As an employer you must put in place first aid arrangements. These help make sure employees who become ill or injure themselves at work receive appropriate and immediate attention.
Here you can find information on specific roles as well as how to determine the level of first aid you need to provide in your organisation.
What level of first aid do you need to provide?
The minimum level of first aid that all organisations must provide is:
- a suitably stocked first aid kit
- an appointed person to take charge of first aid arrangements
- accessible information for employees about first aid arrangements
You might need to provide more, depending on:
- the type of work done in your organisation and associated risks
- the number of employees you have
To help you decide what is adequate and appropriate for your organisation, we recommend that you perform a first aid needs assessment.
You can find out more about this on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.
First aider role
If your assessment shows your organisation has significant health and safety risks, then you should have at least one first aider in place. If your organisation is low risk then you may not need a first aider.
A first aider should be fully trained and hold a valid certificate to demonstrate competence. This should be provided by a suitable training provider.
Appointed person role
Regardless of the risk level, all organisations must appoint someone to be in charge of first aid arrangements.
Their role is to:
- take charge in an emergency situation if someone becomes ill at work
- look after the first aid equipment
- make sure first aid boxes are fully stocked
- be available at all times when people are at work
This person should not attempt to perform first aid unless they have been fully trained. This should be left to the trained first aider.
Find out more
You can find more information about first aid at work (external site) including the law and resources, on the HSE website.