What Should a Workplace First Aid Kit Contain?

At Act Fast, we're not just suppliers, we're qualified first aid instructors who train businesses across the UK every day. We know exactly what goes into a first aid kit because we're the ones teaching people how to use every item in it. The single biggest issue we see is employers either under-stocking because they don't know the standard, or over-buying without a proper needs assessment to guide them.

This guide cuts through the confusion. We'll tell you exactly what the law requires, what BS 8599-1:2019+A1:2026 specifies, and what your workplace actually needs. 

What the Law Actually Requires

Under the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, every UK employer must provide adequate first aid equipment, facilities and personnel. No exceptions.

The law doesn't hand you a shopping list, it requires you to carry out a first aid needs assessment and stock accordingly. HSE guidance (L74, updated 2024) tells you how to do that assessment. BS 8599-1 tells you what to put in the kit.

2024 L74 update — two things changed:

• Employers must now consider mental health in their needs assessment
• Updated guidance on provision for life-threatening bleeding

If your assessment pre-dates 2024, review it now.

HSE Minimum Kit Contents (Low-Risk Workplaces)

If you run a low-risk workplace (office, retail, light commercial), this would be the minimum as a starting point:

• Assorted sterile plasters (assorted sizes)
• Sterile eye pads x 2
• Triangular bandages (sterile, individually wrapped) x 2
• Safety pins x 6
• Medium sterile wound dressings x 2
• Large sterile wound dressings x 2
• Disposable nitrile gloves x 1 pair per user
• First aid guidance leaflet x 1

This is the minimum. A BS 8599-compliant kit covers you significantly better and is what HSE enforcement officers expect to see.

BS 8599-1:2019+A1:2026 — The Standard You Should Be Meeting

BS 8599-1 is the national benchmark for workplace first aid kits, referenced directly in HSE's L74 guidance. The standard was updated in April 2026, the current version is BS 8599-1:2019+A1:2026.

What BS 8599 Adds Over the HSE Minimum

• Burn dressings
• Foil emergency blanket
• CPR resuscitation face shield
• Eye wash

For any workplace where burns, lacerations or cardiac events are realistic risks, there is no good reason to stock below this standard.

What Changed in the 2026 Amendment

The A1:2026 amendment does not change the physical kit contents. What it does change is how employers are expected to approach provision. Four key shifts:

1. Risk-based approach is now central. A warehouse with forklifts has different risks to a call centre. The 2026 amendment makes clear that kit contents and quantities must reflect your specific hazards, not just the nearest off-the-shelf size.

2. Supplementary equipment is explicitly expected.  Standard BS 8599 kits are a baseline. Where your needs assessment identifies specific risks, bleeding, burns, eye contamination, cardiac events - supplementary equipment is now clearly expected alongside the standard kit.

3. Kit size and quantity guidance tightened. Multi-site businesses, shift workers and lone workers must be specifically considered. A single kit approach will not satisfy the updated standard for remote or high-risk workforces.

4. AEDs are also now recommended for workplaces with 5 or more people. This is the most significant change. BS 8599-1:2019+A1:2026 now specifies that a defibrillator (AED) should be available wherever 5 or more people are present, employees, visitors and customers included. The device must be accessible within 2 minutes. Larger sites may need more than one.

View our range of defibrillators here, and download our user guide

Which Kit Size Does Your Workplace Need?

Do you have multiple buildings or floors? If so, you need multiple kits and equipment. Are your employees working remotely or away from a fixed base? If so, employers will need to provide personal issue or travel kits.

What Should a High-Risk Workplace First Aid Kit Include? 

Your needs assessment may require you to supplement a standard kit. Here's what to consider:

Life-Threatening Bleeding. If your workplace involves using cutting tools or heavy machinery you must consider stocking a life threatening bleed kit on site, these typically contain a tourniquet (CAT or equivalent), trauma bandages and haemostatic dressings such as QuikClot. The HSE's 2024 L74 update specifically addresses this, and critically, having the equipment isn't enough. Your first aiders on site must be trained how to use these items, as well as how to improvise to stop a major bleed, if these are not available.

Burns. If your employees are exposed to burn risk, whether from heat, open flame or industrial processes, your kit needs additional burn dressings. Please Note: the current best practice in burns first aid prioritises 20 minutes of cool running water over using burn gels. Gels are useful for covering a minor burn after cooling, they are not a substitute for water treatment. For chemical burns, consult your COSHH data sheets.

Eye Wash. Eye wash is mandatory wherever employees are exposed to chemicals or dust. Sealed 250ml or 500ml pods if mains-fed wash is unavailable, these must be immediately accessible in the work area, not across the building.

Defibrillators (AEDs). It is recommended that if you have five or more people on site, you should have one readily available on site. Remote locations, large sites and workforces with elevated cardiac risk should prioritise this. View our range of defibrillators here.

Mental Health First Aid. Physical kits don't address mental health, but trained mental health first aiders are now expected as part of a complete provision. HSE's 2024 guidance made this explicit.

Workplace First Aid Kit Checklist 2026

Use this when auditing or restocking, and keep a record of expiry dates, so these can be replaced immediately.

Higher-Risk Additions

Download our full guide here

Maintaining Your Kit

A depleted or out-of-date kit could potentially be a compliance issue. We recommend completing the following as the minimum standard to ensure you are keeping up to date:

• Monthly visual check
• Quarterly full audit against checklist
• Any used items should be replaced immediately
• Check all sterile items are within expiry date
• Check packaging is intact, no tears, damp or damage
• Confirm the kit is accessible, unlocked and clearly signed
• Record the inspection date against your checklist
• Consider tamper seals in public areas to ensure to no kit is missing

Kits must never be locked during working hours. They must be signposted with a green first aid sign. If you've moved the kit, update your signage.

Quick FAQs

1. Is a workplace first aid kit a legal requirement? Yes. No provision at all is a criminal offence under the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.
2. Does my kit have to be BS 8599 compliant? Not by law, but HSE recommends it and enforcement officers expect it. It's the clearest route to demonstrable compliance.
3. How many kits do I need? At minimum, one per site. In larger premises, a kit should be within two minutes' walk of any employee. Multi-floor or multi-building sites need multiple kits.
4. Do remote and lone workers need kits? Yes. HSE L74 guidance specifically covers home workers and lone workers. Personal issue kits are the minimum for home workers; more comprehensive travel kits for those in isolated environments.

Sources: HSE Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981; HSE L74 (3rd edition, updated 2024); BS 8599-1:2019; BS 8599-1:2019+A1:2026 (April 2026). This guide is for general information. Always carry out your own needs assessment and consult current HSE guidance for your industry.