There are some emergencies which can't wait five minutes for EMTs to arrive. Severe bleeding is one of these. A person can bleed to death in three to five minutes depending on the severity. Employees need to be available to deal effectively with this and other serious emergencies.

OSHA specifies in 29 CFR 1910 that first aid kits need to be specified by the consulting physician. Employees should be trained in the appropriate use of the materials provided. First aid and CPR courses can be offered. You can't expect people to respond properly to emergencies unless they have an opportunity to practice.

Dr. James A. Kaufman is the founder and president of The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI) www.labsafety.org – an international, non-profit center for safety in science and science education. LSI provides workshops, seminars, onsite training programs, lab safety program development consultations, facilities inspections and regulatory compliance assistance. Contact LSI with all your lab safety questions: 800-647-1977 or info@labsafety.org.