KitoraWhere should you store a first aid kit at home?
Choose a dry location adults can reach quickly, then make sure the household knows where the kit is.
Store a home first aid kit in a dry spot adults can reach quickly and everyone who may need it can find.
Choose a dry, reachable place
Choose a safe, dry spot that adults can reach easily. A bathroom or laundry shelf may be convenient, but avoid it if steam or moisture reaches the supplies. Keep the case easy to recognise.
Store medicines safely
If young children live at home, keep ordinary first aid supplies in a closed, easy-to-reach case and store medicines separately in their labelled packaging, according to the label, and locked away from children. Prescribed adrenaline devices need a different access arrangement: keep them readily available to the person or helper who may need them, out of children’s reach and not in a locked cupboard, as set out in the device storage guidance.
Make the location easy to remember
Pick one place the adults can describe simply, such as “the hall cupboard, on the lower shelf.” Tell household members and regular carers where it is, and update them if you move it. If your home has several floors, consider whether one kit is practical or whether a second would make it quicker to reach.
The kit should be simple to open and large enough for its contents without squeezing sterile packs. For the supplies themselves, see what to put in a home first aid kit; for container options, see how to choose a bag or box.
Check the kit and return it to its place
After using the kit, replace what was used and put it back where people expect to find it. Check after each use or at least every 12 months for expired or damaged items and sterile packs that are no longer sealed, following the recommended kit checks.
