General industry and construction, side by side
The same question has two answers because OSHA writes two sets of rules. A shop, plant, warehouse or office follows 29 CFR part 1910. A construction jobsite follows 29 CFR part 1926.
| Topic | General industry (29 CFR 1910) | Construction (29 CFR 1926) |
|---|---|---|
| The supplies | In the absence of an infirmary, clinic or hospital in near proximity to the workplace that is used for the treatment of all injured employees, adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available.29 CFR 1910.151(b) | First aid supplies shall be easily accessible when required.29 CFR 1926.50(d)(1) |
| The kit itself | Section 1910.151 names no container and no checking interval for the supplies.29 CFR 1910.151(b) | The contents of the first aid kit shall be placed in a weatherproof container with individual sealed packages for each type of item, and shall be checked by the employer before being sent out on each job and at least weekly on each job to ensure that the expended items are replaced.29 CFR 1926.50(d)(2) |
| A person trained in first aid | In the absence of an infirmary, clinic or hospital in near proximity to the workplace used for all injured employees, a person or persons shall be adequately trained to render first aid.29 CFR 1910.151(b) | In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, hospital or physician reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance to the worksite, a person with a valid certificate in first-aid training from the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the American Red Cross, or equivalent training that can be verified by documentary evidence, shall be available at the worksite.29 CFR 1926.50(c) |
| Medical advice and getting the injured person out | The employer shall ensure the ready availability of medical personnel for advice and consultation on matters of plant health.29 CFR 1910.151(a) | Provisions shall be made prior to commencement of the project for prompt medical attention in case of serious injury. Proper equipment for prompt transportation of the injured person, or a communication system for contacting ambulance service, shall be provided.29 CFR 1926.50(b), 29 CFR 1926.50(e) |
| Emergency numbers | Section 1910.151 has no posting paragraph for emergency telephone numbers.29 CFR 1910.151(b) | In areas where 911 emergency dispatch services are not available, the telephone numbers of the physicians, hospitals or ambulances shall be conspicuously posted.29 CFR 1926.50(f)(1) |
What is OSHA's rule and what is not
| Level | What it says |
|---|---|
| OSHA interpretation | In its letter of March 23, 2007, OSHA said it has long read “near proximity” to mean that emergency medical services must be available within no more than 3 to 4 minutes where serious accidents such as falls, suffocation, electrocution or amputation are possible and no employee on site is trained in first aid. For offices, where such injuries are less likely, it said a response time of up to 15 minutes may be reasonable.OSHA interpretation 2007-03-23, 29 CFR 1910.151(b) |
| Consensus standard | ANSI Z308.1 sets the minimum contents of workplace first aid kits. The non-mandatory appendices of both parts cite it as an example, naming the 1998 edition in 1910.151 and the 1978 edition in 1926.50. Newer editions of the ANSI standard exist, and its quantities are not an OSHA requirement.29 CFR 1910.151 Appendix A, 29 CFR 1926.50 Appendix A |
| Recommended practice | The 1910.151 appendix tells employers that they should assess the specific needs of their worksite periodically and augment the first aid kit appropriately. That sentence is a recommendation, and the appendix is non-mandatory.29 CFR 1910.151 Appendix A |
Does your state do it differently?
Some states run their own State Plan and write their own text, so the federal paragraphs above describe federal OSHA states. Look up your state on the State Plans page and read its rule before you rely on the federal wording.
What OSHA cited most under these standards in FY2025
| Paragraph | What it covers | FY2025 citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1910.151(c) | Eyewash and drenching facilities where corrosives are used | 815 |
| 1910.151(b) | Trained person and first aid supplies | 107 |
| 1910.151(a) | 4 | |
| 1926.50(c) | Person trained in first aid at the worksite | 114 |
| 1926.50(g) | Eyewash and drenching facilities where corrosives are used | 51 |
| 1926.50(d)(1) | First aid supplies easily accessible | 22 |
| 1926.50(b) | Prompt medical attention arranged before the project starts | 9 |
| 1926.50(a) | 2 | |
| 1926.50(e) | 1 |
1910.151: 926 citations in FY2025 at 913 inspections, 46 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). 1926.50: 200 citations in FY2025 at 190 inspections, 188 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). Citation items issued Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, counted by HazComFast on U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data (extracted Oct 13, 2026). Inspected establishments, not the whole industry.
Mistakes that turn up in inspections
- Buying a kit by its label. OSHA does not approve or certify first aid kits. The general industry paragraph asks for adequate supplies readily available, and the appendix points to ANSI Z308.1 as an example.29 CFR 1910.151(b)
- Leaving the only kit in the site trailer. On a jobsite the supplies shall be easily accessible when required, and the kit that travels from job to job is checked before it goes out and weekly after that.29 CFR 1926.50(d)(1) and 29 CFR 1926.50(d)(2)
- Counting on an ambulance for a site where a fall or an amputation is possible. In OSHA's interpretation, emergency medical services must then be available within 3 to 4 minutes when no one on site is trained in first aid.OSHA interpretation 2007-03-23, 29 CFR 1910.151(b)
- Keeping first aid training records that cannot be verified. The construction paragraph accepts a valid certificate from the American Red Cross or the U.S. Bureau of Mines, or equivalent training that can be verified by documentary evidence.29 CFR 1926.50(c)
Free tool
A count at each check, a log of supplies used, and the first aid arrangements of 1910.151 and 1926.50, in PDF or Word.