For supervisors and safety coordinators: know what OSHA requires employers to have in place for first aid, first aid supplies, eyewash and drench facilities, and emergency medical response. Awareness only; this is not first aid or CPR training.
Based on OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151 (general industry) and 29 CFR 1926.50 (construction) · about 4 min read
Need proof of training? The full course (15 min) adds practice questions, a job scenario, the final quiz and a certificate your employer can verify.
In both general industry and construction, the employer must make sure medical personnel are available for advice and consultation on health matters.
General industryIf there is no infirmary, clinic or hospital in near proximity to the workplace that is used to treat all injured employees, one or more people must be adequately trained to render first aid.
ConstructionIf there is no infirmary, clinic, hospital or physician reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance and available to treat injured employees, a person with a valid certificate in first-aid training (from the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the American Red Cross, or equivalent training verifiable by documentary evidence) must be available at the worksite.
Your decision: look honestly at how long it would take an injured worker to get treatment from your site. If no qualifying medical facility is close enough, in general industry one or more people must be adequately trained to render first aid, and in construction a person with a valid first-aid training certificate, or equivalent training verifiable by documentary evidence, must be available at the worksite.
Supplies: available, checked and matched to your hazards
What the rules require
General industry: adequate first aid supplies must be readily available.
Construction: supplies must be easily accessible when required. Kit contents go 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 so used items are replaced.
What OSHA's non-mandatory appendix advises
The appendix points to ANSI Z308.1 as an example of minimal kit contents and says the contents of the kit listed in the ANSI standard should be adequate for small worksites. For larger or multiple operations at one location, decide whether you need more kits, more types of supplies, and larger quantities.
Use your OSHA 300 and 301 logs or other reports to spot unique first aid needs.
Reassess your site's needs periodically and add to the kit as needed.
Giving first aid can expose your responders to blood. If it is reasonably anticipated that employees will be exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials while using first aid supplies, then in general industry employers are required to provide appropriate PPE in compliance with the Bloodborne Pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(3), such as gloves, gowns, face shields, masks and eye protection. For construction, the 1926.50 appendix says employers should provide that PPE in the same situation.
Your check: when you inspect a kit, make sure the protective equipment is there too, not just bandages.
Reference: 29 CFR 1910.151 Appendix A · 29 CFR 1926.50 Appendix A
Eyewash and drench
Where corrosives are, flushing must be close
The rule is the same in general industry and construction. Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body must be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.
Good practice: walk your site with the Safety Data Sheets in hand, find every task that uses a product corrosive to skin or eyes, and check that a flushing facility is in that work area, works, and has a clear path to it.
Reference: 29 CFR 1910.151(c) · 29 CFR 1926.50(g)
Getting medical help
Plan before the project starts
The construction standard spells out how an injured worker gets help. Settle these before the project starts.
Prompt medical attention: provisions for serious injury must be made prior to commencement of the project.
Transport or communication: provide proper equipment to transport the injured person to a physician or hospital, or a communication system to contact ambulance service.
No 911 in the area: conspicuously post the phone numbers of the physicians, hospitals or ambulances.
911 available: make sure your communication system is effective in reaching emergency medical service. If it does not automatically give the 911 dispatcher the caller's latitude and longitude, post the site's latitude and longitude or other location information that tells employees where the site is, in a conspicuous location.
Exception: the location posting is not required at worksites with readily available telephone land lines that have 911 service that automatically identifies the caller's location.
Fact-checked against the regulation text on October 09, 2026. This certificate records completion of awareness training on employer first aid requirements based on OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151 and 1926.50. It is not a first aid or CPR certification, and it is not an OSHA card or license. It does not by itself meet the first-aid training requirements of 29 CFR 1910.151(b) or 29 CFR 1926.50(c). Where 29 CFR 1910.151(b) applies, the employer must still ensure that a person or persons are adequately trained to render first aid; where 29 CFR 1926.50(c) applies, the employer must still ensure that a person who has a valid certificate in first-aid training from the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the American Red Cross, or equivalent training that can be verified by documentary evidence is available at the worksite to render first aid.
This guide explains the rule in plain words. Always read the regulation itself and your employer's site-specific procedures.