The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 set out what employers in Great Britain must do so that employees get immediate help if they are injured or become ill at work. This guide explains the key duties in plain English.
What the regulations require
Employers must provide adequate and appropriate:
- first-aid equipment, such as a suitably stocked first-aid kit;
- first-aid facilities, such as a first-aid room where needed;
- first-aid people, such as trained first aiders or an appointed person.
Employers must also tell employees about the first-aid arrangements, including where kits are and who the first-aid people are. Self-employed people must make their own first-aid provision.
What “adequate and appropriate” means
The regulations do not set fixed numbers. Instead, you decide what you need by carrying out a first aid needs assessment, looking at:
- the hazards and risks in your work;
- how many people work there, and their shift patterns;
- your accident and ill-health history;
- lone, remote and travelling workers;
- the layout of your premises and the distance to emergency services;
- cover for holidays and absences.
Use our free first aid needs assessment template and the first aider calculator, which uses HSE’s suggested numbers.
First aiders and appointed persons
| Role | What they do | Training |
|---|---|---|
| Appointed person | Takes charge of first-aid arrangements, looks after the kit and calls the emergency services | No first-aid training required |
| Emergency first aider (EFAW) | Gives emergency first aid | Usually a one-day course |
| First aider (FAW) | Gives first aid for a wider range of injuries and illnesses | Usually a three-day course |
First-aid certificates last three years, and HSE strongly recommends annual refresher training. HSE no longer approves first-aid training providers, so employers should check that the provider they choose is competent.
First-aid kits
There is no mandatory list of contents. Your needs assessment decides what goes in the kit, and HSE publishes a suggested minimum for low-risk workplaces. See the list on our first aider calculator page. Do not keep tablets or medicines in first-aid kits.
What about members of the public?
The regulations do not require you to provide first aid for anyone other than your employees. However, HSE strongly recommends including members of the public in your needs assessment, especially where you have customers, visitors or pupils on site.
Recording first aid
It is good practice to record every time first aid is given, including the date, time and place, the person treated, the injury or illness, and the treatment. Injuries should also be recorded in your accident book, and some must be reported under RIDDOR. Check with the free RIDDOR checker.
Mental health
HSE guidance encourages employers to consider mental health as part of their first aid needs assessment, alongside physical injuries and illness.
Keep it simple
With Accident Book, first aiders can record injuries and the treatment given by scanning a QR code, and managers are alerted straight away.