First aid

Employers need to assess their first-aid requirements to help them decide what equipment and facilities they need, and how many first-aid personnel they should provide.

The minimum first-aid provision in any workplace is:

• a suitably stocked first-aid box;
• an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements.

Employers also need to put up notices telling their workers where they can find:

• the first-aiders or appointed persons;
• the first-aid box.

Their assessment may also indicate that they should provide a first-aid room, particularly where their work involves certain hazards, including some of those found in chemical industries and on large construction sites or if required by national legislation.

The self-employed should have equipment to be able to provide first aid to themselves at work. They should make an assessment of the hazards and risks in their workplace and establish an appropriate level of first-aid provision.

If they carry out low-risk activities (e.g. clerical work) in their own home, they may only need to provide first-aid equipment appropriate to their normal domestic needs. If their work involves driving long distances or they are continuously on the road, their assessment may identify the need to keep a personal first-aid kit in their vehicle.

Find out more

1. See HSE’s first aid site for more information
2. First aid at work: Your questions answered