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HSE guidelines
Legislation
Legal Duties
Assessment of First Aid Needs
What is first aid at work?
So
what do I need to do?
What should I consider when assessing
first-aid needs?
What should I put in the first-aid
box?
BHTA
GUIDELINES
Legislation
In the event of injury or sudden illness, failure to
provide first aid could result in that person’s death. The
employer should therefore ensure that an employee who is
injured or taken ill at work receives immediate attention.
HSE will prosecute in cases where there is a significant
risk, a disregard for established standards or persistent
poor compliance with the law. More information can be found
in the Health and Safety Commission’s 'Enforcement Policy
Statement'
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Legal duties
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require
employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment,
facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to
employees if they are injured or become ill at work. These
Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with
five or fewer employees and to the self-employed. Detailed
information can be found in the Approved Code of Practice
and Guidance: First aid at work. The Health and Safety
(First-Aid) Regulations 1981 L74.
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What is
adequate will depend on the circumstances in the workplace.
This includes whether trained first aiders are needed, what
should be included in a first aid box and if a first aid
room is needed. Employers should carry out an assessment of
first aid needs to determine this.
The Regulations do not place a legal obligation on employers
to make first aid provision for non-employees such as the
public or children in schools. However, HSE strongly
recommends that non-employees are included in a first aid
needs assessment and that provision is made for them.
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Assessment of first
aid needs
Employers are required to carry out an assessment of first
aid needs. This involves consideration of workplace hazards
and risks, the size of the organisation and other relevant
factors, to determine what first aid equipment, facilities
and personnel should be provided.
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Let us answer some basic questions about first-aid provision
at work – aimed at employers in small and medium-sized
enterprises, but may be useful to all employers, managers
and others involved in first aid.
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What is first aid at
work?
People at work can suffer injuries or fall ill. It doesn’t
matter whether the injury or the illness is caused by the
work they do or not. What is important is that they receive
immediate attention and that an ambulance is called in
serious cases. First aid at work covers the arrangements you
must make to ensure this happens. It can save lives and
prevent minor injuries becoming major ones.
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So what do I need to do?
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require
you to provide adequate and appropriate equipment,
facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to
your employees if they are injured or become ill at work.
What is adequate and appropriate will depend on the
circumstances in your workplace and you should assess what
your first aid needs are. The minimum first-aid provision on
any work site is:
• a suitably stocked first-aid box (see below);
• an appointed person to take charge of first-aid
arrangements.
It is also important to remember that accidents can happen
at any time. First-aid provision needs to be available at
all times people are at work.
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What should I consider when assessing first-aid needs?
Many small firms will only need to make the minimum
first-aid provision. However, there are factors which might
make greater provision necessary. The checklist on the HSE
website covers the points you should consider.
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What should
I put in the first-aid box?
There is no standard list of items to put in a first-aid
box. It depends on what you assess the needs are. However,
as a guide, and where there is no special risk in the
workplace, a minimum stock of first-aid items would be:
• 1 leaflet giving general guidance on first aid
• 20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings
(assorted sizes);
• 2 sterile eye pads;
• 4 individually wrapped triangular bandages (preferably
sterile);
• 6 safety pins;
• 6 medium-sized (approx. 12cm x 12cm) individually wrapped
sterile unmedicated wound dressings;
• 2 large (approximately 18cm x 18cm) sterile individually
wrapped unmedicated wound dressings;
• 1 pair of disposable gloves;
• 6 wipes
You should not keep tablets or medicines in the first-aid
box. The above is a suggested contents list only; equivalent
but different items will be considered acceptable.
Source HSE Legislation & HSE First Aid At Work.
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BHTA
GUIDELINES
BHTA guidelines are based on the HSE guidance, but offer 3
sizes of First Aid Kit for different hazard level
situations. 10, 20 and 50 person kits are indicated for
those numbers of people in average hazard conditions of
work. These should be adjusted in accordance with risk
assessments.
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