First Aid Room Signs and Safety Stations: Factories Act and OSH Code Requirements

When Every Second Counts — Can Your Workers Find First Aid?

The Factories Act 1948 (Sections 45 and 45A) mandates that every factory with more than 150 workers must have a first aid room staffed by a qualified medical practitioner. All factories must have first aid boxes accessible to workers. But mandate does not mean workers can find these facilities. That is where signage comes in.

First Aid Room Signs

• "First Aid Room" identification sign (green rectangle with white cross symbol — IS 9457) on the room door and visible from the corridor approach
• Direction signs to first aid room from every zone — a worker with a bleeding hand should not have to ask for directions
• "First Aider on Duty" sign with name and shift information
• Emergency contact numbers — ambulance, hospital, HSE officer

First Aid Box Signs

• "First Aid" identification sign above or adjacent to every first aid box
• "First Aid Box Contents" checklist — per the Factories Act Schedule (cotton, bandages, burn dressing, antiseptic, scissors, etc.)
• "Report All Injuries — Record in First Aid Register"
• Trained first aider name and contact

Eye Wash and Emergency Shower Stations

• "Eye Wash Station" sign (green rectangle with eye wash pictogram) — within 10 seconds' walk from any chemical handling area
• "Emergency Shower" sign (green rectangle with shower pictogram) — within 10 seconds' walk from chemical splash risk areas
• "Activate for 15 Minutes for Chemical Eye Contact" — usage instruction
• "Test Weekly" instruction on the station
• Direction signs to nearest eye wash from chemical handling zones

AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Signs

Increasingly, Indian factories are installing AEDs:

• "AED" identification sign (green rectangle with AED/heart symbol)
• Direction signs to nearest AED
• "For Sudden Cardiac Arrest — Trained Users Only"

Placement Priority

First aid and emergency medical signs should be visible from:

1. Every workstation (direction sign visible)
2. Every corridor junction (directional sign)
3. Within 10 metres of every chemical handling area (eye wash/shower signs)

Our first aid signs comply with IS 9457 safety colour standards. Browse first aid and emergency signs or order a complete first aid signage package.