University Health Services

First Aid Kit Approval

The California Occupational Safety & Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) regulation 8 CCR Section 3400 specifies that first-aid supplies be made available to all employees on every job, but does not go so far as to specify the exact contents of a kit.

However, the standard does state that a physician must approve the contents of a first aid kit in the workplace. Provided below are University guidelines for workplace first aid kits.

Guidelines:

1. First-aid supplies shall be make available, at the expense of the department, to all employees on every job ( including after-hours and weekends).
2. First-aid supplies shall be kept available in a sanitary and usable condition and can be mounted in a fixed position or be mobile.
3. First-aid supplies shall be inspected frequently and replenished as necessary with special care to replace expired supplies by the department.
4. Contents of the first-aid kit should take into consideration the type of injuries requiring first aid that may be expected, distance from medical care, and number of employees in the workplace. A specific example of the contents of a workplace first-aid kit is described in American National Standards Institute ANSI 2021, Minimum Requirements for Workplace First Aid Kits (suitable for a small business). This list is non-mandatory, but provides a good guideline for appropriate contents of a first aid kit. Departments should evaluate their own workplace to determine if additional supplies or kits are needed. 
5. Class A Kit, recommended for standard work environment.

   Class A Kit includes:

   Adhesive bandages, 1 x 3 in. (2.5 x 7.5 cm)	16
   Adhesive tape, at least 3/8 in. x 2.5 yd. (2.3 m)	1
   Antibiotic application, 1/57 oz. (0.5 g)	10
   Antiseptic, 1/57 oz. (0.5 g)	10
   Breathing barrier	1
   Burn dressing (gel soaked), 4 x 4 in. (10 x 10 cm)	1
   Burn treatment, 1.32 oz. (0.9 g) application	10
   Cold pack, 4 x 5 in. (10 x 12.5 cm)	1
   Eye covering with means of attachment, 2.9 sq. in. (19 sq. cm) per eye	2
   Eye/skin wash, 1 fl. oz. (29.6 ml)	1
   First-aid guide	1
   Foil Blanket	1
   Hand sanitizer, 1/32 oz. (0.9 g)5	10
   Medical examination glove pairs (non-latex)	2 pr
   Roller bandage, 2 x 4 yd. (5 x 3.66 cm)6	1
   Scissors	1
   Sterile pad, 3 x 3 in. (7.5 x 7.5 cm)	2
   Trauma pad, 5 x 9 in. (12.7 x 22.9 cm)7	2
   Triangular bandage, 40 x 40 x 56 in. (101 x 101 x 142 cm)	1

6. There are numerous sources for the purchase of first aid kits, including vendors preferred by UCB through BearBuy. Grainger Item #46G224. Suitable for 50 People. This kit does not contain a breathing barrier*. 
   Grainger Item #46G218. Suitable for 25 People. This kit does not contain a breathing barrier*.
   Red Cross Breathing Barrier* can be purchased separately.  

7. EH&S and OHC have approved the contents of the NOLS Med-kit 4.0  or equivalent for employee groups performing research or work in the field (outdoors and at a distance from medical care). EH&S also provides a Wilderness First Aid Training for persons working in remote places. A good first aid program should be part of any field safety plan.

8.  Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
   There are numerous AEDs positioned throughout the campus, identified with signage. All University maintained AEDs have breathing barriers and gloves already attached to the unit. Whenever CPR needs to be performed, effort should be made to locate the nearest AED. For more information, go to the campus AED website.