Industrial first aid box, wood, containing bandages, tourniquets, bottles and splints, c. 1930

This first aid kit was used in a factory or industrial setting where injuries from heavy machinery, chemicals, and sharp equipment were real possibilities. The inscriptions on the leaflets and box read “Factory Department Home Office”. The Factory Department (established 1844) of the Home Office was responsible for inspecting factories and the working conditions of employees (including sanitary conditions). First aid provision in the workplace has been compulsory by law in the United Kingdom since the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations of 1981.