A first aid kit checklist for the person who looks after the kits on a site: where each one is, whether someone could find and open it in a hurry, what has been used and not replaced, and what has passed its date. One list entry per kit puts a whole building's kits on a single report, with the shortfalls listed so they can be restocked in one order. Speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
Why kits need checking at all
A first aid kit is used in a hurry and restocked never. The gloves go first, then the plasters, then the large dressings someone took for a cut that needed one small pad. Sterile items and eyewash pass their dates on the shelf. The kit on the wall still looks full from across the room. A routine check — monthly is common, and after every use — is the only thing that catches it before somebody needs it.
The check also covers the things around the kit: whether it is still where the sign says, whether a new shelving unit now hides it, whether the AED nearby is showing ready, whether the people on the first aider list still work there.
What should be in the kit
That depends on where you are and how big the kit is meant to be. In the US, ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 sets the minimum contents for Class A kits (common injuries) and Class B kits (a wider range, for busier or riskier workplaces), and OSHA expects adequate supplies to be readily available. In the UK, BS 8599-1 sets contents for small, medium and large workplace kits, and the needs assessment under the first aid regulations decides how many you need. In Australia, the model code of practice on first aid in the workplace lists recommended contents.
Rather than copy one country's list, the form groups contents by purpose — controlling bleeding, cleaning and covering wounds, bandaging, gloves, CPR, burns, eyes, tools — and asks whether each group is fully stocked against whichever list your kit was bought to. Write the missing items in the restock line and they are all in one place when you order.
Expiry dates
Sterile dressings, saline, eyewash, burn gel, cold packs and AED pads all carry dates. An expired sterile dressing may no longer be sterile, and an expired AED pad may not stick or conduct properly. Record the earliest date left in each kit; next time you can see at a glance which kits are about to need attention.
Eyewash, the AED, and the people
If a site has eyewash stations or a defibrillator, they get their own short sections, which fold away if it has neither. Plumbed eyewash units are usually run weekly so the water in the pipe stays clean; bottles have dates and seals. An AED's status light tells you most of what you need, but the pads and battery have dates of their own.
A kit is only as useful as the person who opens it, so the last checks are about first aiders: named and posted, on every shift, with certificates in date, and a treatment log that shows what was used and why.
Common questions
How often should first aid kits be checked?
Monthly is a common routine, plus a check after every time a kit is used. High-use kits — a busy kitchen or workshop — may need checking weekly. Whatever interval you choose, record it so the next check is not left to memory.
Who should check the first aid kits?
Usually a named first aider or the appointed person for first aid, with a deputy for holidays. The person who checks should be able to order replacements, or know who does.
Should painkillers be kept in a workplace first aid kit?
Practice differs by country and workplace. UK guidance is generally not to keep tablets or medicines in a workplace kit; some US kits include them under specific conditions. Follow the guidance where you are and your organization's policy, and record anything you find that should not be there.
How many first aid kits does a workplace need?
Enough that one can be reached quickly from anywhere people work, sized for the number of people and the hazards. That decision comes from a first aid needs assessment, not from this checklist; the checklist asks whether the kits still match it.
What happens to items that have expired?
Remove them, replace them, and note it in the restock line for that kit. Expired sterile items should not be kept "just in case" — they end up being the first thing someone reaches for.