Regulatory Services
Environmental Health
HEALTH AND SAFETY - FIRST AID
A brief description of the basics of First Aid in the Workplace
are outlined below.
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;
-
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.
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 following checklist covers the points you should consider.
Aspects to consider Impact on first-aid provision:
| |
THINGS TO CONSIDER |
FIRST AID PROVISION |
| 1 |
You
are required by law to make an assessment of significant risks
in your workplace. What are the risks of injury and ill health
identified in this risk assessment? |
If
the risks are significant you may need to employ first aiders |
| 2 |
Are
there any specific risks,e.g working with:
hazardous substances;
dangerous tools;
dangerous machinery;
dangerous loads or animals? |
You
will need to consider:
specific training for first aiders;
extra first aid equipment
precise siting of first aid equipment |
| 3 |
Are
there parts of your establishment where different levels of risk
can be identified (e.g in a university with research laboratories)? |
You
will probably need to make different levels of provision in different
parts of the establishment |
| 4 |
What
is your record of accidents and cases of ill health? What type
are they and where did they happen? |
You
may need to locate your provision in certain areas;
review the contents of the first aid box |
| 5 |
How
many people are employed on site? |
You
may need to employ first aiders |
| 6 |
Are
there inexperienced workers on site, or employees with disabilities
or special health problems? |
You
will need to consider;
special equipment;
local siting of equipment |
| 7 |
Are
the premises spread out, e.g are there several buildings on the
site or multi-floor buildings? |
You
will need to consider provision in each building or on several
floors |
| 8 |
Is
there shiftwork or out of hours working? |
Remember
that there needs to be first aid provision at all times people
are at work |
| 9 |
Is
your workplace remote from emergency medical services? |
You
will need to:
inform local medical services of your location;
consider special arrangements with the emergency services |
| 10 |
Do
you have employees who travel a lot or work alone? |
You
will need to:
consider issuing personal first aid kits and training staff in
their use;
consider issuing personal communicators to employees |
| 11 |
Do
any of your employees work at sites occupied by other employers? |
You
will need to make arrangements with the other site occupiers |
| 12 |
Do
you have any work experience trainees? |
Your
first aid provision must cover them |
| 13 |
Do
members of the public visit your premises? |
You
have no legal responsibilities for non employees, but HSE strongly
recommends you include them in your first aid provision. |
First aid box Contents
?
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:
-
20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings (assorted
sizes)
-
two sterile eye pads
-
four individually wrapped triangular bandages (preferably
sterile)
-
six safety pins
-
six medium sized (approximately 12cm x 12cm) individually
wrapped sterile unmedicated wound dressings
-
two large (approximately 18cm x 18cm) sterile individually
wrapped unmedicated wound dressings
-
one pair of disposable gloves.
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.
What is an Appointed
Person?
An appointed person is someone you choose to: take charge
when someone is injured or falls ill, including calling an ambulance if
required. look at the first aid equipment, e.g restocking the first aid
box Appointed persons should not attempt to give first aid for which they
have not been trained, through short emergency first aid courses are available.
Remember that an appointed person should be available at all times people
are at work on site - this may mean appointing more than one.
What is a First Aider?
A first aider is someone who has undergone a training course
in administering first aid at work and holds a current first aid at work
certificate. You may decide, following your first aid assessment, that
you need one or more first aiders. A first aider can undertake the duties
of an appointed person.
How many First Aiders or
Appointed Persons do I need?
This will depend on the circumstances of each particular
organisation or worksite. Refer to the following table after working through
the assessment checklist in 2. It offers suggestions on how many first
aiders or appointed persons might be needed in relation to categories
of risk and number of employees. The details in the table are suggestions
only - they are not definitive nor are they a legal requirement. It is
for you to assess your first aid needs in the light of your particular
circumstances.
Suggested numbers of first aid personnel.
First aid personnel should be available at all times people are at work,
based on assessments of risk and number of workers.
| Category
of risk |
Numbers
employed at any location |
Suggested
number of first aid personnel |
Lower
risk
e.g shops and offices, libraries |
Fewer than 50 |
At least one
appointed person |
| 50 - 100 |
At least one
first aider |
| More than 100 |
One additional
first aider for every 100 employed |
Medium
risk
e.g.light engineering and assembly work, food processing, warehousing |
Fewer than 20 |
At least one appointed
person |
| 20 - 100 |
At least one first
aider for every 50 employed (or part thereof) |
| More than 100 |
One additional first
aider for every 100 employed |
Higher
risk
e.g most construction, slaughter-houses, chemical manufacturer,
extensive work with dangerous machinery or sharp instruments |
Fewer than five |
At least one
appointed person |
| 5 - 50 |
At least one
first aider |
| More than 50 |
One additional
first aider for every 50 employed |
Anything else?
You have to inform your employees of the first aid arrangements.
Putting up notices telling staff who and where the first aiders or appointed
persons are and where the first aid box is will usually be sufficient.
But don't forget that you will need to make special arrangements to give
first aid information to employees with reading or language difficulties.
Further information?
The free leaflet Basic Advice in First Aid at Work (IND(G)215l
1997) is published by HSE Books. This leaflet is available in priced
packs of 15 from HSE Books. Single free copies are also available from
HSE Books.
A detailed practical guidance to complying with your duties
has been published by the Health and Safety Commission -
First aid at work; Approved Code of Practice and Guidance L74 1997 ISBN
0 7176 1050 0.
HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order
from: HSE Books, P O Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS. Tel 01787 881165
Fax 01787 313995. HSE priced publications are also available from good
booksellers.
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