FAQs

People at work can suffer injuries or be taken ill. It doesn’t matter whether the injury or illness is caused by the work they do or not, it is important to give them immediate attention and call an ambulance in serious cases. First Aid at work covers the arrangements you should make to ensure this happens. It can save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming major ones.

Some small workplaces may only need the minimum provision. But, there are factors that might mean you need greater provision. You are best placed to understand the nature of your work, so you should assess what your First Aid needs are.

You must consider:

• the type of work you do
• hazards and the likely risk of them causing harm
• the size of your workforce
• work patterns of your staff
• holiday and other abscences of those who will be First Aiders and Appointed Persons
• the history of accidents in your business

You may also consider:

• the needs of travelling, remote and lone workers
• how close your sites are to emergency medical services
• whether your employees work on shared or multi-occupancy sites
• First Aid for non emplyees inclusing members of the public
• support for someone who might be experiencing a mental helath issue

You don't have to write your findings, but if you do, it will allow you to record how you've decided on your First Aid arrangements.

A First Aider is someone who has undertaken training and has a qualification in First Aid at Work (FAW), or Paediatric First Aid (PFA).

Use the findings of your First Aid needs assessment to decide whether First Aiders should be trained in a FAW or PFA. FAW or PFA training includes everything covered in an Emergency First Aid or Emergency Paediatric First Aid course but also equips the First Aider to apply First Aid to a range of specific injuries and illness.

To help keep their basic skills up to date, it is strongly recommended that your First Aiders undertake annual refresher training.

There are no hard and fast rules on exact numbers. It will depend on the circumstances of your workplace. You should assess your First Aid needs in the light of your particular circumstances. Where there are special circumstances, such as shift work or sites with several buildings, there may need to be more First Aid personnel. You will need increased provision to cover for absences.

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require you to provide adequate and appropriate First-Aid equipment, facilities and people so your employees can be given immediate help if they are injured or taken 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
• an appointed person to take charge of First-Aid arrangements
• information for employees about First-Aid arrangements

It is important to remember that accidents and illness can happen at any time. First-Aid provision needs to be available at all times people are at work.

You have to inform your employees of the First Aid arrangements. Putting up notices telling staff who and where the First Aiders are and where the First Aid kit is will usually be enough. You will need to make special arrangements to give First Aid information to employees with reading or language difficulties.

First Aid kits should be identified by a white cross on a green background. Most workplace First Aid kits conform to British Standard BS 8599 and are available in different sizes to suit the environment. There is no mandatory list of items to put in a First Aid kit. It depends on what you assess your needs to be. As a guide, where work activities involve low hazards, a minimum stock of First Aid items might be:

• a leaflet giving general guidance on First Aid
• 20 individually wrapped sterile plasters of assorted sizes
• two sterile eye pads
• four individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile
• six safety pins
• two large, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings
• six medium-sized, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings
• a pair of disposable gloves

This is a suggested contents list only. Tablets and medicines should not be stored in a First Aid kit.

You can contact us for more information on First Aid at work with additional information also available on the First Aid web pages of HSE’s website.