Complying with First Aid Laws in Washington

Are You Gambling With Compliance?

We talk about the fact of law that requires employers to have first aid trained personnel and fully stocked first aid kits available at all times. Our clients know they need to stay compliant on one hand, but they also believe that having trained personnel on site could be the difference between life and death in the event of on-site medical emergencies. It could also save them thousands of dollars in OSHA & Labor and Industries fines.

We hear and see companies large and small who are neglecting to follow this law; they are gambling, and do so at their own peril.

You can ignore these laws only so long as you never have an incident, or Labor & Industries never shows up at your door or job-site, but when the investigators show up; the house always wins.

Be assured that your world will change during an L&I investigation where there has been an “on the job” injury and there were no first aid trained personnel, no first aid kits, or were poorly stocked kits.

Yes, the house always wins so don’t gamble with compliance and risk heavy fines or worse.

We have seen fines as high as $9050.00 so is it worth it to gamble?

Recent observations and stories:

• No First Aid Kit’s on site
• No Trained Personnel
• Used-up First Aid Supplies in First Aid Kits (as in bloody gauze)
• AED’s that have expired electrodes and batteries

It’s only a matter of time before the long arm of the law catches up with scofflaws, and its almost always following an “on the job” injury.

Below are the laws in black and white with no mystery, and no grey areas. If you are compliant then great, but if not; call us immediately! 

You must:

Comply with the first-aid training requirements of 29 C.F.R. 1910.151(b) which states:

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.

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296-800-15005
Make sure that first-aid trained personnel are available to provide quick and effective first aid

296-800-15020
Make sure appropriate first-aid supplies are readily available

• Make sure first-aid supplies at your workplace are appropriate to:

– Your occupational setting.

– The response time of your emergency medical services.

Note:

First-aid kits from your local retailer or safety supplier should be adequate for most nonindustrial employers.

• Make sure that first-aid supplies are:

–Easily accessible to all your employees.

–Stored in containers that protect them from damage, deterioration, or contamination. Containers must be clearly marked, not locked, and may be sealed.

– Able to be moved to the location of an injured or acutely ill worker.