Summary: Ensuring employees have basic knowledge of first aid and how to respond in an emergency is key to promoting a safe workplace. Learn more about OSHA's first aid requirements, basic first aid procedures, and how to build well-equipped first aid kits for the workplace.

No matter how many safety precautions a business may have in place, workplace accidents can still occur. Injuries can be as minor as a paper cut or as serious as a broken limb, or worse. Along with injuries, employees may fall ill from chemicals in the air or from health conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. No matter what injury or illness is involved, performing first aid promptly and correctly can not only help reduce the victim's recovery time – it could also save their life.

All employers should create a workplace safety program to help lower the risk of accidents and injuries that occur on the job. Likewise, developing safety rules and policies specific to the organization should be integrated into the employees' daily work activities. However, when an injury or illness does occur, the OSHA First Aid standard (20 CFR 1920.151) requires employers to have trained first aid providers at workplaces of any size if there is no “infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity to the workplace which is used for the treatment of all injured employees.” Additionally, OSHA standards also require training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) because sudden cardiac arrest from asphyxiation, electrocution or exertion may occur on the premises. CPR may keep the victim alive until emergency medical services can arrive on the scene to provide professional care. Many reputable organizations like the Red Cross or the local American Heart Association chapter offer first aid and CPR training. The cost per person is generally minimal, and standard training takes about eight hours to complete. Plus, some first aid trainings can be tailored to the business's specific needs depending on the common hazards workers face daily. OSHA states that a workplace first aid program is part of the business's comprehensive safety and health management system that includes four essential elements:

Creating a workplace safety plan is also an essential step of OSHA requirements. Employers should take time to identify the specific risks facing their workers and then develop their workplace first aid program that can help minimize the injuries resulting from accidents and exposures. The first aid program should also ensure first aid supplies and equipment are available and easily accessible.

After employees have undergone training, it's important to update the workplace safety plan regularly. Workers trained in first aid or CPR should do refresher sessions as needed; employers should “test” them by asking how they would respond to certain emergencies. According to the Red Cross, when an individual suffers an injury or illness, some common first aid procedures include:

Hasty actions and decisions made in the heat of the moment may make many accidents and injuries in the workplace worse. Employees should be trained to stay calm, assess the situation, contact the individual in charge and do their best to help the injured or ill person.

When there's an emergency at the workplace, there will be no time to run out to get supplies. That's why its vital businesses keep a well-equipped first aid kit on the premises. Employers can purchase pre-filled first aid kits, but per OSHA, they should make sure the kits contain the following items:

Additionally, employers should consider the specific hazards their workers face and customize their first aid kits with other necessary items, such as eye wash solutions, salves for burns, etc.

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