First aid purchasing guide
How Many First Aid Kits Does a Workplace Need?
Plan workplace first aid kit numbers by location, occupied hours and access. Includes shift handover checks, shared-building questions and a blank station record.
By FirstCare First Aid · Updated
The short answer
Decide kit numbers from the applicable workplace assessment and location requirements, then check that each work area can reach its allocated supplies during every occupied period. A person-count label or total number of boxes does not show whether access, contents and refill ownership are adequate. Have the responsible site team approve the station plan before requesting a quote.
Check the applicable requirements before counting boxes
For Abu Dhabi, ADOSH-SF CoP 4.0, version 4.0 dated 15 July 2024, section 3.3 requires an assessment of kit numbers and contents, provision in worksite vehicles, and at least one kit on each office-building floor with easy, quick access. Section 3.1.1.1(f) also includes work patterns, workforce distribution, shared sites and absences in the assessment.
Apply those provisions within their Abu Dhabi scope and check the full applicable requirements with your responsible team. A kit-size label is not a UAE-wide or GCC-wide staff-to-box ratio, and the number of kits is separate from the required first-aider arrangements.
Map access during each occupied period
Mark occupied floors, buildings, restricted doors and mobile work on the site plan. Add opening hours and access permissions to each proposed station. Walk the actual route with the responsible person, including any period when reception, stores or a neighbouring tenant is closed.
UK HSE L74, paragraphs 22–27, discusses shift work, distribution across premises, shared sites and absence cover. It is useful assessment background; it does not set UAE or GCC legal requirements.
- Record who is present during early starts, late work, weekends and shift overlaps.
- Identify doors or permission changes that affect the route to supplies.
- Check the provision remaining at a base when a portable kit leaves with a team.
- Keep kit access and trained-person availability as separate questions in the site review.
Give each station an owner and a backup
Use one stable identifier per physical kit and record the location it serves. The stock-checking role may differ from the first-aider role or the person authorised to place an order. Make those responsibilities explicit instead of assigning every unresolved item to “the next shift”.
The following is an original operational checklist, not a prescribed authority form or a staffing standard. Agree the checks and handover timing within the workplace procedure.
| Record | What the incoming team needs to know |
|---|---|
| Station and coverage period | Kit identifier, actual location, work area and hours for which access has been checked |
| Approved inventory | The contents-list revision used to judge completeness; identify any unresolved exception |
| Stock-check owner and backup | Who reviews condition and stock, and who covers their absence |
| Refill responsibility | Who raises the request, who can approve it and where the outstanding request is recorded |
| Open issue and action | Missing supplies or blocked access, the agreed response, responsible person and next review |
| Handover acknowledgment | When the incoming owner received the update and which actions remain open |
Resolve shared-building responsibilities in writing
Do not assume a landlord’s reception kit automatically covers every tenant and working period. Ask the building team and each affected employer to confirm the areas served, access hours, approved contents, inspection arrangements, refill funding and how changes will be communicated.
HSE L74 paragraph 25 recommends a written agreement where employers share first aid provision. That recommendation is UK guidance, not permission to replace a locally required station. Confirm any shared arrangement against the requirements and assessment for the actual premises.
Separate a commercial agreement to pay for supplies from confirmation that staff can access appropriate provision. Identify who resolves a locked route or an unfilled station when the usual building contact is absent.
Worked example: the stock count stays the same after closing
Illustrative planning example: a workplace lists two kits, one in reception and one in a workshop. Reception closes at 18:00, while office staff remain until 20:00 and the workshop operates later. The inventory still says two kits; it does not establish that the office team has a usable route to either one.
Have the responsible team verify access and agree the provision for the later period before treating the plan as complete. A larger contents pack in reception would not resolve a locked route. This example identifies questions for assessment; it does not prescribe two kits or certify the arrangement.
| Planning entry | Unresolved question |
|---|---|
| Reception kit | Who can reach it after 18:00, and is that access available throughout late working? |
| Workshop kit | Can office staff reach this station under the actual access controls, layout and site requirements? |
| Shift handover | Who receives any access or stock issue, owns the action and confirms it is resolved? |
Use a station handover record without closing open issues
Download the blank station handover CSV from the related resources. Use a new row for each station handover and identify the coverage period and contents revision. It is a manual record with no formulas, recommended kit quantities or automatic compliance decision.
Record the outgoing update and incoming acknowledgment separately. Acknowledging a shortage does not resolve it: keep the action, owner and next review visible until the responsible team confirms closure. Keep detailed inventory counts in the inspection record and order quantities in the refill request.
This record concerns supplies and access. It does not replace the workplace’s incident record, first-aider roster or approved first aid assessment.
Turn the approved plan into a supplier enquiry
After the site team approves the station plan, request a separate supply line for each location or group of identical approved stations. Specify filled kit, refill or empty container; the contents revision; quantity; mounting needs; storage conditions; and destination. Keep existing usable stations identifiable so the order does not accidentally replace everything.
Revisit the plan when hours, tenants, access controls, work areas or mobile teams change. Use the linked refill guide for shortages and the multi-site allocation guide for delivery tracking. Receiving the order is a separate step from confirming that each intended station is accessible and ready.
Common questions
Does a 100-person kit cover any workplace with 100 staff?
No. The label does not establish appropriate contents, access across separate areas, shift coverage or compliance with the applicable requirements. Use the workplace assessment and approved station plan.
Can a shared reception kit cover staff working late?
Only count it in the plan after the responsible team confirms the actual arrangement meets applicable requirements and provides access during those hours. A stocked box behind a locked door leaves an unresolved access question.
Does a shift handover replace the full stock inspection?
No. It passes responsibility and open issues to the next owner. Keep the site’s required inspection and replenishment procedure, with the approved inventory used for detailed checks.
Related guides and equipment
Prepared with AI assistance. Procurement information, not clinical instructions or an approval certificate. Requirements depend on the applicable authority and your workplace. Sources, corrections and editorial policy.