Vehicle First Aid Kit Requirements by Country: Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, UK and Luxembourg

Why country rules matter for fleets

For a fleet operating in a single country, first aid compliance is a matter of following one national rule. For a fleet crossing borders, it becomes a matter of satisfying several at once, each with its own standard, its own legal basis, and its own view of whether a commercial vehicle counts as a workplace.

This page is a reference for the five markets HYSAVER serves most often. For each country it sets out the applicable standard, whether it is legally mandatory, and the practical takeaway for fleet managers.

For the detailed contents of each standard, see our companion guides to the DIN and BS 8599 standards and the German DIN standards.

Country comparison

Country	Primary standard	Mandatory?	Vehicle = workplace?
Germany	DIN 13164 (vehicle) + DIN 13157 (workplace)	Yes	Often, for LCVs
Netherlands	DIN 13164	Widely required in practice	Yes, under Arbowet
Belgium	DIN 13164	Widely accepted; workplace duty applies	Yes, under the Codex
United Kingdom	BS 8599-2 (vehicle)	Guidance-based; satisfies HSE duty	Sometimes
Luxembourg	DIN 13164	Recognised baseline	Depends on use

Country by country

Germany

Germany has the strictest framework. DIN 13164 is mandatory for vehicles under road traffic rules (StVZO). On top of that, light commercial vehicles used for work are frequently classified as workplaces, which brings the workplace standard DIN 13157 into play as well.

Takeaway: for a German service fleet, expect to carry both a DIN 13164 vehicle kit and DIN 13157 workplace provision. See our German standards guide for the full breakdown.

Netherlands

Under the Arbowet (Working Conditions Act) and its implementing rules, employers must provide adequate first aid wherever work is carried out, and a commercial vehicle used for work counts as a workplace. DIN 13164 is the recognised, inspector-accepted standard for vehicle provision.

Takeaway: every van used by employees needs DIN 13164 provision, kept complete and in date, in a fixed and accessible position.

Belgium

The Codex over het welzijn op het werk (Code of Well-being at Work) and the Royal Decree on First Aid require accessible first aid at every workplace, including mobile ones. DIN 13164 is widely accepted by Belgian labour inspectors and insurers as meeting this duty. Where chemical or particulate risks exist, a risk assessment usually also requires eyewash.

Takeaway: DIN 13164 covers the first aid duty; check separately whether your risk assessment also mandates eyewash. See our article on eyewash requirements in Belgium.

United Kingdom

The UK uses the British Standards. BS 8599-2 is the vehicle first aid standard; BS 8599-1 is the workplace standard. Neither is statutory in the way German road rules are, but HSE guidance recognises them as the way to meet the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, and inspectors and insurers treat a certified kit as evidence of adequate provision.

Takeaway: fit BS 8599-2 in vehicles; add BS 8599-1 where a vehicle or site is also a staffed workplace. See our BS 8599-1 vs BS 8599-2 comparison.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg recognises DIN 13164 as the vehicle first aid baseline, in line with its German and Belgian neighbours. For cross-border fleets, this makes DIN 13164 a convenient common standard across the whole region.

Takeaway: DIN 13164 provides a single, recognised standard for fleets moving between Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The cross-border shortcut

For fleets operating across the Benelux, Germany and Luxembourg, DIN 13164 is the common denominator. It is mandatory or recognised in all of them and provides a consistent vehicle baseline. The one thing it does not automatically cover is the extra workplace provision required where vehicles are treated as workplaces, most notably DIN 13157 in Germany and the workplace duties under the Dutch Arbowet and Belgian Codex.

The practical rule: equip every vehicle to DIN 13164 as a baseline, then layer on national workplace requirements based on where the vehicle operates and how it is used.

Keeping a multi-country fleet compliant

Across all five markets the same operational failures recur: kits buried under cargo, expired contents, and kits used but not restocked. A standardised, fixed mounting position in every vehicle and a monthly inspection routine address all three, and make cross-border inspections far easier to pass.

HYSAVER can supply kits certified to DIN 13164, DIN 13157, DIN 13169, BS 8599-1 and BS 8599-2, so one supplier covers every country in this guide. Kits and replacement components are available at store.hysaver.com. Contact us to map the right provision for each country your fleet operates in.