How to Maintain Your Workplace First Aid Kit: Inspect, Sanitize, Replenish

Published: January 10, 2015

A well-maintained first aid kit is essential for ensuring prompt and effective responses to workplace injuries. Regular maintenance involves three critical steps: inspecting for expired or damaged items, sanitizing the kit, and replenishing supplies. Following these steps helps keep your first aid resources ready and compliant with safety standards.

Step 1: Inspect the Kit

Regular inspections are vital to ensure that your first aid kit is fully stocked and that all items are in usable condition. Here's how to conduct an effective inspection:

Check for Expired Items: Review all medications, ointments, and sterile supplies for expiration dates. Discard any items that are out of date.
Identify Partially Used or Damaged Items: Remove any supplies that have been opened, used, or show signs of damage, such as torn packaging or compromised sterility.
Use an Inspection Tag or Checklist: Implementing an inspection log helps track maintenance schedules and ensures accountability.

Regular inspections help maintain the integrity of your first aid kit and ensure compliance with OSHA and ANSI standards.

Step 2: Sanitize and Clean the Kit

Keeping your first aid kit clean prevents contamination and ensures that supplies are safe to use. Follow these steps to sanitize your kit effectively:

Empty the Kit: Carefully remove all items from the kit, placing them on a clean surface.
Clean the Interior: Use a hard surface disinfectant to wipe down the interior surfaces of the kit, removing dust, debris, and potential contaminants.
Clean One Shelf at a Time: If your kit has multiple shelves, clean and restock each shelf individually to maintain organization.
Dry Thoroughly: Ensure all surfaces are completely dry before returning supplies to prevent moisture-related damage.

Regular cleaning maintains the kit's hygiene and prolongs the lifespan of its contents.

Step 3: Organize and Replenish Supplies

After inspection and cleaning, it's time to restock and organize your first aid kit:

Replenish Used or Missing Items: Replace any supplies that were used or discarded during the inspection. Ensure that all necessary items are present and in adequate quantities.
Organize Supplies Logically: Arrange items in a manner that makes them easy to find during an emergency. Group similar items together and label compartments if possible.
Utilize Refill Options: Consider using refill packs or restocking services to simplify the replenishment process.

Consistent organization and replenishment ensure that your first aid kit remains ready for any situation.

By following these three steps—inspection, sanitation, and replenishment—you can maintain a first aid kit that is both compliant with safety regulations and prepared to handle workplace emergencies effectively.

Check out our easy "How To Refill An MFASCO First Aid Kit" below for more help restocking your supplies.

Sanitation Products & Accessories
Disinfectants & Cleaners
Sani-cloth Plus Surface Disinfecting Wipes
Sanizide Plus Germicidal Wipe

Additional Resources for Disinfecting & Sanitation
Cleaners, Sanitizers and Disinfectants - What's the difference?
Disinfecting Hard Surfaces for Workplace Health
How To Disinfect Safety Glasses

Contributing Expert

Mike Brinker

Mike Brinker has been working in the first aid industry for over 35 years. He has worked with thousands of businesses,groups, and organizations to provide a healthy and safe work environment. Mike helped create “Make-A-Kit”, the internet's only online first aid kit creation tool. He has also authored many helpful first-aid and safety-related resource articles found at the MFASCO Learning Center.

See all articles from Mike Brinker.