Medical Kit Supplies List: Which Kit Contents Are Required in Canada vs the US?
A clinic restocking a treatment room and a warehouse restocking a workplace kit are asking the same question in different words: what has to be in the box, and who says so. This list covers both, because the Canadian answer and the US answer are built on different standards.
- Canada: CSA Z1220:24 sets workplace kit types and sizes; Ontario Regulation 1101 sets a content list and a quarterly inspection duty.
- United States: first aid requirements sit in 29 CFR 1910.151, with kit contents described by ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 types and classes.
- Consumables that drive restock volume are gauze, tape, dressings, gloves and antiseptic wipes, not the case itself.
- A US catalogue cannot be used unchanged to fill a Canadian kit list, because the class system does not exist in Canada.
What is on a medical kit supplies list?
Start with the consumables, because the container is the item that lasts. In practice a clinic kit list is a small number of categories repeated at different quantities: sterile gauze and dressings, adhesive tape and closures, gloves, antiseptic wipes, bandages in two widths, scissors and forceps, and a CPR barrier. Ontario Regulation 1101 gives a concrete Canadian example of how narrow a regulated list can be.
| Item group | Ontario Reg 1101 example quantities | Typical clinic restock unit |
|---|---|---|
| Adhesive dressings | 24 individually wrapped | Box of 100 |
| Sterile gauze pads | 12 at 3 inches square | Pack of 200 |
| Gauze bandage | 4 rolls of 2 inch and 4 rolls of 4 inch | 12-roll case |
| Pressure dressings | 4 sterile surgical pads | Individually wrapped pack |
| Scissors and forceps | 1 pair each | Single unit |
| First aid manual | Current edition in the first aid room list | One per station |
Regulation 1101 also sets a maintenance duty rather than a purchase duty: employers must inspect the first aid box and its contents at intervals of no more than a quarter year and mark the inspection card with the date and the name of the person who checked it. That single line is why clinics run a restock schedule at all.
How do Canadian and US kit requirements differ?
The structural difference is how kits are named and how contents are fixed to them.
| Item | Canada | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Governing instrument | CSA Z1220:24 for workplaces; provincial rules such as O. Reg. 1101 add content lists | 29 CFR 1910.151; ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 used as the voluntary kit standard |
| Kit naming | Type 1 Personal, Type 2 Basic, Type 3 Intermediate; sizes small, medium, large | Type I to Type IV describe the container; Class A and Class B describe the contents |
| Smallest kit | Type 1 Personal, for isolated workers or those without access to a shared kit | No equivalent federal personal kit type; employer decides based on hazard |
| Inspection duty | Quarterly inspection of box and contents, with a signed inspection card | No federal inspection interval; ANSI maintenance guidance is voluntary |
| Device status of contents | Bandages and similar items are Class I medical devices | First aid kit without drug is FDA product code OHO, Class I |
The practical consequence is that a Canadian buyer who imports a US kit reference sheet gets a class system that does not map onto CSA kit types. The safer route is to build the list from the Canadian type the site actually needs, then source the consumables to match.
Which kit type does a clinic actually need?
A single treatment room with one practitioner rarely needs the largest kit. A dental or medical clinic with several operators, a sterilisation room and a waiting area usually ends up with a Type 2 kit in the treatment area plus a larger Type 3 kit near the reception desk, because the walking distance to a single box is what decides the size.
- Type 1 Personal for staff working alone, home care visits or satellite rooms.
- Type 2 Basic in small and medium for a typical clinic floor.
- Type 3 Intermediate where the site is larger, busier or further from emergency services.
- Refill by consumable category rather than buying a replacement case, and date the restock.
Ordering for a clinic, lab or care home? Wholesale and multi-site ordering covers case pricing and account setup, and the B2B wholesale collection lists the lines stocked for institutional buyers.
What should a clinic keep in stock for refills?
The restock list is shorter than the kit list. Sterile gauze sponges, cloth tape, wound closure strips, nitrile examination gloves and disposable dry wipes cover the majority of what a clinic uses weekly, and buying them by the case keeps the refill cycle predictable.
Sterile gauze sponges, cloth medical tape, wound closure strips, nitrile examination gloves and disposable dry wipes are all stocked in case quantities.
References
- Ontario Regulation 1101, First Aid Requirements, including the first aid box contents list (checked 26 September 2026)
- WorkSafeNB Type 1 Personal first aid kit minimum contents (checked 26 September 2026)
- US first aid requirements, 29 CFR 1910.151 (checked 26 September 2026)
- FDA product code OHO, first aid kit without drug, Class I (checked 26 September 2026)
Related Reading
- First aid kit refill: what belongs inside a Canadian first aid kit
- First aid kit requirements for Canadian workplaces
- Clinic supplies collection
Frequently Asked Questions
What has to be in a workplace first aid kit in Canada?
Contents follow the kit type and size in CSA Z1220, the Canadian standard for first aid kits for the workplace. Ontario employers are also bound by Regulation 1101, which lists the items for a first aid box and requires the box and its contents to be inspected at least quarterly.
Which CSA Z1220 kit type is a small clinic kit?
CSA Z1220 defines three workplace kit types: Type 1 Personal, Type 2 Basic and Type 3 Intermediate. Type 2 and Type 3 kits come in small, medium and large sizes based on the number of workers per shift, so a small clinic usually sits at Type 2 small or medium.
Does Canada use Class A and Class B first aid kits?
No. The Class A and Class B content split belongs to the US ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 structure, where the Type describes the container and the Class describes what is inside. CSA Z1220 organises its kits by Type number and size instead, which is a common source of confusion when a US catalogue is used to fill a Canadian order.
Is the 2017 edition of CSA Z1220 still current?
No. The current edition is CSA Z1220:24, the second edition, which supersedes the 2017 edition. The 2024 revision reworked kit contents for clarity and added roles and responsibilities for the organisation and the worker.
Are bandages and dressings regulated as medical devices in Canada?
They are treated as Class I medical devices, and Class I devices sold in Canada must be imported and distributed by a licensed establishment. That is why a Canadian buyer should see an establishment licence behind the supplier rather than a consumer retail listing.
Last updated: September 2026. CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).
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