Before the crew starts, verify the kit, a certified person, posted numbers, and coverage scope.
Key takeaways
- The federal page requires the employer to check the first aid kit before it is sent out on each job and at least weekly on each job to ensure expended items are replaced.
- The contents must be in a weatherproof container with individual sealed packages for each type of item, according to Legal Information Institute.
- Washington state law requires a person or persons holding a valid first-aid certificate to be available at all worksites where a crew is present, according to Washington State Legislature. If your crew is in Washington, the person you name before the shift starts must hold that valid certificate.
- Where 911 dispatch is not available, post the telephone numbers of physicians, hospitals, or ambulances conspicuously, according to Legal Information Institute.
- These checks come from the federal page, Washington, and the British page, so do not blend them into a single universal rule.
What to check on the first-aid setup before the crew starts
The four checks for today’s setup focus on kit access, personnel certification, posted numbers, and coverage scope. The federal regulation specifies that the contents of the first aid kit must be placed in a weatherproof container with individual sealed packages for each type of item. The employer must check the kit before it is sent out on each job and at least weekly on each job to ensure expended items are replaced, as stated by the Legal Information Institute. This weekly cycle is a documented requirement for the federal page, not a suggestion.
For personnel, the Washington page states that you must have available at all worksites, where a crew is present, a person or persons holding a valid first-aid certificate, according to Washington State Legislature. This rule applies specifically to Washington worksites. You must name who holds this certificate before the shift begins. If no one on your crew holds the certificate described by the Washington page, that line is not yet checked.
The other two checks involve the posted emergency number and the worksite location, which the federal page requires, and the scope of who the duty covers, which the British page defines. The British page, referring to the 1981 regulations, defines the duty’s coverage, including the self-employed line. These four points form the core of the pre-shift verification.
Who each official page says must be trained or designated
The Washington State Legislature sets specific personnel requirements for construction sites. Under WAC 296-155-120, you must have available at all worksites, where a crew is present, a person or persons holding a valid first-aid certificate according to Washington State Legislature. This requirement applies whenever a crew is on site, not just during specific high-risk tasks. The rule focuses on the presence of certified individuals rather than a specific number of staff.
The same Washington State Legislature rule specifies exactly who must hold that certificate. All crew leaders, supervisors or persons in direct charge of one or more employees must have a valid first-aid certificate according to Washington State Legislature. This means the person directing the work must be the one with the valid certificate. It is not enough to have a certified worker elsewhere on the site if the supervisor in charge does not hold the certificate. The rule ties the certification directly to the role of leadership and direct charge.
For your small firm, this means checking the credentials of your crew leaders and supervisors before the shift starts. If you have multiple supervisors on different parts of the site, each one in direct charge of employees must hold the valid certificate. You cannot rely on a single certified worker to cover all supervisors. The Washington State Legislature rule is clear that the person in charge must be the one with the valid first-aid certificate.
When you name who can give first aid, you are naming the person who meets this Washington State Legislature requirement. If your supervisor is not certified, they cannot be the person in direct charge under this rule. You must either train them or assign a certified person to that role. The certificate must be valid, meaning it is current and not expired.
Related guides include the construction daily log checklist, recordable jobsite injuries, and the hot-work handoff.
When the kit is checked and what does not belong in it
The federal page at 29 CFR § 1926.50 - Medical services and first aid. | Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute requires the employer to check the first aid kit contents before sending them out on each job and at least weekly on each job, according to Legal Information Institute. This check ensures expended items are replaced, according to Legal Information Institute. The same federal page notes that an example of the minimal contents of a generic first aid kit is described in American National Standard (ANSI) Z308.1-1978 “Minimum Requirements for Industrial Unit-Type First-aid Kits,” according to Legal Information Institute. The federal page gives ANSI Z308.1-1978 as an example of minimal generic kit contents, according to Legal Information Institute.
California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 1512. Emergency Medical Services. states that drugs, antiseptics, eye irrigation solutions, inhalants, medicines, or proprietary preparations shall not be included in first-aid kits unless specifically approved, in writing, by an employer-authorized, licensed physician, according to California Department of Industrial Relations. This restriction applies specifically to California rules, according to California Department of Industrial Relations. Do not add medications to the kit without that specific written approval, according to California Department of Industrial Relations.
Check the kit weekly and before each job dispatch, according to Legal Information Institute. Verify the container is weatherproof and items are in sealed packages, according to Legal Information Institute. Review the ANSI Z308.1-1978 example list as a reference for minimal contents, according to Legal Information Institute. Remove any drugs or proprietary preparations unless you have written approval from an employer-authorized, licensed physician, according to California Department of Industrial Relations.
A filled reference table of each publisher's first-aid rule
The following table lists the specific first-aid requirements from the four official sources, with each row restricted to the facts provided by that publisher's page.
| Publisher | Source Page | main requirement | Specific Requirement or Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Information Institute | 29 CFR § 1926.50 - Medical services and first aid. | Kit contents and checking frequency | The contents of the first aid kit shall be placed in a weatherproof container with individual sealed packages for each type of item, and shall be checked by the employer before being sent out on each job and at least weekly on each job to ensure that the expended items are replaced, according to Legal Information Institute. |
| California Department of Industrial Relations | California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 1512. Emergency Medical Services. | Provision of a first-aid kit | Every employer working on or furnishing personnel on a construction project, on line crews and on other short duration or transient jobs shall provide at least one first-aid kit in a weatherproof container, according to California Department of Industrial Relations. |
| Health and Safety Executive | Legislation - HSE | Adequate equipment and personnel | The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work, according to Health and Safety Executive. |
| Washington State Legislature | WAC 296-155-120: | Available certified personnel | You must have available at all worksites, where a crew is present, a person or persons holding a valid first-aid certificate, according to Washington State Legislature. |
Use this table to verify that your site's kit container is weatherproof, that the weekly check is scheduled, and that the person holding the valid certificate is identified for the current crew.
Where to post the emergency number and the worksite location
The federal rule requires you to post specific contact details when standard emergency dispatch is not available. In areas where 911 emergency dispatch services are not available, the telephone numbers of the physicians, hospitals, or ambulances shall be conspicuously posted, according to Legal Information Institute. This posting requirement applies to the "29 CFR § 1926.50 - Medical services and first aid. | Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute" page. You must ensure these numbers are visible and accessible to the crew.
You must also provide location-identification information. The rule states that other location-identification information that communicates effectively to employees the location of the worksite is required, according to Legal Information Institute. The source names this requirement as part of the medical services and first aid regulations.
There is an exception for sites with specific land line capabilities. The requirement for location-identification information does not apply to worksites with readily available telephone land lines that have 911 emergency service that automatically identifies the location of the caller, according to Legal Information Institute. If your site has this type of land line, you do not need to post the separate location-identification information specified in that paragraph. However, you must verify that the land line actually provides automatic location identification.
Check your site’s phone system before deciding if you can skip the location post. If the system does not automatically identify the caller’s location to 911, you must post the location information. The federal page ties this exemption strictly to the presence of readily available land lines with automatic identification features. Do not assume a mobile phone or a standard land line without automatic identification meets this exception.
Illustrative example
A crew of 4 checks 1 weatherproof kit and replaces expended items. One person in direct charge holds a valid first-aid certificate. Emergency dispatch is not available, so physician, hospital, and ambulance numbers are posted for employees, and 0 land lines identify the caller.
Lines for today's kit check
Write the date and the kit location on the lines here.
Date: _ _
Kit location: _ _
| field | entry |
|---|---|
| Example | person in direct charge with a valid first-aid certificate |
Today, confirm the weatherproof container and sealed packages, then write the name of the person in direct charge who holds a valid first-aid certificate.
Questions about the jobsite first-aid check
How often does the federal page say to check the kit?
The federal page states that the employer must check the first-aid kit before it is sent out on each job. It also requires checking the kit at least weekly on each job to ensure expended items are replaced, according to Legal Information Institute.
Who must hold a certificate on the Washington page?
The Washington page specifies that all crew leaders, supervisors, or persons in direct charge of one or more employees must have a valid first-aid certificate, according to Washington State Legislature.
What does California say about drugs in the kit?
California rules prohibit including drugs, antiseptics, eye irrigation solutions, inhalants, medicines, or proprietary preparations in first-aid kits unless specifically approved in writing by an employer-authorized, licensed physician, according to California Department of Industrial Relations.
What phone detail does the federal page require when 911 does not identify the caller?
Post other location-identification information that communicates the worksite location to employees, unless readily available telephone land lines have 911 emergency service that automatically identifies the caller, according to Legal Information Institute.
Does the British page require first aid for members of the public?
The British page clarifies that the Regulations do not place a legal duty on employers to make first-aid provision for non-employees such as the public or children in schools, according to Health and Safety Executive.