First Aid In the Workplace

First Aid People at work can suffer injuries or illness. Whether or not such injury or illness results from work related activities, it is important that they receive prompt and appropriate care and an ambulance is called in serious cases.

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide ’adequate and appropriate’:

Equipment
Facilities extensions
Personnel

to enable first aid to be given. Provision does not have to be made for non-employees but it is recommended.

Minimum First Aid Requirements

As an employer you must provide:

a suitably stocked first aid box
an appointed first aider to take charge of first aid arrangements
notices informing employees where the first aid box is located and who is the appointed person
a trained first aider if the workplace gives rise to special hazards, e.g., use of toxic materials.

For most small companies the minimum requirements should suffice. However, to be sure of this, you need to carry out an assessment of the risks of injury or ill health in your workplace. See HSE guidelines overleaf.

What Should be in the First Aid Box?

This will depend on the results of your assessment. However, as a minimum, the following should be included:

a leaflet giving general first aid guidance
20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings (plasters)
2 sterile eye pads
4 individually wrapped sterile triangular bandages
6 safety pins
6 medium and 2 large individually wrapped un-medicated wound dressings
1 pair of disposable gloves.

In general tablets or medicines should not be kept in the first aid box.

Who is an Appointed First Aider?

This is a person you choose to:

Take charge when someone is injured or suffers illness, including calling an ambulance, or taking the injured to hospital
Look after the first aid equipment, e.g. restocking the first aid box.

Remember, an appointed person should be available at all times when people are at work. Therefore, deputies should be appointed to cover for holidays, overtime, shift work, sickness absence, etc.

Who is a First Aider?

This is an appointed person who has undergone an approved training course and holds a current occupational first aid certificate. Training courses are approved by the Health and Safety Executive, who maintain lists of local training organisations.

Refresher training courses are needed every three years to maintain first aider competence and accreditation.

How Many Appointed Persons/First Aiders do I need?

This will depend on the results of your assessment.

Assessment

The phrase ’adequate and appropriate’ in the Regulations places an obligation on employers to ensure that the first aid provision is appropriate to the circumstances of the workplace. Some of the points to consider are shown in the table at the end

The HSE conducted a consultation exercise in early 2008 on draft guidance for employers and first aid training providers. It is proposed to introduce changes from 1 October 2009. Further details of the proposals can be found on the first aid topic page of the HSE website.

Aspects to consider	Impact on first aid provision
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?	If the risks are significant you may need to appoint trained first aiders.
Are there any specific risks, e.g., working with: hazardous substances dangerous tools dangerous machinery dangerous loads or animals	You will need to consider: specific training for first aiders extra first aid equipment precise siting of first aid equipment
Are there parts of your establishment where different levels of risk can be identified (e.g., in a University with research laboratories?)	You will probably need to make different levels of provision in different parts of the establishment
What is your record of accidents and cases of ill health? What type are they and where did they happen?	You may need to: locate your provision in certain areas review the contents of the first aid box
How many people are employed on site?	You may need to employ first aiders
Are there inexperienced workers on site, or employees with disabilities or special health problems?	You will need to consider: special equipment local siting of equipment
Are the premises spread out, e.g., are there several buildings on the site or multi-floor buildings?	You will need to consider provision in each building or on several floors.
Is there shiftwork or out-of-hours working?	Remember that there needs to be first aid provision at all times people are at work.
Is your workplace remote from emergency medical services?	You will need to: inform local medical services of your location consider special arrangements with the emergency services
Do you have employees who travel a lot or work alone?	You will need to: consider issuing personal first aid kits and training staff in their use consider issuing personal means of communication to employees
Do any of your employees work at sites occupied by other employers?	You will need to make arrangements with the other site occupiers.
Do you have any work experience trainees?	Your first aid provision must cover them.
Do members of the public visit your premises?	You have no legal responsibilities for non-employees, but HSE strongly recommends that you include them in your first aid provision