Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
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General product and standards information only, not medical advice. For an injury or illness, contact a clinician or local emergency services.
An individual first aid kit is a kit assembled for one person to carry or keep close, as opposed to a wall cabinet that serves a whole workplace. No single standard defines the term. The rules people usually cite, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151(b) and ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021, are workplace rules, so they inform a personal kit without governing it. This page shows which sources say what, and what to check on a kit listing.
Purpose and setting: what "individual" changes
A personal kit answers a different question from a workplace cabinet: what does one person need within reach, in the place where they will actually be? Ready.gov tells households to prepare supplies for home, work and cars, because people do not know where they will be when an emergency occurs. A single kit rarely covers all three. The generic contents of a kit (dressings, tape, wound-cleaning items) are already listed by category in Items Inside a First Aid Kit; this page covers the part that guide does not: how a one-person kit differs from a workplace kit and which rules reach it.
Which rules apply to a personal kit
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151(b)
OSHA’s general industry rule says that where no infirmary, clinic or hospital is in near proximity to the workplace for treating injured employees, a person or persons must be adequately trained to render first aid, and "adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available." It applies to employers and workplaces. It does not list contents, and its text does not name ANSI Z308.1. See the OSHA first aid kit stocking guide for the workplace reading.
ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021
The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) describes Z308.1-2021 as the sixth revision of a voluntary industry consensus standard first published in 1978, published in 2022 and effective October 15, 2022. Its stated scope is minimum performance requirements for first aid kits and their supplies "intended for use in various work environments." Kits are classified Class A or Class B according to the complexity of the work environment and level of hazards, and containers are classified by portability, ability to be mounted, resistance to water and corrosion, and impact resistance. A kit marked as meeting Z308.1 was therefore specified for workplaces; the standard does not turn a personal kit into a regulated one. Its per-item quantities are in the standard itself, which ISEA sells, and are not reproduced here. For the cabinet side, see first aid kit wall mounts.
Checklist: what to look for, with the source behind each row
Each row names the source behind it. Quantities are left out because the sources cited here give none for a personal kit; Z308.1 per-item quantities are in the standard itself.
| Category | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Container | Z308.1 classifies containers by portability, mountability, water and corrosion resistance, and impact resistance. For a carried kit, portability and resistance to water are the relevant properties to look for on the listing. | ISEA, Z308.1-2021 summary |
| Foil blanket | Mandatory in Z308.1-2021 kits. ISEA describes it as an item with multiple purposes, including acting as a windbreaker or serving as an emergency waterproof wrap. See what a Mylar blanket is. | ISEA, Z308.1-2021 summary |
| Tourniquet | Z308.1-2021 is more specific about tourniquets, distinguishing them from the types of bands used to draw blood. Compare tourniquet types. | ISEA, Z308.1-2021 summary |
| Bleeding control kit | The standard gives additional detail on designated bleeding control kits, described as containing more advanced supplies for life-threatening external bleeding. | ISEA, Z308.1-2021 summary |
| Prescription and over-the-counter medicines | Ready.gov advises organizing and protecting prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs and vitamins. Which medicines belong in a personal kit is a question for a clinician or pharmacist. | Ready.gov, basic disaster supplies kit |
| Eyeglasses and lens care | Ready.gov lists prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution. | Ready.gov |
| Personal hygiene items | Ready.gov lists feminine supplies and personal hygiene items. | Ready.gov |
Ready.gov’s list is for a disaster supplies kit that includes a first aid kit; it is not a first aid kit contents list. The personal rows are a layer kept next to the kit.
What varies by setting
The sources agree on a direction, not a formula. ISEA says all workplaces are unique and that additions to the minimum should reflect the hazards and injuries that could occur there, and that the proximity of supplies to each worker is imperative. Z308.1-2021 also strengthened its hazard-assessment discussion, including remote worksites and work vehicles. Ready.gov says to consider the unique needs of your household. For fieldwork away from a facility, see medical kits for field site visits.
Storage, expiry and restocking
- ISEA: workplace first aid kits should be inspected at least monthly, or after a first aid incident in which product is used.
- Ready.gov: replace expired items as needed, and rethink your needs every year, updating the kit as needs change.
- Ready.gov: because you do not know where you will be, keep supplies for home, work and cars.
The monthly interval is ISEA’s for workplace kits; for a personal kit it is a reasonable reference point, not a rule.
FAQ
Is an individual first aid kit OSHA-compliant?
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151(b) applies to employers and requires adequate first aid supplies to be readily available where no clinic or hospital is near. A kit bought for personal use is not certified by that sentence.
Does ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 apply to a personal kit?
Its stated scope is kits intended for use in work environments. A personal kit is not required by this standard to meet it.
Is an IFAK the same as an individual first aid kit?
Retail listings use both terms, and none of the standards cited here define either. Compare the itemised contents of the specific kit, and read tourniquet types if one is included.
How often should a personal kit be checked?
ISEA says workplace kits should be inspected at least monthly or after use. Ready.gov says to replace expired items as needed and to revisit needs yearly.
Sources
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.151, Medical services and first aid, osha.gov (checked 2026-11-01).
- International Safety Equipment Association, ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021 "Just the Facts", safetyequipment.org (checked 2026-11-01).
- Ready.gov, Build a Kit, ready.gov/kit (checked 2026-11-01).
