What the standard actually says
For general industry, 29 CFR 1910.151 requires three things: medical personnel available for advice and consultation; in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity to the workplace, a person or persons adequately trained to render first aid, with adequate first aid supplies readily available; and, where employees may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body. Construction has a parallel requirement at 29 CFR 1926.50.
"Near proximity" is the load-bearing phrase: OSHA's interpretations treat roughly 3–4 minutes as the benchmark for life-threatening emergencies and about 15 minutes for other serious injuries. If emergency care is not reliably that close, someone on shift must be trained.
Trained personnel: who and how many
Enough trained people that every shift and every work area has coverage — one certificate held by a day-shift office manager does not cover a night crew or a remote site. First-aid and CPR training from recognized providers satisfies the requirement; refreshers follow the certificate's cycle.
Designated first-aid responders are also "occupationally exposed" under the bloodborne pathogens standard (1910.1030), which brings annual training and exposure-control obligations — the pairing most employers miss.
Kits: what "adequate supplies" means
OSHA does not publish a mandatory kit inventory; its non-mandatory guidance points to ANSI/ISEA Z308.1, which defines Class A kits (common workplace injuries) and Class B kits (higher-risk, more complex environments), plus quantities by workplace size. Choosing kit class and stocking cadence from your hazard assessment — and assigning someone to actually restock — is what "adequate and readily available" looks like in practice.
Eyewash and drench requirements
Where employees can be exposed to injurious corrosive materials — battery charging areas, chemical handling, many maintenance shops — 1910.151(c) requires suitable drenching/flushing facilities within immediate reach of the hazard. The consensus benchmark (ANSI Z358.1) is a unit reachable within about 10 seconds, on an unobstructed path, delivering tepid flushing for 15 minutes. Wall-mounted squeeze bottles supplement but do not replace a plumbed or gravity-fed station for corrosive exposures.
References and further reading
Check the current source and your worksite’s requirements before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Responder training on record
Assign training, track completions and certificates, and export records. Use your own materials; a ready-made course catalog is not included in employer plans.