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General product information, not medical advice. This guide describes what an emergency oxygen kit is made of and what federal documents say about how such kits are labeled. It does not tell anyone when or how to give oxygen to a person; that belongs to training and the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
An emergency oxygen kit is a portable set that typically pairs an oxygen cylinder with a regulator, tubing and one or more masks, packed in a carry case with instructions. Programs that already keep an AED or a first aid station often consider one. The question this page answers is narrower than “which kit”: what should be in the box, and what should you confirm in its labeling and paperwork before it goes on a shelf? If you came for ambulance inventory, see EMS equipment or the EMT bag guide instead.
What an emergency oxygen kit is
An emergency oxygen kit (also sold as an oxygen emergency kit or oxygen first aid kit) is a packaged oxygen supply meant for use by a trained responder before professional care arrives. “Emergency use” is not just marketing language. Under US federal policy it is a labeling category with a minimum performance floor, described below.
Contents checklist
Kit contents vary by manufacturer. The table lists the components that commercial emergency oxygen kits typically include, and what to check for each one. It is a checklist for reading a product’s contents list, not a standard.
| Category | Item | Typical presence | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supply | Oxygen cylinder | Typical, but some kits ship without one or with an empty cylinder | Whether a filled cylinder is actually included, or sold and shipped separately |
| Delivery | Regulator (flow control) | Typical | That its stated flow settings are in the manufacturer’s instructions; ranges differ between kits |
| Delivery | Oxygen tubing | Typical | That it is included and matches the mask connections |
| Interface | Non-rebreather mask | Common | Size or sizes included; see what a non-rebreather mask is |
| Interface | Resuscitation (pocket) mask | Common in some kits | Whether it has an oxygen inlet |
| Interface | Simple face mask | Included in some kits | Background in simple face mask flow rate |
| Support | Carry case | Typical | That it holds every component for storage and transport |
| Support | Instructions and labeling | Typical | That the labeling states emergency use (see the next section) |
Manual ventilation devices are a separate item from the oxygen kit; see what a bag-valve-mask is for how that device is described.
What FDA and federal law say
The FDA emergency-use threshold
FDA’s CDRH document Review Guidelines for Oxygen Generators and Oxygen Equipment for Emergency Use states that emergency-use oxygen equipment may be marketed over the counter if it delivers a minimum flow rate of 6 liters of oxygen per minute, maintained for a minimum of 15 minutes. FDA notes that this sets a minimum total delivery capacity of 90 liters.
- Devices that fall short of 6 L/min for 15 minutes but still have at least 90 liters of capacity are regarded as prescription devices, must bear the prescription legend, and may not be labeled for emergency use.
- Devices that cannot provide 90 liters total are considered not substantially equivalent to devices in commercial distribution.
- Over-the-counter emergency-use labeling may not refer to heart attacks, strokes, shock or other conditions that only licensed practitioners diagnose or treat.
The document was issued in January 1977 (FDA’s page was last updated 27 March 2018). It predates FDA’s 1997 Good Guidance Practices and is non-binding guidance, so read it as FDA’s stated review position rather than a regulation.
The statutory no-prescription pathway
Section 360ddd-1 of Title 21 of the US Code allows oxygen to be provided without a prescription in two situations: “in the event of depressurization or other environmental oxygen deficiency,” and “for oxygen deficiency or for use in emergency resuscitation, when administered by properly trained personnel.” The prescription requirement is treated as met if the labeling bears a warning that the oxygen can be used for emergency use only and that a prescription is required for all other medical applications. That warning is worth looking for on any kit you evaluate.
What varies by facility type
Federal documents cited here do not prescribe a kit list for a school, gym, workplace or clinic, and this page does not either. What differs between facilities is who is trained, whether a state or local rule applies, and whether an employer’s workplace rules cover the cylinder. Check with the authority that governs your facility, and with the kit manufacturer, for requirements specific to you.
Storage, inspection and restocking
- Visual inspection (employers). OSHA’s compressed gas standard, 29 CFR 1910.101, requires employers to have compressed gas cylinders visually inspected for safe condition, and covers in-plant handling, storage and use of cylinders.
- Everything else is per manufacturer. Expiry dates, cylinder refill or exchange, mask replacement and recommended inspection intervals come from the kit’s instructions for use. Record them when the kit is installed so someone owns the schedule.
FAQ
What is the difference between an oxygen emergency kit and an oxygen first aid kit?
The names are used interchangeably by sellers. What matters is the labeling and contents of the specific product, not the name: confirm emergency-use labeling and which components are included.
Do you need a prescription for an emergency oxygen kit?
Under 21 U.S.C. 360ddd-1, oxygen can be provided without a prescription for emergency resuscitation or oxygen deficiency when administered by properly trained personnel, provided the label carries the emergency-use-only warning. All other medical use requires a prescription.
Does an emergency oxygen kit replace an AED?
No. They are different devices that do different jobs: an oxygen kit supplies oxygen, and an AED delivers a shock. Many programs keep both. Follow your training provider’s guidance on how they fit together.
Does the kit include the cylinder?
Not always. Some kits ship with the cylinder, some with an empty one, and some sell it separately. Check the product’s contents list.
Sources
- FDA, Review Guidelines for Oxygen Generators and Oxygen Equipment for Emergency Use (checked 1 November 2026).
- 21 U.S.C. 360ddd-1, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (checked 1 November 2026).
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.101, Compressed gases (general requirements) (checked 1 November 2026).
