First Aid on Every Crew - Washington (DOSH)

On a federal job, the first-aid question is often "how far is the clinic?" If a hospital or clinic is reasonably close, the federal rule does not require anyone on site to hold a first-aid card. Washington does not ask that question. Wherever two or more employees are working, someone there must hold a valid first-aid certificate, and every crew leader and supervisor must hold one personally, whether or not anyone else on the crew is trained. This Washington First Aid on Every Crew Toolbox Talk covers who needs the card, what the supplies rules add, and the one short exception.

Where the boundary of this talk sits#

This talk covers Washington's first-aid certification and supply rules for construction. How to give first aid, CPR and AED use, emergency response planning, and injury reporting belong to their own talks.

The anchor#

Here is the distinction that carries this whole talk: in Washington first-aid coverage travels with the crew, not with the distance to the nearest clinic — every worksite where a crew of two or more employees is present must have someone with a valid first-aid certificate, and every crew leader, supervisor, or person in direct charge of even one employee must hold a valid certificate personally, even if others on the crew are trained — so a foreman without a current card is out of compliance on day one, whether the hospital is across the street or an hour away, and the only relief is a 30-day emergency allowance when someone else in the crew or immediate area is certified.

A certified person wherever a crew is present#

WAC 296-155-120(1) says the employer must have available at all worksites, where a crew is present, a person or persons holding a valid first-aid certificate. Subsection (3) defines a crew as a group of two or more employees working at any worksite.

The rule does not depend on how close medical help is. A crew of two working at a building downtown needs a certified person just as much as a crew working at a remote pipeline right-of-way.

Every crew leader holds a card#

WAC 296-155-120(2) says all crew leaders, supervisors, or persons in direct charge of one or more employees must have a valid first-aid certificate. The note to the section says this applies even if other first-aid trained persons are available.

In practice, this means the person running the crew is always trained. A lead hand in charge of one laborer needs a card. A superintendent who directs crews on site needs a card. Having a certified laborer on the crew does not cover the foreman's own requirement.

The 30-day emergency allowance#

The note to WAC 296-155-120 allows one exception. In emergencies, crew leaders are permitted to work up to 30 days without the required certificate, provided an employee in the crew or another crew leader in the immediate work area has the necessary certificate. It is a short bridge for an unplanned change, such as a foreman out sick and a replacement stepping up, not a way to run a crew without a trained leader.

What counts as a valid certificate#

WAC 296-155-120 requires a "valid" certificate but does not itself set the course content or length. The practical test on site is simple: the card must be current, not expired, and the employer should be able to show it. If your card has an expiration date, know it.

Supplies: the core rules plus two Washington additions#

WAC 296-155-125(1) applies the first-aid supply requirements of the safety and health core rules, chapter 296-800 WAC, to construction. WAC 296-800-15020 requires first-aid supplies that are readily available and appropriate to the occupational setting and the response time of emergency medical services. They must be easily accessible to all employees, stored in containers that protect them from damage, deterioration, or contamination, clearly marked, not locked, and able to be moved to where an injured or acutely ill worker is.

WAC 296-155-125 then adds two construction requirements:

• (2) Crew vehicles: all vehicles used to transport work crews must be equipped with first-aid supplies.
• (3) Posters: when practical, a poster must be fastened and maintained on or in the cover of each first-aid kit and at or near all phones, plainly stating the worksite address or location and the phone numbers of emergency medical responders for the worksite.

The poster matters more than it looks. In an emergency, the person calling may not know the address of a new site. The answer should be on the kit lid.

Emergency washing#

WAC 296-155-125(4) applies the emergency washing rule, WAC 296-800-15030, to construction. Where eyes may be exposed to corrosives, strong irritants, or toxic chemicals, an emergency eyewash must flush both eyes at the same time, turn on in one second or less and stay on hands-free, and deliver at least 0.4 gallons (1.5 liters) per minute for 15 minutes or more. Where major portions of the body may be contacted, an emergency shower must deliver at least 20 gallons (75 liters) per minute for 15 minutes or more. Both must be reachable in no more than 10 seconds, kept clear of obstacles, and working. A squeeze bottle is not an eyewash.

Washington versus federal#

The federal rule, 29 CFR 1926.50(c), requires a person with a valid first-aid certificate at the worksite only in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, hospital, or physician reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance. It does not require every crew leader to be certified or require supplies in crew vehicles. Washington requires a certified person wherever a crew is present, a certified leader for every crew, and first-aid supplies in every crew vehicle. One federal habit is worth keeping in Washington too: 29 CFR 1926.50(d)(2) requires the kit to be checked before it is sent out on each job and at least weekly on each job, so used items are replaced.

Where the duty sits#

WAC 296-155-120 sets a certified person wherever a crew of two or more is present (1), a valid certificate for every crew leader, supervisor, or person in direct charge (2), the crew definition (3), and the 30-day emergency allowance in the note. WAC 296-155-125 applies the core rule supply requirements, requires supplies in crew vehicles, requires address and emergency-number posters, and applies emergency washing rules. WAC 296-800-15020 and 296-800-15030 set the supply and eyewash details. For contrast, federal 29 CFR 1926.50(c).

What can go wrong?#

• A new foreman's first-aid card expired last year and nobody checked.
• The crew truck leaves the yard without a first-aid kit.
• The kit is locked in the gang box and the key is with the superintendent.
• Someone calls 911 and can't give the site address.
• The only eyewash is a squeeze bottle next to the chemical drum.

How do we manage this properly?#

• Check every leader's card — crew leaders, supervisors, and anyone in direct charge.
• Know who else is certified — at least one person wherever a crew is present.
• Kit in every crew vehicle — stocked, marked, unlocked.
• Post the address and emergency numbers — on the kit lid and by the phones.
• Eyewash within 10 seconds — where chemicals can reach the eyes.
• Treat the 30-day allowance as an emergency only — and get the card.

Before you start#

Confirm who on this crew holds a current first-aid card, including the crew leader. Check that the truck has its kit, and that the kit lid shows today's site address and emergency numbers.

Talk it over#

• Who on this crew has a current first-aid card, and when does it expire?
• Where is the kit in our truck, and is it stocked?
• What is this site's address if we have to call 911?

The bottom line#

Washington does not tie first aid to the distance to a clinic. Wherever a crew of two or more is working, someone must hold a valid first-aid certificate, and every crew leader, supervisor, or person in direct charge of an employee must hold one personally. Every crew vehicle carries first-aid supplies, kits and phones show the site address and emergency numbers, and eyewashes are reachable in 10 seconds where chemicals are used.

Frequently asked questions about Washington first-aid rules#

Does every foreman in Washington need a first-aid card?

Yes. Under WAC 296-155-120(2), all crew leaders, supervisors, or persons in direct charge of one or more employees must have a valid first-aid certificate, even if others on the crew are trained. In emergencies, a crew leader may work up to 30 days without one if someone in the crew or another crew leader in the immediate work area is certified.

Download the Washington first aid on every crew toolbox talk PDF#

Download this Washington First Aid on Every Crew Toolbox Talk as a printable PDF in English and Spanish, and check every crew leader's card before the next shift.

Related toolbox talks#

• First Aid and AED
• First Aid Kit Familiarization
• Emergency Response
• Emergency Evacuation Routes

Sources#

• Washington State Legislature, WAC 296-155-120 — First-aid training and certification ((1) certified person at all worksites where a crew is present; (2) all crew leaders, supervisors, or persons in direct charge certified; (3) crew means two or more employees; note: applies even if others are trained, 30-day emergency allowance): https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=296-155-120
• Washington State Legislature, WAC 296-155-125 — First-aid supplies ((1) core rule supply requirements apply; (2) supplies in all crew transport vehicles; (3) address and emergency-number poster on kits and near phones; (4) emergency washing): https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=296-155-125
• Washington State Legislature, WAC 296-800-15020 — Make sure appropriate first-aid supplies are readily available (appropriate to setting and EMS response time; accessible, protected, marked, not locked, movable): https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=296-800-15020
• Washington State Legislature, WAC 296-800-15030 — Make sure emergency washing facilities are functional and readily accessible (eyewash 0.4 gal/1.5 L per minute for 15 minutes; shower 20 gal/75 L per minute for 15 minutes; reachable within 10 seconds): https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=296-800-15030
• OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.50(c)–(d) (certified person required in the absence of a reasonably accessible infirmary, clinic, hospital, or physician; kit checked before each job and at least weekly): https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.50

Written by FieldSafetyTalk's safety professional — a CSP, ASP, CHST and OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer with 14+ years of international construction safety experience across federal, heavy civil, and industrial projects.

Hazards covered