First Aid Toolbox Talk: Talking Points, Questions and Checklist

This first aid toolbox talk is an awareness session for the whole crew, not a substitute for first aid training. It takes about five minutes and works best if you point out the nearest kit and defibrillator as you go. Everyone should leave knowing who to call, where help is kept, and what to do in the first minute.

Why does first aid awareness matter?

OSHA's view is that accidents will happen even in safe workplaces. Employers must therefore provide first aid personnel and supplies in line with the hazards of the workplace.

The US rule, 29 CFR 1910.151, requires a trained first aid person where there's no clinic or hospital nearby. Supplies must be readily available, and where corrosive chemicals are used, eye and body flushing facilities must be in the work area.

In the UK, HSE says employers must make sure employees get immediate help if taken ill or injured at work. That means a stocked kit, an appointed person to take charge, and information for all staff.

Time matters most with cardiac arrest. OSHA notes that survival falls by 7 to 10 percent for each minute without CPR or defibrillation, and that after 10 minutes resuscitation rarely succeeds. Rules differ by country, so check the rules where you work.

Talking points for your first aid toolbox talk

• Know your first aiders. Names change with shifts and rotas. Check the notice board or ask your supervisor who is on today.
• Know where help is kept. Find the nearest first aid kit, eyewash station and defibrillator (AED) from where you work, not just from the canteen.
• Know how to call. Know the internal emergency number or radio channel and the site address for outside services, and who meets the ambulance.
• Call early. Don't wait to see if someone "gets better." Chest pain, head injuries, heavy bleeding and collapse need help now.
• Don't move a seriously injured person, unless they are in immediate danger, such as fire or traffic. Make the area safe, keep them still and wait for trained help.
• Protect yourself. Use gloves from the kit and avoid contact with blood or body fluids.
• Report every treatment. Even a plaster goes in the log. It keeps kits stocked and shows where injuries keep happening.

Example to share with the crew

Picture this: a colleague collapses near the loading bay at the start of a night shift. Two people rush over, but neither knows who the first aider is tonight, and one runs to the office for the defibrillator only to learn it's in the canteen.

Ask the crew how long that cost, and what would make the next response faster.

First aid checklist

• First aiders for each shift are named on a visible notice
• Everyone can point to the nearest first aid kit
• Kits are stocked and in date, with gloves included
• The defibrillator location is signed and its status light shows ready
• Eyewash stations are in place where corrosives are used, and are unobstructed
• The emergency number and site address are posted near phones
• The first aid treatment log is available and being used

Questions to ask the crew

1. Who are the first aiders on this shift?
2. Where is the nearest defibrillator from where you're standing?
3. What would stop you calling for help straight away?

How to close the talk

The one takeaway from this first aid toolbox talk: know who to call and where the kit and defibrillator are, and call early. Report every treatment and any empty kit to your supervisor or the first aider on duty. Our talk on reporting injuries and near misses builds on this, and you can find more safety topics for toolbox talks in the library.