First Aid in the Workplace
Legal Duty
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to employees if they are injured or become ill at work.
These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with five or fewer employees and to the self-employed.
Guidance
Assessment of First Aid Needs
There is no simple answer to the question, "what first aid facilities do I need to provide?" Every workplace is different and therefore first aid requirements are also different.
Employers are required to carry out an assessment to determine their first aid needs, covering all workplace risks, the size of the organisation, the kinds of work undertaken, the persons employed and any other relevant factors such as the ease of access to professional medical facilities.
The objective is to determine the level of first aid equipment, facilities and personnel that are appropriate for your organisation after having taken into account all the factors that are specific to your circumstances.
Number of First Aiders
As with first aid equipment, there are no simple rules for determining the number of first aiders needed. It all depends on the results of the risk assessment that may take account of a wide range of factors.
Having conducted a risk assessment, the table below offers an indication of the numbers of first aiders or appointed persons that might be required for various risk levels and numbers of workers.
However this is offered for illustration purposes only. The information is not definitive nor does it represent a legal requirement. It is for you to assess your first-aid needs in the light of your specific circumstances.
| Category of Risk | Numbers Employed at the Location |
Suggested Number of First Aiders |
| Lower Risk e.g. shops and offices, libraries |
< 50 | at least one appointed person |
| 50 to 100 | at least one first aider | |
| > 100 | one additional first aider for each 100 employees | |
| Medium Risk e.g. light engineering, food processing |
< 20 | at least one appointed person |
| 20 to 100 | At least one first aider for every 50 employees (or part thereof) | |
| > 100 | one additional first aider for each 100 employees | |
| Higher Risk e.g. construction, chemical manufacture |
< 5 | at least one appointed person |
| 5 to 50 | at least one first aider | |
| > 50 | one additional first aider for each 50 employees |
The numbers of first aiders indicated in the table may need to be increased where special circumstances apply, such as remoteness from emergency medical services, shift work, or sites with several separate buildings.
You need to ensure first-aid personnel are available at all times when people are at work and therefore it will be necessary to ensure there is sufficient cover for when people are absent from work because of sickness or holidays.
First - Aid Box
There is no standard contents list for first-aid boxes. The number, location and contents depend on the results of the risk assessment.
By way of illustration, the following contents are suggested for a workplace in which there are no significant risks. This list is a minimum stock for each first aid box but the number and location of first aid boxes must be determined according to the numbers of persons and how they are distributed around the site.
- A leaflet giving general guidance on first aid, e.g. HSE leaflet "Basic Advice on First Aid at Work";
- Twenty individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings (assorted sizes);
- Two sterile eye pads;
- Four individually wrapped triangular bandages (preferably sterile);
- Six safety pins;
- Six medium-sized (approximately 12 cm x 12 cm) individually wrapped sterile unmedicated wound dressings;
- Two large (approximately 18 cm x 18 cm) sterile individually wrapped unmedicated wound dressings;
- One pair of disposable gloves.
The above list is for illustration only. The actual contents in any specific workplace must be determined by the risk assessment.
Tablets and medicines must NOT be kept in the first-aid box.
Contact EDP Consultants if you need additional advice on conducting Risk Assessments and providing First Aid Facilities,
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