First aid needs assessment

What the assessment has to consider

The assessment is a short document, but it must be yours. Copying a ratio from a poster is exactly what the regulations were rewritten to discourage.

• The hazards and risks of the work, including machinery, chemicals, working at height, vehicles and electricity.
• How many people are on site, including contractors, visitors and the public where relevant.
• How the workplace is laid out, especially multiple floors or buildings and distances between them.
• Shift patterns, out of hours work, annual leave and sickness cover.
• Travelling, remote and lone workers.
• The distance to the nearest emergency services and whether the site is hard to reach.
• Any workers with known medical conditions or disabilities.
• Previous accident and ill health history.

First aid treatment given must be recorded, which is set out in the guide to the accident book and record keeping rules.

Appointed person, EFAW or FAW

An appointed person takes charge when someone is injured, calls the emergency services and looks after the first aid equipment. No formal training is required, although a short course is sensible. This is the minimum for a low hazard, small workplace.

Emergency First Aid at Work is a one day course that qualifies someone to give emergency treatment. First Aid at Work is a three day course covering a wider range of injuries and illnesses, and is what you should provide where the risks are higher or the site is larger. Both certificates last three years, and the HSE strongly recommends annual refresher training of around half a day in between.

Since 2013 the HSE no longer approves first aid training providers. You choose the provider and you are responsible for checking they are competent. Look for a recognised awarding organisation, a voluntary aid society, or membership of a quality assurance scheme, and keep the evidence of the check with your assessment.

People working on their own need a different answer, covered in our guide to lone working arrangements.

Working out the cover

Start with the numbers guidance, then adjust. In a low hazard workplace, plan one EFAW first aider per twenty five to fifty people, and one FAW first aider per hundred above that. In a higher hazard workplace, plan one EFAW per five to fifty people depending on the hazard, and one FAW per fifty.

Then apply the reality test. Cover has to exist on every shift, at every location, during holidays and during sickness. Most organisations need roughly double the headline number of trained people to guarantee one on duty at all times. If you run a night shift with two people and neither is trained, your assessment has failed regardless of how many first aiders work days.

Where the injury looks serious, check straight away whether it is RIDDOR reportable.

Kit, rooms and mental health

There is no mandatory list of contents for a first aid box, but BS 8599-1 gives a sensible specification and most suppliers sell to it. Kits must be checked regularly, restocked after use and kept where people can reach them. Vehicles used for work need their own kit, sized for the number of occupants.

Larger or higher hazard sites should provide a first aid room that is clean, ventilated, has a sink and can accommodate a treatment bench. Consider whether a defibrillator is justified: it is not mandatory, but it is increasingly expected on large sites, in leisure facilities and anywhere with public access.

Mental health first aid is not covered by the regulations and cannot substitute for physical first aid cover. It is good practice and many employers now provide both, but keep them recorded separately so your legal cover is clear.

Telling people and keeping it current

You must inform employees of the first aid arrangements, including the location of equipment, facilities and personnel. A notice at each first aid point and on the induction is the usual method. Include it in the contractor induction as well, because contractors are commonly the people who do not know who to shout for.

Review the assessment when the work changes, when the site changes, after any incident where the response was slow or confused, and at least annually. Record the review date. Certificates expiring unnoticed is the single most common gap found in first aid audits, so track expiry dates somewhere that alerts you before they lapse rather than after.

Common questions

Are we legally required to have a defibrillator?

No, there is no general legal requirement. Your needs assessment should consider one where there are large numbers of people, public access, or a slow ambulance response.

Can a first aider refuse to treat someone?

A first aider should act within their training. They are not obliged to give treatment beyond their competence, and your arrangements should make calling 999 the default for anything serious.

Do first aiders need insurance?

Employers' liability insurance normally covers a first aider acting in the course of employment. Confirm the position with your insurer and record the answer.

Related guides

• accident book and record keeping rules
• lone working arrangements
• it is RIDDOR reportable