How Often to Check and Restock a Workplace First Aid Kit

The regulations set out exactly what a first aid box should contain when it’s first stocked — they don’t say how often to check it afterwards. That gap is where most boxes quietly fall out of compliance: fully stocked the day it was bought, and not checked again until someone needs it and finds half the contents missing or expired.

In short: a first aid box should be checked at least monthly, and immediately after any use, not on a fixed legal schedule (the regulations don’t set one) but as ordinary good practice for something that has to actually work in an emergency. Dressings, adhesive strips and gloves run out fastest because they’re used for almost every minor injury; scissors, the whistle, the torch and the mirror rarely get touched and mainly need an occasional check that they’re still there and working.

What the law requires vs what’s just good practice

It’s worth being precise about this distinction, because the two get blurred easily. The Occupational Safety and Health (First Aid in the Workplace) Regulations, 2023 set out what has to be in the box for your headcount band — that’s a legal requirement, checked in an inspection or audit. How often you personally check that it still matches that list is not set out in the regulations at all. It’s simply the only way to make sure a box that was compliant on day one is still compliant six months later.

What tends to run out first

Looking at what a box actually holds, the pattern is predictable. Consumables used for almost any minor injury — small and medium dressings, adhesive strips, gauze, non-sterile gloves — get used up fastest, because they’re reached for constantly, even for injuries too minor to log formally. Items reserved for more serious incidents — large dressings, haemostatic gauze, triangular bandages — get used rarely but should still be checked, since a box that’s never needed them is easy to forget about entirely. The non-consumable items — scissors, the receptacle, the whistle, torch and mirror — don’t get “used up,” but a torch with a flat battery or a missing pair of scissors is just as much a gap as a missing dressing.

A simple monthly check

You don’t need a formal audit team for this — a monthly five-minute check against the contents list for your headcount band is enough for most workplaces. Three things to look for: has anything obviously been used and not replaced; has anything passed an expiry date (antiseptic and eye drops are the items most likely to carry one); and is anything present that shouldn’t be, since medicine is excluded from the box under the same regulations and it has a habit of quietly ending up in there anyway. After any actual use of the box — even a small one — it’s worth restocking immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled check.

Who should be doing the checking

This sits naturally with whoever holds the appointed first-aider role for your workplace, since they’re already the person responsible for the box being fit for use and their certificate has to be renewed annually anyway. For a business with several sites, it’s worth deciding explicitly who checks which box, rather than assuming someone will notice — an unassigned box is the one most likely to be forgotten.

Ordering replacements

We supply all five kit sizes with delivery in Nairobi and countrywide, so restocking a box that’s run low doesn’t have to mean replacing the whole unit. Get in touch with your headcount band and what’s run out, and we can quote accordingly.

Frequently asked questions

Does Kenyan law specify how often to check a first aid box?

No — the Occupational Safety and Health (First Aid in the Workplace) Regulations, 2023 set out the required contents but not an inspection frequency. A monthly check, and a check after any use, is standard good practice rather than a specific legal requirement.

What items in a first aid kit run out fastest?

Everyday consumables used for minor injuries — small and medium dressings, adhesive strips, gauze and non-sterile gloves — tend to run low fastest, since they’re reached for far more often than items reserved for serious incidents.

Who is responsible for restocking a workplace first aid kit?

There’s no legal designation for this specifically, but it fits naturally with your appointed, certified first aider, since they’re already responsible for the box being usable when needed.

Can I find expired items in a first aid box’s contents?

Yes — antiseptic and eye drops are the items most likely to carry an expiry date. A monthly check should include looking for anything past its date, not just anything visibly missing.

This is one part of keeping a site properly equipped, not just initially stocked. See our guides to choosing the right first aid kit size, what’s actually inside a compliant kit and wall-mounted vs portable kits, or browse gumboots and hi-vis vests. If you run several sites, see our guide to first aid cover across multiple locations.

Browse the full first aid kit range in stock now, or get in touch to restock what’s run low.