First aid preparation and response training suits workplace first aid responders, safety coordinators and supervisors. It also fits any employee who maintains first aid kits or may be first to reach an injured coworker. First aid preparation matters most at sites far from medical facilities, where the first minutes of care fall to coworkers.

OSHA's medical and first aid standard, 29 CFR 1910.151, requires adequate first aid supplies to be readily available. Where workers may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, 29 CFR 1910.151(c) requires quick-drench or eye-flushing facilities. Those facilities must be within the work area for immediate emergency use. Construction follows 29 CFR 1926.50.

A workplace first aid kit should hold supplies matched to likely injuries. Typical items include adhesive bandages, sterile gauze pads, roller bandages, tape, exam gloves, antiseptic, burn dressings, an eye covering and a CPR barrier. ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 sets common minimum contents, and first aid kits should be checked and restocked regularly.

Good Samaritan laws in every state offer some protection to people who give reasonable emergency care in good faith. The details vary by state. Workplace responders acting within job duties may be treated differently. First aid responders should ask for consent when possible, stay within their training, and not abandon a victim.

If no first aid kit is available, improvise with clean materials. Press a cloth on bleeding wounds and use a rolled magazine or board as a splint. A plastic bag can serve as a glove barrier. Call for emergency help early. The 41-minute first aid video is available in English, Spanish and French.