Who is OSHA? 
OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) is a sub-agency of the US Department of Labor. It issues standards to segments of the work force and polices these regulations with a staff of inspectors who make periodic work site checks. The purpose of these standards is to insure workplace safety. Fines are imposed if repeated infractions are noted.

What are OSHA's requirements for a first aid kit?
Based on Federal OSHA Regulation Standard 1910.151.b: "Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available." This rule applies to treatment of minor injuries that occur in the workplace.

What do I need to do to ensure OSHA compliance?
You should be concerned with OSHA compliance on both a federal and state level. Currently, 30 states follow the Federal OSHA regulations as stated above, while 22 states follow a regulation that combines the Federal standard and imposes an individualized state by state requirement. The state standard can be reviewed on the Internet or by contacting your local OSHA office. (need link information here)

Both Federal and State OSHA regulations do include the 'non-mandatory' requirements that coincide with ANSI's first aid kit regulations. As a company, we feel that eventually, these agencies will adopt ANSI as part of their regulation.

Can this website  help me be in compliance? 
All our industrial first aid kits meet or exceed Federal OSHA standards. Additionally, our line includes metal and plastic unitized kits that meet or exceed Federal OSHA standards and exceed the new ANSI requirements. For more information on the new ANSI standards see the section below.

ANSI:

What is ANSI?
The American National Standards Institute publishes minimum standards of quality for many items related to safety.

Do they have a minimum content requirement for first aid?
Yes, to be ANSI compliant a first aid kit must have the required minimum fill according to standard ANSI Z308.1-2003. Now updated to ANSI (American National Standards Institute) / ISEA (International Safety Equipment Association) Revisions ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2009, Minimum Requirements for Workplace Emergency First Aid Kits and Supplies (revision and redesignation of ANSI Z308.1-2003)

Is ANSI mandatory? 
No, BUT there are now more than 20 states that have adopted ANSI standards as their state recommended requirements.

Why ANSI?
OSHA requires adequate first aid supplies to be available in the workplace but they don't require any specific contents. By recommending a specific fill, one will be guaranteed to find necessary items in an ANSI kit.

Does ANSI affect unitized refill box colors? 
Yes, one of the most important parts of ANSI Z308.1-2009 is the standardization of colors on unitized refills. Bandages, Antiseptics, Burn Treatment, PPE and Misc items will each have their own color. This standardization will make it easy to recognize product quickly in an emergency.

MORE ON ANSI / ISEA
ISEA is the trade association for manufacturers of industrial first aid kits and supplies. Members of the group manufacture and market a full range of first aid kits and supplies, designed to meet user needs for a wide range of applications. See the Buyers Guide for a listing of first aid kits and components available from ISEA member companies. ISEA members have a seat at the table when standards are being written that affect their products; they get a first look at changes in standards, they influence the development of new standards, and they are kept informed of developments on standards around the world. ISEA is the secretariat for the American National Standard for first aid kits and supplies, ANSI/ISEA Z308.1, and managed the process by which a broad-based consensus group was brought together to prepare the expanded 2009 edition. ISEA gives members a full-time Washington office. They are kept up to date on important developments affecting their companies, and are identified with a respected and responsible organization that is an advocate for product standards and worker safety. ISEA has worked with OSHA to gain recognition of the ANIS/ISEA first aid kit standard as a guideline for the workplace. When authorities propose regulations that affect first aid kits or their contents, ISEA keeps members informed and ensures that their views are well represented in agency deliberations. ISEA members use the association to learn from each other, and work together to improve markets. Information services are tuned to member companies’ needs. In addition to bringing companies together in the Emergency First Aid Group, ISEA membership is a link to the larger world of safety equipment, both in the US and around the world. Companies receive regular bulletins and reports on standards, government policies and proposals, and market intelligence. They participate in the association’s Annual and Fall Meetings, where the industry comes together to share information and insight. Members’ products are listed in a Buyers Guide, published in print and in a searchable on-line database. For more than 75 years, ISEA has set the standard for personal safety equipment manufacturers, supporting and promoting the business interests of its member companies, united in the goal of protecting the health and safety of people worldwide. Emergency First Aid Standards American National Standard from ISEA .

ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2009 American National Standard - Minimum Requirements for Workplace Emergency First Aid Kits and Supplies May 12, 2009 This standard, a revision to the 2003 edition, was prepared by the members of ISEA’s Industrial Emergency First Aid Group, in conjunction with leading industry stakeholders and was reviewed by a consensus panel of users, health and safety professionals and government agencies. Significant updates incorporated into this version include the designation of new kit types, expansion of the required supply list to include a first aid guide, and a redesign of the product label. Kits in compliance with this standard will provide a basic range of products to deal with most types of injuries encountered in the workplace. “During the revision process, much consideration was given to contemporary first aid protocols and the availability of products used to treat workplace injuries,” said Bob Rock, chairman of the ISEA Industrial Emergency First Aid Group and product manager of North by Honeywell. “The updated document reflects an assortment of supplies in sizes and quantities that are best-suited to treat worker injuries.” The kit label has been redesigned to draw specific attention to fact that each workplace is unique and, as such, may necessitate the availability of additional first aid supplies. “The standard developing committee recognized that as work sites vary, so does the likelihood for the need for specific first aid supplies beyond the minimum required items,” said Rock. “The new kit label is an added tool to remind employers that supplementary first aid contents may be needed.
” ERRATUM The first printed edition of the revised ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 standard had a typographical error in figure 1, the sample label. In the "Required Minimum Fill" box, the dimension for adhesive tape should be 2.5 yd, as specified in para 6.1.1.3 and table 2. .

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