First aid kits in the office
– how looks the order, which appoints responsible persons for the first aid kit and approves its composition and place of storage, the Rules for the use of medical devices in first aid, as well as the journal of registration and accounting for the use of medical devices;
– What administrative responsibility an employer faces for not having a first aid kit.
Article 223 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation (hereinafter – LC RF) obliges all employers, regardless of the type of activity and working conditions, to organize medical support for employees. For this purpose the employer shall equip medical aid rooms and organize first-aid posts equipped with first-aid kits.
First aid kits are also required by the labor protection regulations (hereinafter – OSH), sanitary rules and norms (hereinafter – SanPiN) and other regulatory documents.
POST FIRST AID
The Russian legislation does not provide a clear definition of what a first aid post (hereinafter – the Post) is. There are also no requirements for its organization, except for staffing it with a first aid kit.
Therefore it is up to the employer to determine what the post includes, where it must be located and how it is equipped. At the same time it is necessary to take into account the nature of production activities and working conditions. The decision shall be fixed in a local normative act (hereinafter – LNA).
The post shall be equipped with:
1. first-aid kits.
2. Safety signs (figure).
Figure A safety sign to indicate the posts and the first aid boxes storage places
3. a First Aid Instruction or handbook for victims. These documents can be developed on the basis of the First Aid Briefing for Victims[1] or use the materials of the International Guidelines for First Aid and CPR[2], taking into account the list of conditions for which first aid is provided, and the list of first aid measures”[3].
4. Rules with pictograms on the use of medical devices in first aid.
5. Other first aid information materials, including ambulance and emergency numbers.
Emergency Phones
– Ambulance and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) – 103[4].
– The general telephone number for all emergency services is 112.
– The Moscow SSiNMP doctor and consultative console: 8 (495) 620-42-33[5].
– Inquiries about the work of all ambulances in Moscow: 8 (499) 445-02-63.
– Inquiries about the condition of hospitalized patients: 8 (499) 445-57-66.
– Moscow Health Department Hotline: 8 (499) 251-83-00.
– Federal Health Care Oversight Service hotline for Moscow and the region (complaints and legal advice): 8 (495) 611-47-74.
WHAT ARE THE CONTENTS OF FIRST AID KITS AND WHY ALL MEDICINES WERE EXCLUDED FROM THEM?
The composition of first aid kits for employees (hereinafter referred to as “First Aid Kits”) has been approved by the Order of the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development of Russia dated 05.03.2011 No. 169n (hereinafter referred to as “Order No. 169n”).
According to Note 1 to Order No. 169n, the medical items included in the first aid kit are not subject to replacement.
The composition of the first aid kit, in accordance with Order No. 169n, allows for the provision of first aid to victims only:
– for injuries to various areas of the body, including when it is necessary to temporarily stop external bleeding and dressing wounds;
– respiratory and circulatory arrest by means of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
At the same time, many employers ask the question: “Is it possible to complete first aid kits with medicines not only for first aid, but also for the prevention of common diseases?”
On the one hand, some SanPiN and POT[6] contain requirements for the provision of workers with medicines other than those specified in the List of Order № 169n. And on the other hand it is established that the storage of medicines is carried out by manufacturers of medicines, organizations of wholesale trade in medicines, pharmacy organizations, veterinary pharmacy organizations, individual entrepreneurs with a license for pharmaceutical activity or a license for medical activity, medical organizations, veterinary organizations and other organizations involved in the circulation of medicines[7]. Therefore the first aid kit cannot be completed with medicines!
Drugs were excluded from the composition of the First Aid kit for a reason: due to the environmental conditions and unhealthy lifestyle there is an increase in the number of adverse drug reactions (hereinafter – ADRs).
ADRs may be caused by:
– Individual characteristics of the body (allergies and contraindications);
– liver and kidney diseases;
– gastrointestinal bleeding and peptic ulcers;
– concomitant ingestion of different medications or toxic substances (e.g., alcoholic beverages) that intensify each other’s side effects;
– failure to comply with individual dosages;
– Taking medications that have expired or whose storage conditions have been violated.
The VLD, in particular, includes impairment of coordination, attention and reactions, drowsiness or excitability – all of which badly affect the ability to operate a vehicle, equipment, as well as work in general.
Legislators fear that uncontrolled taking of medications can lead to OUD, which, in turn, can lead to serious harm to health or even death.
Individuals who take medications without a doctor’s prescription are not always aware of their current health status, existing medical conditions, allergies, and contraindications.
If you add to this uncontrolled taking of medications, the situation can be dire. For example, self-administration of painkillers for pain in the abdomen “steals” the necessary time for the diagnosis of appendicitis, which can lead to complications during further surgery. Or taking medications that raise or lower the blood pressure without measuring the current pressure can cause irreparable harm to health, as well as interfere with proper diagnosis when going to the doctor.
[1] Developed by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations in 2015 (goo.gl/M2NTp7).
[2] Published with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2016, 1303500 05/2016 E) (goo.gl/4TZ15j).
[3] Approved by Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia № 477 of 04.05.2012 (as amended on 07.11.2012).
[4] You can call “03” or “103” and, without calling a doctor, consult on the situation.
[5] Highly qualified doctors at the specified phone number will give the necessary advice, advise how to alleviate the condition of the patient and whether it is necessary to call an ambulance.
[6] For example, clauses 98 and 161 of the Rules on labor protection when using certain types of chemicals and materials, approved by Order of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation from 19.04.2017 № 371n, as well as SanPiN (for example, clauses 13.5 and 25.13 SanPiN 2.2.3.1384-03 “Hygienic requirements for the organization of construction production and construction works”, approved by Resolution of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Russia from 11.06.2003 № 141).
[7] In accordance with Article 58 of the Federal Law of 12.04.2010 № 61-FZ “On the circulation of medicines” (as amended on 04.06.2018).
N.V. Panfilov, Occupational Safety and Health Specialist
The material is published in part. You can read it in full in the magazine “Secretary-Referent” № 8, 2018.
First aid kit at the enterprise
First aid kit should be available at every enterprise. What sanctions await the organization if there is no first aid kit? What must the first aid kit contain, and what should it contain that is strictly forbidden? All the nuances associated with the presence of a first aid kit in the enterprise, we will consider in our review.
Is the employer obliged to have a first aid kit?
Labor law regulates, among other things, the health and safety of employees. It does not depend on the size of the enterprise where citizens work, nor on its organizational and legal form. Not only firms, but also individual entrepreneurs with employees are subject to labor laws.
Read about the innovations of 2022 in labor protection in the article “Labor protection in 2022: new rules and changes” .
Compliance with all occupational safety and health principles is the responsibility of the employer. These include the provision of sanitation and medical care for employees. Article 214, 223 of the Russian Labour Code stipulates this responsibility. In particular the notion of sanitary and housekeeping services includes (Article 216.3 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation):
This is not a complete list of measures to be taken by the employer to ensure workplace safety. As you can see, the availability of a first-aid kit for employees is established by the requirements of labor legislation of the Russian Federation.
You will find a link to a sample order to approve the composition of the first-aid kit at the beginning of the article.
Let us consider what requirements are imposed on first-aid kits.
As of March 1, 2022, a large number of changes to occupational health and safety in businesses went into effect. Get free trial access to “ConsultantPlus” and find out what you need to consider in the organization of labor protection based on the current legal requirements.
Since March 1, employers are obliged to inform workers about the conditions and labor protection in the organization.
Changes in the requirements for medical kits
Since September 2021 there are new requirements for the first aid kit in the enterprise, to be more precise, the new requirements refer to the contents of the first aid kit. The fact is that a new order came into force, which repealed the old order.
Previously, the first aid kit for employees was completed in accordance with Order № 169n of 05.03.2011. As of September 1, 2021 this order became invalid due to the entry into force of Order No. 995n of the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development dated 18.09.2020.
The first aid kit will be assembled from September 1, 2021 in accordance with Order No. 1331n of the Ministry of Health and Social Development dated December 15, 2020.
If a company has a first aid kit for employees in accordance with the decree № 169n, which is no longer in force, it can be left until the end of its shelf life, but no later than August 31, 2025.
ConsultantPlus experts told about the nuances of the practical application of the new regulations for kits. Get free trial access to material on this topic.
Have you bought a first aid kit with your health insurance premiums and you do not know whether you are eligible for a VAT deduction? The answer is in our review “Purchasing PPE at the expense of the FSS: what about the VAT deduction” .
The composition of the first aid kit according to the new order
Now consider what the composition of the first aid kit for first aid under the new order and how it differs from the first aid kit in the enterprise under the old order.
Order № 1331n is valid until 31.08.2027, i.e. within 6 years.
So, what should be in the first aid kit:
Some items may not be staffed with the same items. For example, to close the item “Medical non-sterile disposable mask,” you could use:
The quantitative combination of the various masks can be anything, the main thing is to close the total number in the first aid kit, which is 10 units.
Similarly, different masks can be used for the first aid kit:
For a complete, detailed list of the first aid kit in the order, see our news story “New Requirements for First Aid Kits as of September 1” .
All items in the first aid kit must be manufactured and registered in accordance with the law. They must have a current expiration date. The reuse of items in the first aid kit is prohibited.
Compared to previous requirements, the composition of the first aid kit has decreased. Now it does not need to be stored in it:
- notepad,
- fountain pen,
- English pins.
But the number of necessary masks, gauze bandages and blankets has increased.
IMPORTANT: using no medical kit can get you a fine under part 1 clause 5.27.1 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Violations: from 2 000 to 5 000 RUB for sole traders and from 50 000 to 80 000 RUB for legal entities.
To learn more about when the employer is held liable under art. 5.27.1 of the CAO RF, you can from the expert material posted in the system “ConsultantPlus”. Get free trial access to it.
Results
A first aid kit should be in any enterprise. As of September 1, 2021, the mandatory composition of the first aid kit has changed. Old first-aid kits can be used until their shelf life expires, but no later than August 31, 2025. The current composition of first-aid kits will be valid for 6 years, until August 31, 2027.
- The order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development dated December 15, 2020 № 1331n
- RF Labor Code
More comprehensive information on this topic you can find in ConsultantPlus. Trial free access to the system for 2 days.
