The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 states that an employer must conduct a First Aid Needs Assessment and ensure that they provide adequate and appropriate first aid coverage.
The minimum required is an Appointed Person within the workplace, however for larger workplaces EFAW and/or FAW trained first aiders are legally expected to be in place. The hazard level of the workplace and number of employees must be considered – a useful guide to assist in assessing the minimum requirement in terms of the number of first aiders necessary is contained in Appendix 3 of the regulations:
Appendix 3: Suggested numbers of First Aid personnel to be available at all times people are at work.
Note: ‘at least one’ actually means ‘two’ as the employer has a duty to ensure that there is provision when the first aider is on holiday or away on a training course etc. We’ve created a helpful First Aid Needs Assessment form which you can download for free to assist you in undertaking your risk assessment.
An Appointed Person is someone who is responsible for maintaining the first aid kit and for ensuring an ambulance is called if necessary. They are not expected to administer first aid if they have not been trained to do so, and it is common for them to undertake the 1-day EFAW course to support them in fulfilling this role although not essential that they do so.
If staff are working away from your work base, they cannot be covered by the first aider back at base. However, an employer is still responsible for meeting the first aid needs of these staff. It is expected that as a minimum they should have a personal first-aid box, access to a mobile phone and ‘safe remote working’ practices should be in use e.g. informing a pre-arranged person when they return from a site visit. Workplace vehicles should legally contain a first aid kit.
A major consideration when trying to identify your first aid requirements is that the cover you provide needs to be appropriate to the environment in which your workplace operates. For anyone working in remote environments our Outdoor Incident Management First Aid course might be more appropriate than the First Aid at Work course, or it may be that additional topics need building into your workplace course to make it bespoke and specific to meet your needs.
Schools and Nurseries are special cases. You will need qualified first aiders to cover the employees and adult visitors, and when working with children between the ages of birth and 5 years there is a legal requirement for Paediatric First Aid. In addition, local authorities have requirements for levels of first aid provision on educational visits and specialist training might be necessary for teachers supervising field trips and sporting activities or to cater for pupils with additional medical needs e.g anaphylaxis or asthma. If in doubt, please feel free to contact us to discuss what options would work for your workplace.
The HSE also recommends that First Aid for Mental Health cover is considered as part of the First Aid Needs Assessment. Once you’ve identified the risks by completing the First Aid Needs Assessment form (which can be downloaded for free), why not get in touch with us and we’ll help you identify which course(s) are most suitable for your needs, it’s free and there’s no obligation to undertake your training with us.