changed for UK workplaces: defibrillators where 5 or more people are on site, new burns and eyewash kits, and what stays the same.
How Many First Aid Kits Do I Need?
How many first aid kits a UK workplace needs, where to put them, and how kit number and size are decided by your needs assessment — with a simple rule of thumb by site type.
First Aid Kit Types Explained
The main first aid kit types for UK workplaces — BS 8599-1 workplace, BS 8599-2 vehicle, catering, travel and personal issue — what each is for, and how to pick the right one for your needs assessment.
Kitchen First Aid Kit
What goes in a kitchen, restaurant or catering first aid kit: the BS 8599-1 catering contents list, blue plasters, burns dressings, kit sizes and what EHOs check.
Vehicle First Aid Kit Requirements
Do work vehicles legally need a first aid kit? The UK rules for company cars, vans and fleets, the British Standard BS 8599-2 contents by kit size, and how to keep a whole fleet compliant.
Do Plasters Expire? First Aid Kit Expiry Dates by Item
Yes. Plasters and sterile dressings last 3–5 years, saline 2–3. Shelf life of every first aid kit item, where to find the date and symbol, and what the HSE expects.
How Often Should First Aid Kits Be Inspected?
How often to check workplace first aid kits under HSE guidance, sensible inspection frequencies by risk level, how first aid kit inspection and replenishment work together, and a free inspection checklist.
First Aid Kit Inspection Log
What a first aid kit inspection log should record, how long to keep it, who signs it, and a free template — so every workplace kit check is dated, signed and provable to the HSE.
First Aid Kit Audit
How to run a workplace first aid kit audit under HSE guidance: what an audit covers, a step-by-step method, a free audit checklist, how often to do it, and how to keep an audit trail inspectors accept.
How to Restock a First Aid Kit at Work
How to restock a workplace first aid kit: who is responsible for keeping boxes stocked, when to replenish, what to reorder, and how to record it so your provision stays compliant.
Where to Store First Aid Kits at Work
Where should first aid kits be kept at work? The HSE rules on accessible, signed and known locations, one per work area, storage near hazards, temperature and security — plus a placement checklist.
First Aid Kit Inspection Apps
The main ways UK workplaces track first aid kit checks in 2026 — KitCompliance, Tell Arnie, Mitti (formerly SafetyCulture), GoAudits, Pilla and paper or Excel — compared on price, free plans, expiry tracking and fit.
Can You Keep Painkillers & Medication in a Workplace First Aid Kit?
HSE guidance is clear: a workplace first aid kit should contain no tablets or medicines. Why paracetamol, plasters with 'antiseptic' and creams don't belong, what a kit should hold instead, and how to handle staff who need their own medication.
Are Defibrillators a Legal Requirement at Work?
Whether a defibrillator (AED) is legally required in a UK workplace, when the HSE and Resuscitation Council say you should have one, where to place it, and how to keep the pads and battery in date.
Defibrillator
How to keep a workplace defibrillator rescue-ready: weekly and monthly AED checks, replacing pads and batteries before they expire, recording it, and who is responsible under UK guidance.
Eyewash Station Requirements
When UK workplaces legally need an eyewash station, what the HSE and COSHH expect, sterile eyewash vs plumbed stations, expiry dates, and how often to check them.
Sharps Bin Requirements for UK Workplaces
When your workplace needs a sharps bin, the BS 7320 / UN 3291 standards, the lid colour code, how to assemble, label, fill and dispose of one legally, and who must provide them.
Body Fluid Spill Kit Requirements for UK Workplaces
When a UK workplace needs a body fluid spill kit, what the law (COSHH) expects, what goes in one, how to clean up a blood or vomit spill safely, and how many kits to keep.
Bleed Control Kit Requirements for UK Workplaces
Does your workplace need a bleed control kit? What catastrophic bleeding kits contain, the BS 8599-1 Critical Injury Pack, which sites need one, and how to use it.
First Aid Room Requirements
When a UK workplace needs a first aid room, what it must contain, who should manage it, and how to decide from your needs assessment. HSE guidance explained.
First Aid Signage Requirements
What UK law says about first aid signs at work: the green-and-white symbol, where to put signs, whether they are a legal requirement, and how to sign kits, first-aiders and AEDs correctly.