Workplace First Aid Provision

The first aid responsibilities for business owners and employers is a subject I’m often asked about, so let’s look at the necessary requirements.

The three main requirements that need to be in place are as follows:

· There is an adequate number of First Aiders and Emergency First Aiders in place.

· Appropriate equipment, kits and facilities are available.

· A system is in place for incident and accident reporting.

A risk assessment must be conducted to identify the level of provision needed for the business. New guidance on the regulations for employers was introduced in October 2013 (L74 – Third edition), and can be found on the HSE website First aid at work – The Health and safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 (hse.gov.uk)

It provides guidance on:

· Managing the provision of First Aid (first aid kits, equipment, rooms, etc.)

· Requirements and training for First Aider’s

· Requirements for appointed persons

· Making employees aware of First Aid arrangements

· First Aid and the self-employed

· Cases where First Aid regulations do not apply

Considerations that employers need to take into account could include:

· Inexperienced workers or employees with disabilities or particular health problems

· Employees who travel a lot, work remotely or work alone

· Employees who work shifts or out of hours

· Premises spread out across buildings/floors

· Workplace remote from emergency medical services

· Employees working at sites occupied by other employers

· Planned and unplanned absences of First Aiders

· Members of the public who visit the workplace

The following HSE table acts as a guide to ensure that you have sufficient numbers of trained First Aid personnel at your place of work.

Source: www.hse.gov.uk, Jan 2023.

I teach Ofqual regulated, HSE compliant workplace first aid qualification courses, on-site at workplaces all over Norfolk which include First Aid at Work, Basic Life Support,

Emergency First Aid at Work and Paediatric First Aid. I also run a public Emergency First Aid at Work course on a monthly basis. If you’d like to talk about first aid cover or your training requirements, get in touch today.

This blog was written by Buy Local Norfolk member First Class First Aid