Who must provide a first aid box in South Africa?

Regulation 7 of the General Safety Regulations requires every employer with more than five employees to provide a readily accessible first aid box, or boxes, at the workplace.

How many first aid boxes does a workplace need?

One suitably stocked first aid box per work area, positioned so that employees can reach it quickly. Large sites, multiple floors, separate buildings and vehicles each need their own kit.

How often should a first aid kit be inspected and refilled?

Inspect monthly, record the inspection, and replace anything used, damaged or expired immediately. A quarterly refill cycle keeps most workplaces continuously compliant.

Compliance guide

Regulation 7 First Aid Kit Compliance Guide (South Africa)

What Regulation 7 of the OHS Act requires: who needs a first aid box, the mandatory contents, how many kits per workplace, and how often to inspect and refill them.

What Regulation 7 says

Regulation 7 of the General Safety Regulations, issued under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993, places the duty on the employer. Where more than five people are employed, the employer must provide a first aid box (or boxes) that is readily accessible, clearly marked, and kept stocked with the prescribed minimum contents. Where more than ten people are employed, at least one trained first aider must be appointed for every group of up to fifty employees in shops and offices, and for every group of up to one hundred employees in other workplaces.

Minimum prescribed contents

These are the minimum items an inspector expects to find in a compliant first aid box. Nothing may be missing, used up or past its expiry date.

Wound cleaner / antiseptic (100 ml)
Swabs for cleaning wounds
Cotton wool (100 g)
Sterile gauze (minimum 10 dressings)
1 pair of forceps (for splinters)
1 pair of scissors (minimum 100 mm)
1 set of safety pins
4 triangular bandages
4 roller bandages (75 mm x 5 m)
4 roller bandages (100 mm x 5 m)
1 roll of elastic adhesive (25 mm x 3 m)
1 non-allergenic adhesive strip (25 mm x 3 m)
1 packet of adhesive dressing strips (minimum 10 assorted)
4 first aid dressings (75 mm x 100 mm)
4 first aid dressings (150 mm x 200 mm)
2 straight splints
2 pairs of large disposable latex gloves
2 pairs of medium disposable latex gloves
2 CPR mouthpieces or similar resuscitation devices

How many kits for your workplace

Up to 5 employees: no box is legally required, but a basic kit is strongly recommended.
6 to 50 employees: at least one fully stocked Regulation 7 kit per work area or floor.
More than 50 employees: multiple kits spread across the site, plus a trained first aider per group of employees.
Higher-risk sites (factories, workshops, construction, warehousing): add burn dressings, eye wash and a stretcher or spine board where the risk assessment calls for it.
Restaurants and food handling: use blue detectable plasters and dressings so any dressing that comes loose can be found.
Vehicles and mobile teams: each vehicle needs its own kit; it does not count as the site kit.

Inspections, expiry dates and refills

Inspect each kit monthly and keep a written record of the date, the inspector and any items replaced. Sterile dressings, wound cleaner and CPR devices carry expiry dates, so check them at every inspection. Replace anything used on the day it is used — a kit that is short of a single prescribed item is not compliant. Most workplaces settle into a quarterly refill cycle, which keeps kits stocked and gives you the paper trail an inspector asks for.

Get compliant

MBC First Aid & Safety supplies Regulation 7 kits, refill packs, wall-mounted containers, food-industry kits, PPE and labour law posters to businesses throughout South Africa. Prices are in Rand, VAT is 15%, and delivery is free on orders over R350.

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This guide summarises the requirements for general information. Always read Regulation 7 of the General Safety Regulations together with your own workplace risk assessment.