What Should a Workplace First Aid Kit Contain? First Aid Box Rules (BS 8599-1)
Updated 26 October 2026 · 4 min read · Amber Training
Reviewed for accuracy by a qualified Amber Training first aid trainer.
A UK workplace first aid kit should follow BS 8599-1, the British Standard for workplace kits. In practice that means a guidance leaflet, assorted plasters, sterile dressings, triangular bandages, eye pads, cleansing wipes, adhesive tape, nitrile gloves, a resuscitation face shield, a foil blanket, burn dressings and shears, in quantities matched to your kit size. The law itself is less prescriptive: the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require provision that is "adequate and appropriate", and your first aid needs assessment decides what that looks like for your workplace.
Our free first aid kit checklist works out which size and how many kits you need, and prints a contents list you can tick off.
Here is what that means when you are the person responsible for stocking the kit.
The standard contents list
A BS 8599-1 workplace kit contains, in varying quantities by size:
- First aid guidance leaflet
- Washproof plasters, assorted sizes (blue detectable plasters for food businesses)
- Sterile dressings, medium and large
- Sterile finger dressings
- Triangular bandages
- Sterile eye pads
- Alcohol-free cleansing wipes
- Microporous adhesive tape
- Nitrile gloves, several pairs
- Resuscitation face shield
- Foil survival blanket
- Burn dressings
- Universal shears
- Conforming bandages
If your assessment identifies specific risks, add to this base: eye wash stations where there is no clean running water, plus travel kits for staff who work off site.
HSE's minimum first aid box contents
HSE does not set a mandatory list, and BS 8599-1 is not law. Where you have no special risks, HSE's guidance on the First Aid Regulations (L74) suggests a minimum stock for a first aid box:
- A leaflet giving general guidance on first aid
- 20 individually wrapped sterile plasters, assorted sizes, appropriate to the work
- 2 sterile eye pads
- 2 individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile
- 6 safety pins
- 2 large sterile, individually wrapped, unmedicated wound dressings
- 6 medium-sized sterile, individually wrapped, unmedicated wound dressings
- At least 3 pairs of disposable gloves
Where mains tap water is not readily available for eye irrigation, HSE's guidance adds sterile water or sterile saline in sealed disposable containers. A BS 8599-1 kit goes further than this minimum (adding items such as a face shield, foil blanket, burn dressings and shears), which is why most employers now buy to the British Standard.
First aid box requirements
Whatever you put in it, the box itself should be:
- Easy to find and reach during working hours, ideally near a hand-washing point, with at least one per site and floor where staff are spread out
- Clearly marked, with the standard white cross on a green background
- Kept for first aid only, with nothing else stored in it
- Checked and restocked by a named person, with a record of the check
Which size kit you need
BS 8599-1 sets out small, medium and large kits. The right size depends on headcount and risk, not headcount alone:
- Small: low-risk settings (offices, shops) with fewer than 25 staff, or higher-risk settings (construction, warehousing, kitchens) with fewer than 5
- Medium: low-risk settings with 25 to 100 staff, or higher-risk settings with 5 to 25
- Large: one for every 100 staff in low-risk settings over 100, or one for every 25 staff in higher-risk settings over 25
Split sites, lone workers and vehicles each need their own provision. One large kit locked in a ground-floor office does not cover a three-floor building well; several smaller kits usually serve better than one big one.
Our free first aid kit checklist works out the size and number of kits for your headcount and prints a contents checklist and monthly inspection log.
What to leave out
HSE guidance is clear that first aid at work does not include giving tablets or medicines, so painkillers do not belong in the kit. Keep personal medication (inhalers, EpiPens) with the individual, not in the communal box. Anything expired should come out at the next check: sterile items carry expiry dates and lose their sterility claim beyond them.
Checking and restocking
A kit that was compliant in January and empty by June helps nobody. Name one person per site to check kits monthly against the contents list, restock after every use, and record the check. It takes five minutes and it is exactly the sort of simple system an inspector or insurer expects to see alongside your first aider provision.
The kit is half the answer
A well-stocked kit still needs someone confident enough to open it under pressure. The same needs assessment that sets your kit size also tells you whether you legally need a trained first aider, and for most London workplaces the answer is yes. We deliver Emergency First Aid at Work (one day, £645 per session) and First Aid at Work (three days, £1,595 per session) at your venue for up to 12 staff, anywhere in England.
Book training. No payment until your booking is confirmed. Confirmation by email within one working day.
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a workplace first aid kit in the UK?
A workplace kit aligned to BS 8599-1 typically contains a guidance leaflet, assorted plasters, sterile dressings in medium and large sizes, triangular bandages, sterile eye pads, alcohol-free cleansing wipes, adhesive tape, nitrile gloves, finger dressings, a resuscitation face shield, a foil blanket, burn dressings, shears and conforming bandages. The exact quantities depend on the kit size your first aid needs assessment points to.
What does HSE say should be in a first aid box?
HSE does not set a mandatory list. Its guidance (L74) suggests a minimum stock for a low-hazard workplace with no special risks: a leaflet giving general guidance on first aid, 20 individually wrapped sterile plasters of assorted sizes, 2 sterile eye pads, 2 individually wrapped triangular bandages (preferably sterile), 6 safety pins, 2 large and 6 medium sterile individually wrapped unmedicated wound dressings, and at least 3 pairs of disposable gloves. Your needs assessment may call for more.
How many first aid boxes does a workplace need?
At least one suitably stocked and clearly marked first aid box for each site, and more where the building, shifts or risks mean one box cannot be reached quickly. As a BS 8599-1 guide, low-risk workplaces need a small kit below 25 staff, a medium kit for 25 to 100 and one large kit per 100 staff (or part of 100) once you have more than 100; higher-risk workplaces need a small kit below 5, a medium kit for 5 to 25 and one large kit per 25 staff (or part of 25) once you have more than 25.
Is BS 8599-1 a legal requirement?
No. The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require adequate and appropriate provision, decided by your first aid needs assessment, but they do not name a specific standard. BS 8599-1 is the recognised British benchmark, so stocking a compliant kit is the simplest way to show your provision is adequate.
Can you keep painkillers in a workplace first aid kit?
No. HSE guidance is that first aid at work does not include giving tablets or medicines, so paracetamol and similar items should not be kept in the kit. The exception discussed in guidance is aspirin given for a suspected heart attack, and workplaces should take a considered position on that with their first aiders.
Book Emergency First Aid at Work for your team
Emergency First Aid at Work: 1 day at your venue, £645 per session for up to 12 staff, including trainer, equipment, certificates and travel.
Ofqual-regulated certificates. No payment until your booking is confirmed. Confirmation by email within one working day. Private sessions for your team, not public courses.