The legislation states that every workplace must have a first aid kit to guarantee the provision of first aid as quickly as the type of foreseeable damage requires. It must be guaranteed that the injured person can access it or move to the place of the accident (portable first aid kit).
This requirement applies to all workplaces and, if there are more than 50 workers or more than 25 valuing the danger, there must also be a room for first aid and health care.
In the section of first aid kits you will find various models adapted to different types of companies such as those working with food (bakeries, hotels, butchers, detectable ...), eye kits, to make mouth-to-mouth or for compression.
The obligation regarding first aid kits is contained in Annex VI of Royal Decree 486/1997, of 14 April, which establishes the minimum safety and health requirements for workplaces. According to this law, what materials and utensils must be contained in a first-aid kit?
Mandatory materials in a first-aid kit at work
Regardless of the special cases, each workplace must be equipped with at least one portable first-aid kit:
- Authorized disinfectants and antiseptics
- Sterile gauze
- Hydrophilic cotton
- Sell
- Asparagus
- Adhesive dressings
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Disposable gloves
If the company has more than 50 workers, it is necessary to set up a room for first aid and other possible health care. This room must have at least:
- A first-aid kit
- A stretcher
- A source of drinking water
The labor authority may also determine that such a room is established in companies with more than 25 workers in which there is a greater danger or there are difficulties in accessing the nearest health care center.
Aspects to be taken into account in the company's first-aid kit
- It is necessary to periodically review the materials and replace them when they are used.
- First aid equipment and premises should be clearly marked. The first aid kit must be adapted to the size of the company, the risks to which they are exposed and the distance to a health centre.
- In addition to the extra materials with which a basic first-aid kit can be equipped, there are other first-aid devices that are very useful in companies.
Other first-aid devices
In the places where food and drink are distributed or in the canteens of companies, it is also interesting to have a first aid device against choking. A simple but effective suction device to avoid airway obstruction in case of choking.
As in choking, in a cardiorespiratory arrest or a heart attack acting quickly can save life. There are now portable resuscitators or defibrillators that act as a resuscitator to a victim of cardiorespiratory arrest or heart attack.