OSHA has published a Best Practices Guide, Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid-Program, to help any facility develop their own first aid program. In this guide, OSHA clearly summarizes the basic elements needed to develop a comprehensive plan. Those elements include:

• Identifying and assessing the workplace risks that have potential to cause worker injury or illness
• Designing and implementing a workplace first-aid program that:

Aims to minimize the outcome of accidents or exposures

Complies with OSHA requirements relating to first aid

Includes sufficient quantities of appropriate and readily accessible first-aid supplies and first-aid equipment, such as bandages and automated external defibrillators

• Assigns and trains first-aid providers who receive first-aid training suitable to the specific workplace & receive periodic refresher courses on first-aid skills and knowledge

• Instructing all workers about the first-aid program, including what workers should do if a coworker is injured or ill. Putting the policies and program in writing is recommended to implement this and other program elements
• Providing for scheduled evaluation and changing of the first-aid program to keep the program current and applicable to emerging risks in the workplace, including regular assessment of the adequacy of the first-aid training course

The guide also includes an outline of the essential elements of safe and effective first-aid training for the workplace as guidance to institutions teaching first-aid courses and to the consumers of these courses.

Download the complete Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid-Program, from OSHA’s website and start working on your workplace first aid program.

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