An ANSI Class A first aid kit must contain 19 specific supply types in set minimum quantities under ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021, the voluntary industry standard that OSHA inspectors use as the benchmark for “adequate first aid supplies” under 29 CFR 1910.151(b). Class A is the baseline fill designed for the most common workplace injuries: cuts, minor burns, and eye irritation. Meeting the ANSI list is the simplest way to satisfy the federal requirement, but the contents are only part of what compliance involves.
The 19 Required Supplies
Every Class A kit must include, at minimum:
- Adhesive bandages, 1 × 3 in. — 16
- Adhesive tape, 2.5 yd. total — 1 roll
- Antibiotic applications, 1/57 oz. each — 10
- Antiseptic applications, 1/57 oz. each — 10
- Breathing barrier for CPR — 1
- Burn dressing, gel-soaked, 4 × 4 in. — 1
- Burn treatment applications, 1/32 oz. each — 10
- Cold pack, 4 × 5 in. — 1
- Eye coverings with attachment, 2.9 sq. in. — 2
- Eye/skin wash, 1 fl. oz. total — 1
- First aid guide — 1
- Foil blanket, 52 × 84 in. — 1
- Hand sanitizer applications, 1/32 oz. each — 10
- Medical exam gloves — 2 pairs
- Roller bandage, 2 in. × 4 yd. — 1
- Scissors — 1 pair
- Sterile pads, 3 × 3 in. — 2
- Trauma pads, 5 × 9 in. — 2
- Triangular bandage, 40 × 40 × 56 in. — 1
Three items that older or shortened lists sometimes omit are the scissors, trauma pads, and foil blanket. All three are mandatory under the 2021 revision.1International Safety Equipment Association. First Aid The foil blanket treats shock by retaining body heat, and the trauma pads cover wounds too large for a 3 × 3 sterile pad.
How the ANSI List Ties to OSHA Law
OSHA has not formally adopted ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021 as a binding regulation. It is a voluntary consensus standard developed by the International Safety Equipment Association.1International Safety Equipment Association. First Aid What OSHA does require, under 29 CFR 1910.151(b), is that “adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available” whenever employees do not have quick access to an infirmary, clinic, or hospital.2eCFR. Medical Services and First Aid OSHA’s non-mandatory appendix to that regulation points employers to the ANSI standard for what “adequate” means, and OSHA inspectors routinely reference it during compliance evaluations.
When Class A Is Enough, and When It Isn’t
Class A kits are built for workplaces with lower hazard profiles: offices, retail stores, administrative buildings, schools, and libraries. The assumption is that injuries will be minor and manageable with basic supplies.
Class B kits contain everything in a Class A kit plus larger quantities and two items a Class A kit does not include: a splint and a tourniquet. Those two additions address fractures and severe bleeding, injuries more likely on manufacturing floors, in warehouses, or on construction sites. If employees work with heavy machinery, sharp tools, or chemicals, a Class A kit is almost certainly insufficient. A written risk assessment of the tools, tasks, and environment should drive that call before you buy.
Container Types and Labeling
A compliant kit must display a label identifying it as Class A or Class B so anyone can find and confirm it during an emergency.1International Safety Equipment Association. First Aid The standard classifies containers into four types based on where the kit will live:
- Type I: indoor, permanently mounted to a wall or surface
- Type II: indoor, portable
- Type III: water-resistant for environments with some moisture exposure
- Type IV: outdoor-rated, built to withstand significant moisture and environmental damage
Match the container to the actual conditions where the kit sits, not just whether the building is technically indoors. A Type I kit mounted near a loading dock that gets rained on regularly will not protect its supplies the way a Type III or Type IV would.
How Many Kits and Where They Go
OSHA reads “readily available” to mean emergency care must be reachable within roughly three to four minutes of an injury. For lower-risk settings such as offices, the agency has recognized that up to 15 minutes may be reasonable.3Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Standard Interpretations – 1910.151(b) A large office building may need kits on every floor; a single-room shop can often manage with one kit mounted near the entrance.
The ANSI standard ties kit quantity to workforce size and risk level. For low-risk workplaces:
- Fewer than 25 people: 1 small kit
- 25 to 100 people: 1 medium kit
- More than 100 people: 1 large kit
Higher-risk environments call for a small kit when fewer than 5 people are present, a medium kit for 5 to 25 people, and a large kit for groups over 25. These are minimums. Multi-story buildings, campuses with separate structures, and workplaces where employees spread across a large area typically need additional kits regardless of headcount, because the access-time window still applies.
Inspection, Replacement, and Penalties
A stocked kit on day one means nothing if it goes unchecked. The ANSI standard requires inspections at least monthly, or immediately after any incident in which supplies were used.1International Safety Equipment Association. First Aid Each inspection should confirm that every required item is present in the correct quantity, that sealed packets remain intact, and that nothing has expired. Antibiotic ointments, burn treatments, and eye wash all carry expiration dates and lose effectiveness once they pass. Opened or expired items must be replaced immediately.
As of January 2025, OSHA’s penalty for a serious violation can reach $16,550 per instance, with a minimum of $1,221. A willful or repeated violation carries a maximum of $165,514.4Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 2025 Annual Adjustments to OSHA Civil Penalties These amounts adjust annually for inflation. An inadequately stocked kit on its own is more likely to draw an other-than-serious citation (up to $16,550, no minimum), but if a missing supply contributed to a worse outcome for an injured employee, the classification can escalate to serious or willful.
The Trained Provider Requirement
A stocked kit is only half of what 29 CFR 1910.151(b) requires. If your workplace is not in near proximity to an infirmary, clinic, or hospital, you must have at least one person on-site who is adequately trained to provide first aid.2eCFR. Medical Services and First Aid Most workplaces that aren’t next door to a hospital fall under this rule.
OSHA does not mandate a specific recertification interval for first aid or CPR training. Its best-practices guidance recommends annual retraining for CPR and AED skills because those are the most perishable. Most third-party certifications from organizations like the American Red Cross or American Heart Association are valid for two years, which has become the de facto industry standard. Certain higher-risk operations — permit-required confined space work, logging, and electric power generation — have their own OSHA standards requiring first aid and CPR training, though none prescribes a refresher schedule.5Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Frequency of Refresher Training for First Aid and CPR
Construction Sites Follow a Different Rule
Construction work falls under 29 CFR 1926.50, not the general industry standard. Supplies must be easily accessible, stored in a weatherproof container with individually sealed packages, and checked before being sent out on each job and at least weekly thereafter.6eCFR. 29 CFR 1926.50 The weekly inspection cycle is more frequent than ANSI’s monthly minimum, and the weatherproof requirement effectively forces a Type III or Type IV container. Construction sites also typically warrant a Class B kit given the injury risks involved, though the regulation does not specify a class by name.