Is First Aid Training Mandatory?

First Aid training in the workplace can help save lives by providing assistance to someone in a health emergency until trained medical professionals arrive on the scene. Though first aid training is not mandatory in all workplaces, it’s highly recommended by OSHA and many employers.

The Occupational Safety & Health Agency, or OSHA, is a federal government agency responsible for enforcing and creating U.S. workplace safety standards. That includes OSHA’s recommendations for First Aid training.

So, who is recommended to have first aid training?

In general industry, OSHA says that “in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity” to workplaces, employers shall have “a person or persons” trained to deliver First Aid. OSHA also says adequate First Aid supplies should be readily available to workers. ^[1]

OSHA regulations for mandatory First Aid training are more explicit for some higher-risk occupations and workplaces.

For instance, in the construction industry, OSHA rule 29 CFR 1926.50(c) states:

“In the absence of an infirmary clinic, hospital, or physician, that is reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance to the worksite, which is available for the treatment of injured employees, a person who has a valid certificate in first-aid training from the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the American Red Cross, or equivalent training that can be verified by documentary evidence, shall be available at the worksite to render first aid.”

OSHA does not teach First Aid courses, or certify First Aid providers, but recommends training by reputable national providers including the American Heart Association. Cintas is one of the largest national providers of American Heart Association (AHA) CPR, First Aid and AED training.

OSHA First Aid Training Regulations

OSHA First Aid training regulations have evolved over the agency’s history. OSHA recommendations are part of the agency’s mission to protect worker safety. ^[2]

In general industry, First Aid training is called for “in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity” of a workplace.

An OSHA interpretation letter from 2007, defines what “near proximity” means.

The letter states:

“OSHA has long interpreted the term “near proximity” to mean that emergency care must be available within no more than 3-4 minutes from the workplace, an interpretation that has been upheld by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and by federal courts.”

Average EMS response times vary from 7 minutes up to 15 ^[3]. Rural areas statistically have some of the longest response time. Those few minutes between a health emergency and EMS arrival could mean the difference between the victim’s life and death.

OSHA First Aid recommendations apply to any workplace of any size. However, mandatory training is restricted to certain higher-risk industries, including construction, logging and electric power generation, transmission, and distribution. ^[4]

Should First Aid training be mandatory in schools? There have been years of heated discussion around first aid training in schools. First Aid training in schools is not federally mandated. However, same states have their own regulations, and in some states First Aid and CPR training is mandatory for a high school graduation.

Which Industries do OSHA First Aid Training Codes Apply To?

As discussed earlier, certain higher risk occupations have more detailed OSHA compliance rules for First Aid training. According to OSHA, in the following higher-risk occupations, CPR training is mandatory, in addition to first aid training. ^[5]

These are occupations where OSHA states there is a higher risk that, “sudden cardiac arrest from asphyxiation, electrocution, or exertion may occur,” ^[6]

29 CFR 1910.146(k)(2)(iii) – Permit-required Confined Spaces

29 CFR 1910.266(i)(7)(i) – Logging Operations

29 CFR 1910.269(b)(1) – Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution

29 CFR 1910.4101910.410(a)(3) – Qualifications of Dive Team

Workplace First Aid Training

OSHA gives employers wide discretion in how many people should receive First Aid training, and what that training should involve. However, in a general workplace, OSHA advises at least one person should have First Aid training. First Aid certification lasts two years but many people choose to refresh their training annually. ^{[7] [8]}

First Aid training assessment should include a reputable instructor’s observation of First Aid techniques and a written assessment of learning.