First Aid at Work: What Your Business Legally Needs in the UK

First aid provision is one area of health and safety where the legal requirement is deliberately flexible. The HSE does not specify minimum numbers of first aiders or a fixed list of kit contents that applies to every business. Instead, it requires you to make a needs assessment and provide what is "adequate and appropriate in the circumstances." Here is how to work out what that means for your business.

The Legal Framework

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities, and personnel to ensure that employees can receive immediate assistance if they are injured or taken ill at work. The Regulations apply to all workplaces, regardless of size.

The HSE's Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and accompanying guidance provide practical advice on how to comply, though following the ACOP is not a legal requirement in itself. You can depart from it if you can demonstrate that your alternative approach achieves the same standard of protection.

Note that the legal minimum does not require you to extend first aid provision to members of the public or customers, though you may choose to do so and many businesses do.

Conducting a First Aid Needs Assessment

Before deciding how many first aiders or appointed persons you need, and what equipment to provide, you must carry out a first aid needs assessment. This should consider:

• The nature of the work and whether it involves high-risk activities
• The hazards identified in your general risk assessment
• The size of your workforce and how they are distributed across the site
• The location of the workplace — distance from emergency services matters
• Whether you employ shift workers or lone workers
• The presence of young workers, trainees, or others who may have particular needs
• Your accident history

A low-risk office with 20 employees has very different first aid needs from a 20-person workshop where workers use cutting tools and machinery.

Appointed Person vs Qualified First Aider

An appointed person is someone designated to take charge in an emergency — to call the emergency services and ensure that first aid equipment is maintained and restocked. An appointed person does not need to hold a first aid qualification, though emergency first aid awareness training is strongly recommended. The HSE considers an appointed person sufficient for low-risk workplaces with small numbers of employees.

A qualified first aider holds either:

• The Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) certificate — a one-day course covering basic life support and immediate treatment of injuries. Suitable for low-risk workplaces.
• The First Aid at Work (FAW) certificate — a three-day course covering a comprehensive range of conditions and injuries. Required for higher-risk workplaces or larger workforces.

Both qualifications are valid for three years. Renewal requires a requalification course; if the certificate expires, the full course must be retaken rather than just a refresher.

How Many First Aiders Do You Need?

The HSE provides indicative guidance rather than fixed ratios:

Low-risk workplaces (offices, shops, libraries):

• Fewer than 25 employees: at minimum an appointed person
• 25–50 employees: at minimum an EFAW-qualified first aider
• Over 50 employees: at minimum one FAW-qualified first aider per 100 employees

Higher-risk workplaces (manufacturing, construction, food processing, workshops):

• Fewer than 5 employees: at minimum an appointed person
• 5–50 employees: at minimum one EFAW-qualified first aider
• Over 50 employees: at minimum one FAW-qualified first aider per 50 employees

These are starting points. Your needs assessment may indicate that more provision is necessary — for example, if your workforce is spread across a large site, or if you operate shifts that leave the site partly unstaffed at night.

First Aid Kit Contents

The HSE does not prescribe a fixed list of kit contents. The contents should reflect the risks identified in your needs assessment. However, the minimum contents recommended for a low-risk workplace are:

• A leaflet giving general first aid guidance
• Individually wrapped sterile plasters of assorted sizes
• Sterile eye pads
• Individually wrapped triangular bandages (preferably sterile)
• Safety pins
• Large and medium sterile, individually wrapped unmedicated wound dressings
• Disposable gloves

For higher-risk environments, additional items may be appropriate: burn dressings and gels, foil emergency blankets, tourniquets, and haemostatic dressings. A defibrillator (AED) is not a legal requirement, but the HSE and the British Heart Foundation both recommend that workplaces consider providing one, particularly in premises with large numbers of employees or public visitors.

Kits should be inspected regularly and replenished promptly when items are used or reach their expiry date. A named person should be responsible for checking and maintaining each kit, with a record of each check kept.

Informing Employees

You must inform all employees of the first aid arrangements: where the first aid kit is kept, who the appointed persons or first aiders are, and what to do in an emergency. This information should be part of the induction process for new starters and visible on notice boards or your internal communications system.