First Aid in the Workplace – Legal Requirements

Date Published: 4th Jul 2025

CALLING ALL EMPLOYERS – DO YOU KNOW THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FIRST AID IN THE WORKPLACE?

As an employer or someone with a responsibility for the Health & Safety within your Workplace, you are responsible for making sure that if an employee is taken ill or injured at work, they receive immediate attention. It is not only good practice but also a Legal Requirement.

THE LAW – WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU!

The Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 requires employers to: –

• Provide adequate and appropriate First Aid equipment facilities & personnel
• Assess First Aid needs based on your work environment, workforce size, & specific risks
• Inform employees about First Aid arrangements

What is Adequate and Appropriate?

It will all be based on the Risk Assessments of your business. The outcome of the Assessments will indicate the level of First Aid equipment, facilities and personnel.  Included are: –

• Appointed person to take charge of First Aid arrangements, e.g. calling the Emergency Services and stocking/checking the First Aid Box on a regular basis
• Trained First Aiders – one or more persons
• Fully Stocked First Aid Kits, fit for the purposes of the business, you may require additional equipment or facilities. First Aid Kits should be easily accessed
• Clear information about who the designated First Aiders are, e.g. this could be displayed on notice boards within various areas of the building
• Where to get help!

Training of Personnel/First Aid Arrangements

• Emergency First Aid at Work – for low-risk environments, e.g. office staff, where employees may face having to deal with a casualty for a period of time until the ambulance arrives or minor incidents that will not require medical assistance.

• First Aid at Work – high risk settings or large teams where the risk assessment indicates that employees may be faced with life-threatening incidents

• First Aid at Work (Requalification) – Refresher training for high-risk settings or large teams

Remember!

Under Health & Safety Laws certain injuries and incidents along with cases of work-related diseases must be reported. There should be an accident book to record injuries no matter how minor. The keeping of records will help when Risk Assessments are being completed.

What Tillycroy Support Services can offer!

We have a wide range of First Aid courses to suit including –

• Emergency First Aid at Work, one day
• Forestry First Aid, one day
• First Aid at Work, three days
• First Aid at Work (Requalification), two days
• Paediatric First Aid, two- & one-day courses available
• Outdoor First Aid, two days
• Use of an AED & Basic Life Support, half-day
• Annual First Aid Refresher, half-day

If you are unsure which First Aid course is best to suit your Workplace then please get in touch, we would be happy to assess and advise., we can even develop a course specific to your requirements.