First Aid at Work: What UK Law Requires of Employers

The law: the First-Aid Regulations 1981

Workplace first aid in Great Britain is governed by the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. The core duty is short but important: every employer must provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel so that employees can be given immediate attention if they are injured or fall ill at work.

What counts as "adequate and appropriate" is not fixed by a formula. The Regulations deliberately avoid prescribing exact numbers, because a quiet office and a busy construction site face very different risks. Instead, the law expects each employer to assess their own situation and provide accordingly. The duty applies to businesses of every size — even a single-person company has obligations to itself.

The law does not hand you a number. It asks you to think about your workplace, your hazards and your people, and then provide first aid that genuinely matches the risk.

The first-aid needs assessment

The starting point for every employer is a first-aid needs assessment. This is a structured look at your workplace to decide what provision is reasonable. There is no set template, but a sound assessment considers:

• The nature of the work and the hazards involved — an office differs greatly from a workshop or warehouse
• The size of the workforce and how many people are on site at any one time
• Your accident and ill-health history
• The layout of the premises, including separate buildings or floors
• Shift patterns, lone or remote workers and travelling staff
• How far you are from the nearest emergency medical services
• Whether members of the public are present

The outcome of the assessment tells you how many first-aid personnel you need, what training they require and what equipment to provide. It should be reviewed regularly, and certainly after any significant change such as new equipment, a new process or a change in staffing.

Appointed persons vs qualified first aiders

One of the most common points of confusion is the difference between these two roles. They are not the same thing, and choosing between them depends entirely on your needs assessment.

Appointed person

In low-risk workplaces with few employees, the assessment may show that a qualified first aider is not essential. In that case, the employer must still appoint an "appointed person." This is someone who takes charge when an accident happens — calling the emergency services, looking after the first-aid equipment and keeping records. An appointed person does not need formal first-aid training, although short emergency-awareness courses are strongly encouraged.

Qualified first aider

Where the assessment identifies higher risk or more staff, the employer needs trained first aiders. These are people who hold a valid certificate from a recognised course — typically Emergency First Aid at Work (a one-day course) or First Aid at Work (a longer course for higher-risk settings). Certificates are usually valid for three years, after which requalification is needed, and annual refresher training is recommended in between.

What goes in a first-aid kit

The Regulations do not list mandatory contents, because the right kit depends on your needs assessment. However, a typical low-risk workplace first-aid box contains a sensible baseline:

• A general guidance leaflet on first aid
• Individually wrapped sterile plasters in assorted sizes
• Sterile eye pads and triangular bandages
• Safety pins and a selection of sterile wound dressings
• Disposable gloves to protect against cross-infection
• Cleansing wipes for areas where running water is not available

Higher-risk environments may need additional items, and kits should be checked regularly so that nothing is missing or out of date. Tablets and medication should never be kept in a first-aid box.

Record-keeping

Good records protect both the injured person and the employer. Keeping a record of every incident where first aid is given — even minor ones — helps you spot trends, supports your needs assessment and may be needed if an injury later proves serious. An accident book or digital record should capture the date, the person involved, what happened and what first aid was provided. Note that separate reporting duties under RIDDOR may also apply to more serious incidents.

First aid sits alongside your wider safety duties, from working at heights to fire safety. Failing to meet these obligations can attract enforcement action, which we explore in our guide to HSE fines and penalties.

Getting your provision right

First aid is one of the most cost-effective investments an employer can make: the difference between a swift, confident response and a panicked one can be life-changing for the person involved. Start with an honest needs assessment, appoint or train the right people, keep your kits and records in order, and refresh your training before it lapses. It is simple to do and indefensible to neglect.