The law
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require you to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to your employees if they are injured or become ill at work. What is adequate and appropriate will depend on the circumstances in your workplace and you should assess what your first aid needs are.
The minimum first-aid provision on any work site is:
- A suitably stocked first-aid box (see Q4);
- An appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements.
It is also important to remember that accidents can happen at any time. First-aid provision needs to be available at all times people are at work.
Points to consider
You are required by law to make an assessment of significant risks in your workplace. What are the risks of injury and ill health identified in this risk assessment?
- Are there any specific risks, eg working with:· Hazardous substances; Dangerous tools; Dangerous machinery; Dangerous loads or animals?
- Are there parts of your establishment where different levels of risk can be identified (eg in a University with research laboratories)?
- What is your record of accidents and cases of ill health? What type are they and where did they happen?
- How many people are employed on site?
- Are there inexperienced workers on site, or employees with disabilities or special health problems?
- Are the premises spread out, eg are there several buildings on the site or multi-floor buildings?
- Is there shift work or out-of-hours working?
- Is your workplace remote from emergency medical services?
- Do you have employees who travel a lot or work alone?
- Do any of your employees work at sites occupied by other employers?
- Do you have any work experience trainees?
- Do members of the public visit your premises?
You have to inform your employees of the first aid arrangements. Putting up notices telling staff who and where the first aiders or appointed persons are and where the first-aid box is will usually be sufficient. But don’t forget that you will need to make special arrangements to give first-aid information to employees with reading or language difficulties.
What is an Appointed Person?
An appointed person is someone you choose to:
- Take charge when someone is injured or falls ill, including calling an ambulance if required;
- Look after the first-aid equipment, eg restocking the first-aid box.
Appointed persons should not attempt to give first aid for which they have not been trained, though short emergency first-aid training courses are available. Remember that an appointed person should be available at all times people are at work on site - this may mean appointing more than one.
What is a First Aider?
A first aider is someone who has undergone a training course in administering first aid at work and holds a current first aid at work certificate. The training has to have been approved by HSE. Lists of first-aid training organisations in your area are available from HSE. You may decide, following your first-aid assessment, that you need one or more first aiders. A first aider can undertake the duties of an appointed person.
How many do I need?
It is not possible to give hard and fast rules on when or how many first aiders or appointed persons might be needed. This will depend on the circumstances of each particular organisation or worksite. Refer to the following table, it offers suggestions on how many first aiders or appointed persons might be needed in relation to categories of risk and number of employees. The details in the table are suggestions only - they are not definitive nor are they a legal requirement. It is for you to assess your first-aid needs in the light of your particular circumstances.
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