First Aid at Work: What you need to know

The ‘Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981’ require businesses to provide adequate and appropriate first aid equipment, facilities and people to ensure employees can be given immediate assistance if they are injured or taken ill while at work.

What is ‘adequate and appropriate’ will depend on the circumstances in your workplace and businesses must assess what their first aid needs are.

The minimum first aid provision for any work site is:

• A suitably stocked first aid kit.
• An appointed person to take charge of first aid arrangements.

It is important to remember that accidents and illness can happen at any time. Provision for first aid needs should be available at all times.

Some small workplaces with low-level hazards may need only the minimum provision for first aid, but there are circumstances and factors that will mean you need greater provision. You, as an employer, are well placed to decide the provision you need.

The checklist in Table 1 on the HSE Information Leaflet (available here) covers the points you should consider.

To find out more about Safety Services Direct’s range of first aid provisions please visit the Company’s website.