OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151 requires employers to ensure the ready availability of medical personnel for advice and consultation on matters of plant health, and in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity, to have a person or persons adequately trained to render first aid and first aid supplies readily available. What "readily available" means in practice is defined by ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021 — the American National Standard for Workplace First Aid Kits and Supplies — which specifies minimum contents by workplace class. Our first aid supply catalog includes OSHA-compliant kits, individual replacement items, and specialty kits for healthcare, industrial, and commercial settings.
ANSI Z308.1-2021 Kit Classifications
ANSI Z308.1-2021 defines three kit classes by workplace hazard level: Class A (minimum for low-hazard workplaces — offices, retail, schools): includes basic wound care (adhesive bandages, sterile pads, gauze rolls, tape), eye care (eyewash), and cold pack. Class B (expanded for higher hazard environments — construction, manufacturing, healthcare): adds CPR barrier device, tourniquets, hemostatic dressings, blanket, and expanded wound care. Class C (first aid station level): all Class B plus additional quantities and specialized items for high-risk environments. Healthcare facilities should maintain at minimum Class B kits in all non-clinical areas, with clinical areas having access to crash carts and code blue equipment through appropriate channels.
Hemostatic Agents: The Life-Saving Addition
The inclusion of hemostatic dressings in workplace first aid represents one of the most significant evidence-based updates to first aid practice in a decade, driven by military trauma medicine's "Stop the Bleed" initiative. Kaolin-impregnated gauze (QuikClot — Z-Medica) and chitosan-based hemostatic dressings (HemCon ChitoGauze) achieve hemostasis in 3–5 minutes for extremity wounds that would otherwise require tourniquet application. Commercial tourniquets (CAT — Combat Application Tourniquet, SOFTT-W) are now recommended for all Class B and higher first aid kits for workplaces where traumatic extremity injuries are possible. All are available in our first aid catalog.
Kit Inspection and Maintenance
OSHA requires first aid kits to be maintained in serviceable condition and readily accessible to employees. Practical maintenance protocol: monthly visual inspection of kit contents and expiration dates; quarterly complete inventory check against ANSI minimums; replace any used or expired items immediately. Assign one person per work area as "first aid kit coordinator" responsible for inspection documentation (important for OSHA compliance demonstration). Our first aid supplies section includes individual refill items so facilities can restock specific depleted items without replacing entire kits.
