For questions or help: 01 834 0388 | sales@arksafety.ie
HUGE RANGE Thousands of quality PPE and workwear products
REGULATORY KNOWLEDGE We offer unparalleled regulatory knowledge
SITE SURVEY To help determine your detailed requirements
IRISH OWNED Irish owned and managed business
Workplace first aid supplies are one of the most basic legal obligations facing every Irish employer, regardless of size, sector or the number of people on site.
However, deciding what belongs in a kit, how many kits are needed and when specialist items such as eye wash or a defibrillator become necessary is rarely straightforward, particularly once a workplace grows beyond a handful of employees or introduces specific hazards.
In this guide, we outline what Irish law requires, how to size and stock workplace first aid supplies correctly, and how to match provision to the sector and hazards involved.
Every employer in Ireland has a legal duty to ensure employees receive appropriate treatment if they are injured or fall ill at work, and workplace first aid supplies are the practical starting point for meeting that duty. Getting this right is about more than avoiding a compliance gap. The speed and quality of the first response to an injury can materially affect how well someone recovers, particularly in the minutes before a doctor, nurse or paramedic can take over.
Treating workplace first aid supplies as a genuine part of a workplace’s risk management, rather than a box-ticking purchase, ensures that employees have immediate access to appropriate equipment and materials when an incident occurs. That said, first aid provision should be understood as part of a wider safety framework rather than a substitute for identifying and controlling hazards in the first place.
The legal framework for workplace first aid supplies in Ireland sits within Chapter 2 of Part 7 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299/2007). These regulations place a duty on every employer to provide, or ensure the provision of, adequate and appropriate first-aid equipment at their place of work.
There is no single fixed list of workplace first aid supplies that applies to every business. Instead, employers are required to assess their own workplace and determine what is adequate and appropriate, taking into account factors such as:
Provision generally falls into three categories:
Once the legal framework is understood, the practical question becomes what to actually put in the kit, and how much of it.
The Health and Safety Authority provides recommended contents for occupational first-aid boxes and kits, banded broadly by the number of people employed, typically covering workplaces of up to 10, 11 to 25, and 26 to 50 persons, with quantities of items such as plasters, sterile dressings, triangular bandages and disposable gloves increasing at each band. Where more than 50 people are employed, provision should be scaled up accordingly. These bands are a useful starting point for procurement, though the final contents and quantities should still reflect the outcome of a proper risk assessment rather than headcount alone.
Workplaces with specific or unusual hazards, such as exposure to corrosive or oxidising substances, toxic or asphyxiant gases, or biological agents, may need workplace first aid supplies that go beyond the standard kit. This can include additional burn dressings, sterile water for eye or skin irrigation, or antidotes appropriate to the hazard concerned, sited as close as possible to where that hazard is present. Occupational first-aiders responsible for these areas may also need training beyond the standard first-aid qualification.
The best workplace first aid also depends heavily on the sector and the specific tasks being carried out.
Construction sites, factories and warehouses tend to see a higher frequency of accidents involving cuts, falls and impact injuries, which generally calls for a greater number of occupational first-aiders relative to the workforce, along with kits positioned close to where work is actually carried out rather than centralised in a single location. Employees working across dispersed sites or travelling between locations may also need their own travel kits.
Food processing and butchery environments are specifically identified in HSA guidance as requiring additional first-aider training due to the frequency and nature of injuries involved, while workplaces handling chemicals need to consider eye wash and skin irrigation facilities alongside their standard supplies. In both cases, the Safety Statement should identify the specific hazards involved and the workplace first aid supplies needed to respond to them.
Beyond the standard kit, several other categories of workplace first aid are worth considering as part of a complete setup.
The provision of an automated external defibrillator is recommended wherever an occupational first-aider is present, given its role in the chain of survival during a cardiac event. However, this is not treated as an absolute requirement for every workplace, and the HSA recognises that cost and maintenance considerations mean it may not be practical for every micro or small business, some of which choose to share equipment and training arrangements with nearby employers instead.
Where a risk assessment identifies exposure to hazardous substances, emergency eye wash and shower facilities become an important part of workplace first aid supplies. Where this equipment is provided, it should be easily accessible, regularly tested, and generally expected to meet the EN 15154 standard covering emergency safety showers and eye wash units.
First aid is only effective if it’s properly maintained. Contents should be checked regularly for missing, used or out-of-date items, with expired or unsuitable materials replaced promptly rather than left until the next scheduled review. Kits should also be clearly identifiable, protected from contamination by heat, damp or dust, and positioned somewhere that remains genuinely accessible during an emergency.
Getting workplace first aid supplies right means matching the correct kit size, contents and equipment to your workforce and the hazards involved, and having a supplier on hand when stock needs replenishing.
We supply an extensive range of workplace first aid supplies, including:
Why businesses across Ireland choose us:
From construction and manufacturing to food processing, healthcare and facilities management, we help businesses across Ireland source first aid that is properly matched to their workforce and hazards. Get in touch with our team today to find the right workplace first aid supplies for your business!
Q: What first aid supplies must a workplace provide by law in Ireland?
A: Every employer must provide first-aid boxes or kits under Chapter 2 of Part 7 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299/2007), with the exact contents, number of kits and any additional equipment determined by a workplace risk assessment.
Q: How do I know what size first aid kit my business needs?
A: HSA guidance broadly recommends kit contents by workforce size, typically 1 to 10, 11 to 25 and 26 to 50 employees, with provision scaled up pro rata above 50. The right size for your business should still be confirmed against your own risk assessment rather than headcount alone.
Q: Is a defibrillator a legal requirement in every Irish workplace?
A: Not automatically. The HSA recommends an automated external defibrillator wherever an occupational first-aider is present, but recognises this may not be practical for every micro or small business, some of which share equipment with nearby premises instead.
Q: Do all workplaces need emergency eye wash or shower facilities?
A: This depends on the outcome of a risk assessment and the hazardous materials used or stored on site. Where required, eye wash and emergency shower equipment is generally expected to meet the EN 15154 standard.
Q: How often should workplace first aid supplies be checked and restocked?
A: Supplies should be checked regularly for missing, used or out-of-date items, with expired or non-compliant contents replaced promptly to ensure kits remain ready for use at all times.
Q: Do employees need training to use workplace first aid supplies?
A: Basic kit contents can be used by anyone in an emergency, but Irish workplaces are also expected to appoint and train occupational first-aiders to the PHECC First Aid Response standard, with numbers based on workforce size and the hazards present.
Q: Does Ark Safety supply HSA-compliant first aid kits?
A: Yes. We supply a range of first aid kits, boxes and refill packs sized for different workforces, alongside bandages, dressings, eye wash, defibrillators and other workplace first aid supplies.
