What's in a First Aid Kit? Complete List and Canadian Standards 2026
A complete first aid kit contains between 15 and 35 items divided into 5 categories: wound care, protection, tools, shock treatment, and emergency documentation. In Canada, the CSA Z1220-24 standard defines the mandatory contents for workplaces. The rest depends on your context: home, car, business, or hiking. Here's everything you need to know, and what most guides forget to tell you.
The 5 essential categories for any first aid kit
Key takeaway: Regardless of your situation, these 5 categories form the foundation of any effective kit. Specific contexts (business, travel, sports) are added on, never replace them.
1. Wound care, dressings, compresses, and bandages
This is the most used category. It covers cuts, abrasions, minor burns, and open wounds.
| Item | Primary Use | Min. Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Adhesive bandages (multi-size) | Minor cuts and abrasions | 20 |
| Sterile gauze compresses 4"x4" | Cover open wounds, absorb | 10 |
| Medical gauze roll 2'' | Secure compress on fingers, wrists | 2 |
| Elastic crepe bandage 5 cm | Compression for sprains and strains | 2 |
| Compressive bandage 4'' | Control hemorrhages, limbs | 1 |
| Medical tape (roll) | Secure dressings and compresses | 1 |
| Triangular bandage | Sling, immobilize fracture | 2 |
2. Protection, gloves, mask, and barriers
Protecting the rescuer is as important as treating the victim. A torn glove or missing mask can turn a rescue attempt into a vector of contamination.
- Latex-free nitrile gloves, at least 2 pairs. Avoid latex: up to 6% of the Canadian population is allergic to it.
- CPR pocket mask with one-way valve, essential for rescue breaths.
- Waterproof bags for biological waste, for safe disposal of soiled items.
Warning: Never include latex gloves in a professional first aid kit. In a workplace setting, you don't know the victim's allergies. Opt exclusively for nitrile, in accordance with CSA Z1220-24 recommendations.
3. Essential tools
- Round-tipped scissors, for cutting clothes, dressings, or bandages without risk of further injury
- Splinter forceps, removal of superficial foreign bodies
- Safety pins, securing slings and triangular bandages
- Flashlight with spare batteries, wound inspection, night or confined space interventions
- Thermometer, fever assessment, suspicion of hypothermia or heat stroke
4. Shock and trauma treatment
- Instant cold compress, reduction of post-traumatic edema (sprain, contusion, heat stroke)
- Isothermal survival blanket, shock treatment, hypothermia, protection for severe burns
- Tourniquet (recommended in high-risk environments), control of arterial hemorrhages in limbs
5. Emergency documentation
Often overlooked, yet critical: a kit without contact information is an incomplete kit. In case of an unconscious victim, the medical sheet can save a life.
- Bilingual first aid guide (French / English)
- Emergency numbers: 9-1-1, Quebec Poison Control Centre: 1 800 463-5060
- Personal medical information sheet: blood type, allergies, chronic medications
- Logbook for usage and expiry dates (see dedicated section)
Adapt your kit's contents to your context
Home and family kit
The family kit must cover common daily accidents: kitchen cuts, minor burns, children's falls, headaches, and fever. It also includes over-the-counter medications, which workplace kits exclude.
| Addition by profile | Specific item |
|---|---|
| Family with children | Ear thermometer, pediatric ibuprofen, dosed medical lollipops |
| Elderly person | Booster anticoagulant, list of current medications, magnifying glasses for reading |
| Allergic person | Antihistamine, auto-injectable epinephrine if prescribed, instructions for use |
| All profiles | Ibuprofen, anti-diarrheal, antiseptic cream, saline solution |
Workplace kit, legal obligations in Canada
In Canadian workplaces, the contents of the kit are not left to chance. The CSA Z1220-24 standard imposes minimum contents based on the number of employees and the risk level of the workplace.
Contents according to company size (CSA Z1220-24)
| Workforce | Kit Type | Additional Obligation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 workers | Type A, Basic Kit | No mandatory first aider (recommended) |
| 6 to 50 workers | Type B, Intermediate Kit | 1 certified first aider per shift |
| 50+ workers | Type C, Complete Kit | First aider + nurse depending on risk |
Regulation by province
| Province | Organization | Reference Text |
|---|---|---|
| Quebec | CNESST | Regulation respecting minimum first aid requirements |
| Ontario | WSIB | Ontario Regulation 1101, WSIA |
| British Columbia | WorkSafeBC | BC OHS Regulation, Part 3 |
| Alberta | WCB Alberta | Occupational Health and Safety Act |
CSA Z1220 compliant kits available at SuperMedic:
SuperMedic offers CSA Z1220 compliant kits adapted to each company size, ready for use and documented for your safety audits.
SuperMedic offers CSA Z1220 compliant kits adapted to each company size, ready for use and documented for your safety audits.
Travel and hiking kit
Far from quick medical access, a travel kit must anticipate self-sufficiency. The principle: treat for 24 to 72 hours without professional assistance.
- Hiking: tourniquet, lightweight survival blanket, distress whistle, instant cold compresses, adhesive strapping tapes for ankles
- International travel: antihistamine, anti-diarrheal, anti-malarial (depending on destination), rehydration solution, copy of prescriptions in English and French
- Camping and outdoors: tick remover, ophthalmic solution, hydrocolloid dressings for blisters
Car first aid kit
Car trunks accumulate heat, humidity, and vibrations, three factors that degrade medical items faster than indoors. Plan for a check every 6 months.
- Basic kit (wound care + gloves + compresses)
- Isothermal survival blanket
- Waterproof flashlight + spare batteries
- Warning triangle
- Emergency numbers for the region (CAA, roadside assistance)
Reminder: Store your car kit in a thermally insulated pouch if possible. At 40°C in a closed trunk, sterile compresses and medications degrade in a few weeks, well before their printed expiration date.
The lifespan of your kit: what no one tells you
Possessing a first aid kit and having a usable kit are two different things. A sterile compress with a torn wrapper, sticky nitrile gloves, or an elastic bandage that has lost its elasticity are false friends: they give a false sense of security without offering real protection.
Lifespan of each item, reference table
| Item | Recommended Duration | Sign for Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Sterile compress | 3 to 5 years | Torn packaging, yellowing |
| Nitrile gloves | 3 years | Sticky surface, deformation, rigidity |
| Elastic bandage | 2 to 3 years | Loss of elasticity, frayed threads |
| Instant cold compress | 3 years | Swelling, spontaneous activation |
| CPR mask | 5 years | Clogged filter, cracked plastic |
| Survival blanket | 5 years (intact packaging) | Perforated packaging, torn film |
| Adhesive bandages | 3 to 5 years | Dried adhesive, peeled packaging |
| Medications (ibuprofen, etc.) | Date indicated | Never exceed the date, discard immediately |
Recommended Audit Frequency
| Context | Frequency | Ideal Time |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Once a year | September return or January 1st |
| Car | Twice a year | Season change (spring / autumn) |
| Business | Quarterly + after each use | Appoint a named responsible person |
| Hiking / travel | Before each departure | Systematic check the day before |
The 5 most common mistakes in a first aid kit
- Leaving expired items in place, an expired compress can be contaminated even when packaged
- Using latex gloves, undetected allergy = possible anaphylactic shock in the victim
- Absence of a first aid guide, in a stressful situation, even a trained first responder can forget the steps
- Locked or inaccessible kit, in a company, anyone on the premises must be able to access it within 30 seconds
- No emergency number inside, stick a laminated sheet with 9-1-1, the Poison Control Center, and the company's medical contact
How to put together your first aid kit step by step
Choose the right container according to your use
| Container Type | Ideal for | Main Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Soft zippered pouch | Travel, sports, backpack | Lightweight, compact |
| Rigid compartmentalized box | Home, office, workshop | Visibility, organized storage |
| Dedicated backpack | Hiking, camping, field intervention | Volume, hands-free, long transport |
Where to store your first aid kit
- Home: central room, at adult height, out of reach of children but known to all household members
- Car: trunk in a thermally insulated pouch, not exposed to direct sunlight
- Business: mandatory green cross signage, visible from each workstation, never locked
Good practice: Photograph the contents of your kit after each replenishment. Keep the photo on your phone, in an emergency, you'll know exactly what you have on hand and where each item is located.