At a glance
- Construction: 29 CFR 1926.50(c) to (g). General industry: 29 CFR 1910.151(b) and (c).
- About 5 minutes: read the script out loud, then ask the three questions.
- FY2025 citations: 29 CFR 1926.50, 200 (188 at construction sites); 29 CFR 1910.151, 926 (46 at construction sites).
- Free PDF: the script, the questions, the rule and a 20-line sign-in sheet. No account, no email.
Read this to your crew
Today's talk is about the first minutes after someone gets hurt. Out here, an ambulance can take a while to reach us, so what we do before it arrives matters.
Everyone here should know, without looking, who our first aid person is today, where the first aid kit is, and where the eyewash is if we work with corrosive chemicals. If you do not know, find out before you go back to work.
When someone is hurt, make the scene safe first. Shut off the machine, stop traffic, kill the power, or get the person away from the hazard if moving them is safe. Do not become the second victim.
Then call. For anything serious, call 911 first, then me. Serious means unconscious, not breathing, heavy bleeding, chest pain, a fall from height, a head or neck injury, a serious burn, or chemicals in the eyes. Give the exact address and how to find us on the site, and send someone to meet the ambulance at the gate.
While you wait, the trained first aid person takes the lead. Press firmly on heavy bleeding with a clean pad. For chemicals in the eyes, flush right away at the eyewash and follow Section 4 of that product's safety data sheet. Do not move someone who may have a head, neck or back injury unless they are in danger where they are.
Only do what you are trained to do. In construction, when no clinic or hospital is reasonably accessible, a person with a valid first aid certificate is available at the worksite (29 CFR 1926.50(c)). If that is you, keep your certificate current. If it is not, your job is to call, protect the scene and help the person who is trained.
After it is over, tell me what was used from the kit so it gets restocked. On construction sites, the kit is checked before it goes out to each job and at least weekly on each job (29 CFR 1926.50(d)(2)).
Three questions for the crew
- Who gives first aid on this site today, and where is the kit?
Listen for: A name and a place. If nobody knows, fix it now. - What do you tell the 911 dispatcher, and who meets the ambulance?
Listen for: The exact address, the entrance to use, what happened. Someone waits at the gate. - Where is the nearest eyewash, and when would you use it?
Listen for: A location, and the trigger: a corrosive chemical in the eyes or on the skin.
What are OSHA's rules for first aid on a jobsite?
In construction, in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, hospital or physician reasonably accessible in time and distance, a person with a valid certificate in first aid training, from the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the American Red Cross or equivalent training verified by documentary evidence, is available at the worksite (29 CFR 1926.50(c)).
First aid supplies are easily accessible (29 CFR 1926.50(d)(1)), in a weatherproof container with individually sealed packages, checked before being sent out on each job and at least weekly on each job (29 CFR 1926.50(d)(2)). Equipment to transport the injured person promptly, or a communication system to reach an ambulance, is provided (29 CFR 1926.50(e)). Where 911 is not available, the phone numbers of physicians, hospitals or ambulances are posted where they can be seen (29 CFR 1926.50(f)(1)).
Where the eyes or body may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, facilities for quick drenching or flushing are provided within the work area for immediate emergency use (29 CFR 1926.50(g)); general industry has the same rule (29 CFR 1910.151(c)), and a person or persons adequately trained to render first aid where no infirmary, clinic or hospital is in near proximity (29 CFR 1910.151(b)).
The paragraphs, word for word:
“(c) In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, hospital, or physician, that is reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance to the worksite, which is available for the treatment of injured employees, a person who has 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 to render first aid.”
“(2) 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.”
“(g) Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.”
“(b) In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity to the workplace which is used for the treatment of all injured employees, a person or persons shall be adequately trained to render first aid. Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available.”
How often did OSHA cite these rules in FY2025?
| Standard | Construction sites | Other industries | All FY2025 citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 CFR 1926.50Medical services and first aid, construction | 188 | 12 | 200 |
| 29 CFR 1910.151Medical services and first aid, general industry | 46 | 880 | 926 |
Citation items under 29 CFR issued Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, at federal and State Plan inspections, counted by HazComFast on U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data (extracted Oct 13, 2026). Construction means an inspection whose NAICS code starts with 23. The counts describe inspected establishments, not every employer.
What does a construction site need before anyone gets hurt?
| What the site has | The rule | Check today |
|---|---|---|
| A person with a valid first aid certificate, when no infirmary, clinic, hospital or physician is reasonably accessible | 29 CFR 1926.50(c) | Who it is on this shift |
| First aid supplies, easily accessible | 29 CFR 1926.50(d)(1) | Where the kit is |
| A weatherproof kit with sealed packages, checked before each job and at least weekly on each job | 29 CFR 1926.50(d)(2) | The date of the last check |
| A way to take the injured person to a physician or hospital, or a way to call an ambulance | 29 CFR 1926.50(e) | The site address, the gate to use, a charged phone |
| Posted phone numbers of physicians, hospitals or ambulances where 911 is not available | 29 CFR 1926.50(f)(1) | The posting, if 911 does not reach the site |
| Quick drenching or flushing facilities where corrosive materials can reach the eyes or body | 29 CFR 1926.50(g) | Where the eyewash is, and that it works |
General industry has its own paragraphs: 29 CFR 1910.151(b) and (c).