Short answer: The employer must ensure that suitable first aid equipment is available at the workplace, placed where it is easy to reach. There is no fixed legal list of contents or fixed number of kits per employee. The contents and number are determined by the nature of the work, the risks and the size of the workplace, and this must be recorded in the workplace assessment (APV, arbejdspladsvurdering).
Many people ask for a specific number or a specific list. The rules are more general than that. Here is what is required, what is common practice, and how to decide what your workplace needs.
What do the rules say?
The Danish Working Environment Authority's (Arbejdstilsynet) rules on the layout of workplaces require suitable first aid equipment, depending on the nature of the work and the circumstances in general. The equipment must be placed sensibly so that it is easy to reach. Where there is a risk of contact with harmful substances, stricter requirements apply, including an eye wash bottle.
How many first aid kits do we need?
The rules do not set a fixed number based on headcount. You need enough that help is close to where the work is done. In practice this means:
- At least one kit per workplace. If you are a tradesperson working at several sites, the equipment must go with you to each site or in each vehicle.
- More kits, the larger and more spread out the site is. If people have to walk a long way to fetch it, it is in the wrong place.
- More equipment where the risk is high. Cutting tools, chemicals, heights and heavy lifting call for more than an office does.
Some suppliers give rules of thumb, for example one kit per 25 employees at low risk. That is a recommendation, not a legal requirement.
What should a first aid kit contain?
The rules have no official list of contents. Here is a realistic basic set for a trades or warehouse workplace:
| For | Contents |
|---|---|
| Minor cuts and grazes | Plasters in several sizes, compresses, sterile liquid wipes |
| Bleeding | Sterile compresses, gauze bandages, pressure dressing, triangular bandage |
| Eye injury | Eye wash solution or eye wash bottle, eye pad |
| Burns | Fire blanket or cold-water compresses, non-stick dressing |
| Protecting the first aider | Disposable gloves, mouthpiece for resuscitation |
| Other | Scissors, tweezers, safety pins, first aid foil blanket, instruction card |
Adapt the list to your work. If you work with chemicals, eye wash must be at the work area and not only in the kit. Medication such as painkillers is not part of an ordinary first aid kit.
Who is responsible?
The employer is responsible for ensuring that equipment is available and that employees know where it is and how to call for help. The exact number of people who must have first aid training is not set as a figure for ordinary workplaces, but it is good practice to appoint and train at least one person at each workplace and make sure everyone knows the emergency number 112.
Maintenance
- Check the kit regularly, for example every six months and after use. This is practice and a recommendation, not a fixed requirement. Set the interval yourself in the APV.
- Replace products that have passed their expiry date. Sterile products and eye wash have expiry dates.
- Keep the kit labelled, visible and unlocked, out of sunlight and away from damp.
- Write the address and emergency number on the kit or next to it, so a stranger can call 112 with the right information.
Checklist
- Describe the risks in the APV and let them determine the equipment.
- At least one kit per workplace, placed where it is easy to reach.
- Eye wash when working with chemicals.
- Train at least one employee per workplace in first aid.
- Check contents and dates regularly, for example every six months.
Frequently asked questions
Is a first aid kit required in the workplace?
Yes, there must be suitable first aid equipment at the workplace, adapted to the nature of the work. The rules do not specify a particular kit or a particular number.
How many first aid kits should a company have?
There is no fixed number per employee. You need enough that the equipment is close to where the work is done, and your APV decides whether that takes more than one.
Is eye wash required?
Yes, where there is a risk of contact with substances, for example chemicals, epoxy and isocyanates, an eye wash bottle or equivalent must be available at the workplace.
How often should the contents be checked?
We have not found a fixed inspection interval in the Danish Working Environment Authority's (Arbejdstilsynet) rules, so treat it as practice: check regularly, for example every six months and after use, and replace expired products. Set the interval in the APV.
See our range of first aid. If you also need to get your protective equipment in order, read about the 3-hour rule for respiratory protection. If you are unsure, call us on 89 88 67 26.
Source: the Danish Working Environment Authority's (Arbejdstilsynet) rules on the layout of workplaces and its guidance on first aid. This article is for guidance only and is not an exhaustive legal review.
