New ANSI First Aid Standard
Businesses are scrambling to get new ANSI 2015 First Aid Kits and ANSI 2015 Compliant First Aid Cabinets on order before the deadline to maintain compliance and assure they don't get fines from OSHA or other regulatory agencies.
ANSI has now designated two classes of First Aid Kits -
Class A: Contents designed to deal with most common types of workplace injuries
Class B: Broader range and quantity of supplies to deal with injuries in more complex or high-risk environments
ANSI Says that in deciding which class of kit is more appropriate for a given workplace, employers should consider the risks and task load of the work environment and the potential severity and likelihood of occurrence of an injury. Employers should also consider whether multiple first aid kits are needed, based on the number of employees, physical layout of the work environment and the remoteness of the work-site to emergency services.
The New First aid kit and supply requirements Z308.1-2015 call for much more content in the business first aid kits - the previous optional, or supplemental first aid items are now part of the required minimum fill, and many new items have been required.
There are 12 new types of first aid items and significantly higher counts of previously ANSI standard first aid supplies required in these new ANSI workplace first aid kits that were never before required. This adds up to 22 additional pieces in the basic ANSI Class A workplace first aid kit, and a whopping 145 extra pieces in the Class B Kits and Cabinets.
An American National Standard implies a consensus of those substantially concerned with its scope and provisions. An American National Standard is intended as a guide to aid the manufacturer, the consumer, and general public. The existence of an American National Standard does not in any respect preclude anyone, whether he has approved the standard or not, from manufacturing, marketing, purchasing, or using products, processes, or procedures not conforming to the standard. American National Standards are subject to periodic review and users are cautioned to obtain the latest edition.
