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It is a requirement of OSHA that employees be given a safe and healthy workplace that is reasonably free of occupational hazards. However, it is unrealistic to expect accidents not to happen. Therefore, employers are required to provide medical and first aid personnel and supplies commensurate with the hazards of the workplace. The details of a workplace medical and first aid program are dependent on the circumstances of each workplace and employer. The intent of this page is to provide general information that may be of assistance. If additional information is required, an Occupational Health Professional should be contacted.
Medical and first aid services are addressed in specific standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals, longshoring, and the construction industry.
OSHA Standards
This section highlights OSHA standards, directives (instructions for compliance officers), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to medical and first aid.
Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.
General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
1910.151, Medical services and first aid
1910.266, Logging operations [related topic page]
1910.266(d)(2), First-aid kits
Appendix A, First-aid kits (Mandatory)
Appendix B, First-aid and CPR training (Mandatory)
1910.269, Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution [related topic page]
1910.269(b), Medical services and first aid
1910.421, Pre-dive procedures [related topic page]
Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)
1915.87, Medical services and first aid
Marine Terminals (29 CFR 1917)
1917.26, First aid and lifesaving facilities
Longshoring (29 CFR 1918)
1918.97, First aid and lifesaving facilities (see appendix V of this part)
Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)
1926.23, First aid and medical attention
1926.50, Medical services and first aid
Directives
Inspection Procedures for 29 CFR 1910.120 and 1926.65, Paragraph (q): Emergency Response to Hazardous Substance Releases. CPL 02-02-073, (2007, August 27). Also available as a 444 KB PDF, 119 pages. Updates enforcement procedures for compliance officers who need to conduct inspections of emergency response operations. It defines additional terms and expands on training requirements for emergency responders and other groups such as skilled support personnel. This OSHA instruction revises CPL 02-02-059, issued April 24, 1998.
Logging Operations, Inspection Procedures and Interpretive Guidance Including Twelve Previously Stayed Provisions. CPL 02-01-022 [CPL 2-1.22], (1996, September 27).
Logging Operations, Inspection Procedures and Interpretive Guidance. CPL 02-01-019 [CPL 2-1.19], (1995, March 17).
Exposure Control Plan for OSHA Personnel with Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens. CPL 02-02-060 [CPL 2-2.60], (1994, March 7).
29 CFR 1910.151(c), Medical Services and First Aid; 29 CFR 1926.50 and .51, Medical Service and First Aid, and …. STD 01-08-002 [STD 1-8.2], (1982, March 8).
American Red Cross Agreement. CPL 02-00-002 [CPL 2.2], (1978, October 30). Provides information regarding first aid training requirements and courses.
29 CFR 1910, Subpart T — Commercial Diving Operations. STD 02-00-151, (2011, June 13).
Search all available directives.
Standard Interpretations
Interpretation of the First Aid standard. (1996, December 11).
OSHA first aid standard. (1996, March 18). Discusses frequency of training.
Clarification of training requirements under 1910.151, (Medical Services and First Aid). (1995, July 24).
Medical and First Aid standards. (1994, July 26). Discusses whether full face shields and access to a water hose can be used as a substitute for a commercially available eye wash facility.
Clarification on first aid requirements for hazardous waste sites. (1993, April 20).
Successful completion of a first aid course demonstrated by means other than a written knowledge test. (1992, September 2).
When a lifesaving skiff is to be considered as being “immediately available”. (1991, December 6).
Standard for medical services and first aid. (1991, July 2).
First Aid treatment required within 3 to 4 minutes of injury. (1990, June 13).
First Aid Training. (1976, January 27).
The following interpretations areapplicabletoeyewash and body flushing facilities:
Requirements for emergency eyewash stations in retail autoparts stores. (1994, August 11).
Standard requirements for eyewash and shower equipment, personnel and other protective equipment and air circulation fans, used in an automotive battery charging area. (1994, March 31).
The following interpretations demonstrate the applicationofthebloodborne pathogens standard to first aid providers:
Most frequently asked questions concerning the bloodborne pathogens standard. (2011, November 1).
Bloodborne pathogens impact on non-health care industries. (1992, December 15).
Applicability of Bloodborne Pathogens Standard to emergency responders, decontamination, housekeeping, and good samaritan acts. (1992, December 4).
Applicability of bloodborne pathogens standard to first aid providers at electric cooperatives. (1992, October 23).
Applicability of bloodborne pathogens standard to first aid providers at drilling operations. (1992, October 22).
Bloodborne pathogen standard’s applicability to employees of summer camps and conference/retreat centers. (1992, October 1).
Bloodborne pathogens standard’s relationship to employees trained in first aid around electrical lines. (1992, September 4).
Search all available standard interpretations.
What is first aid?
First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred. It often consists of a one-time, short-term treatment and requires little technology or training to administer. First aid can include cleaning minor cuts, scrapes, or scratches; treating a minor burn; applying bandages and dressings; the use of non-prescription medicine; draining blisters; removing debris from the eyes; massage; and drinking fluids to relieve heat stress. OSHA’s revised recordkeeping rule, which went into effect January 1, 2002, does not require first aid cases to be documented. For example: A worker goes to the first-aid room and has a dressing applied to a minor cut by a registered nurse. Although the registered nurse is a health care professional, the employer does not have to report the accident because the worker simply received first aid. The selected references below provide more information on first aid.
Medical and First Aid – OSHA Standards. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Provides formal OSHA definitions of first aid and related requirements.
First Aid. National Ag Safety Database (NASD). Provides links to a variety of first aid topics primarily related to the agriculture industry.
Basic First Aid: Script. Intended to be used as a refresher safety awareness session.
Basic First Aid. Provides basic first aid response procedures.
Job Injuries and First Aid Training Guide. Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety & Health (elcosh), (1994). Provides teaching guidelines and basic first aid questions aimed at recognizing hazards and controls in the workplace.
First Aid. Mayo Clinic. Includes information for handling a variety of emergency care situations.
First Aid Programs
First aid training is primarily received through the American Red Cross, the National Safety Council (NSC), and private institutions. The American Red Cross and NSC offer standard and advanced first aid courses via their local chapter/training centers. After completing the course and successfully passing the written and practical tests, trainees receive two certificates; (adult CPR and first aid). An emphasis on quick response to first aid situations is incorporated throughout the program. Other program elements include: basic first aid intervention, basic adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and universal precautions for self-protection. Specific program elements include training specific to the type of injury: shock, bleeding, poisoning, burns, temperature extremes, musculoskeletal injuries, bites and stings, medical emergencies, and confined spaces. Instruction in the principles and first aid intervention of injuries will cover the following sites: head and neck, eye, nose, mouth and teeth, chest, abdomen, and hand, finger, and foot injuries. Employers are responsible for the type, amount, and maintenance of first aid supplies needed for their particular program. The training program should be periodically reviewed with current first aid techniques and knowledge. Basic adult CPR retesting should occur every year and first aid skills and knowledge should be reviewed every three years. The references below provide further fundamentals to help develop and maintain first aid program and skills.
Corporate Training. American Heart Association (AHA). Find information about training for the workplace, general public and healthcare providers. Learn about course materials and use links to related emergency care information.
Z358.1-2004, Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment. American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Provides requirements for eyewash facilities.
Emergency Washing Facilities [110 KB PDF, 2 pages]. Worker’s Compensation Board of Manitoba, (2008, December).
Illness and Injury Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Records of first aid and medical treatments should be maintained in accordance with OSHA’s recordkeeping standards.
Additional Information
Related Safety and Health Topics Pages
Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention
Training
Corporate Training. American Heart Association (AHA). Find information about training for the workplace, general public and healthcare providers. Learn about course materials and use links to related emergency care information.
First Aid Training Programs. National Safety Council (NSC). Serves as a tool for training employees or the general public on the latest skills, techniques, and expertise in life-saving procedures offering emergency care, standard first aid, CPR, and AED Instructor-led classroom courses.
First Aid, CPR and AED. American Red Cross. Offers first aid and CPR course programs for the community, workplace, and professional rescuers.
A Co-Worker is in Danger…Could You Save a Life? American Red Cross.
Other Resources
American Heart Association (AHA). OSHA Alliance Page.
National Safety Council (NSC). OSHA Alliance Page.
Small Business. OSHA.
On-site Consultation
Program Information and Benefits
Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program [163 KB PDF*, 28 pages]. OSHA Publication 3317-06N, (2006). Identifies four essential elements for first-aid programs to be effective and successful; management leadership and employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training. It also includes best practices for planning and conducting safe and effective first-aid training.
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