What is First Aid at Work?

Employees can suffer injury and illness while at work, whether as a direct result of the work they are doing or not. The critical factor is that they receive immediate First Aid, followed by appropriate follow up action, which may include the emergency services. First Aid at work provides for this, and so saves lives and possibly helps prevent minor injuries from becoming more serious.

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require that 'an employer shall provide, or ensure that there are provided, such equipment and facilities as are adequate in the circumstances for enabling First Aid to be rendered to his employees if they are injured or become ill at work.

This cover will depend on individual circumstances and will need to be assessed. The minimum first aid cover at any site is:

	A suitably stocked first-aid box
	An appointed person to take charge of first aid arrangements

This cover must be available at all times when people are at work. When assessing your first aid requirements the following should be borne in mind:

	You are required by law to carry out a risk assessment in order to identify possible risks of injury and illness.
	If significant risks are identified you may need to employee first aiders.
	If there are specific risks ie hazardous substances, dangerous tools and/or machinery, etc you may need to consider such things as specific training, extra equipment and the positioning of such items.
	If the level of risk varies within an establishment you may need to make different first aid provision for each specific area.
	You may need to review and locate equipment accordingly based on your company’s accident and illness record.
	The amount of first aiders you need will also depend on the amount of employees you have-please see the chart below.
	Where you have employees who are inexperienced i.e. trainees or people with special needs or health problems you may need to consider extra equipment and its sitting.
	If employees are spread out in different buildings, or work on different floors of the same building, you will need to consider cover for each building and floor.
	If you have shift workers, or those that work out of normal hours you will need to provide cover at all times.
	If the workplace is in a remote area you will need to inform the emergency services.
	If you employ people who travel a lot or work on their own you will need to consider their training and equipment, as well the possibility of issuing communications equipment.
	If you share a site with another employer you will need to liase with them reference the provision of first-aid cover.
	If members of the general public visit your site you are recommended to include them in your first-aid provision even though you have no legal duty over them.

Contents of a First Aid Kit

There is no standard list of items to put in a First Aid kit. It depends on what you assess the needs are. However, as a guide, and where there is no special risk in the workplace, a minimum stock of First Aid items would be:

	A leaflet giving general guidance on first aid
	Twenty individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings of assorted sizes
	Two sterile eye pads
	Four individually wrapped triangular bandages - preferably sterile
	Six safety pins
	Six medium sized (approximately 12cm x 12cm) individually wrapped sterile unmedicated wound dressings
	Two medium sized (approximately 18cm x 18cm) individually wrapped sterile unmedicated wound dressings
	One pair of disposable gloves
	You should not keep tablets or medicines in the first aid kit

The above is a suggested contents list only. Equivalent but different items will be considered acceptable.

An appointed person is someone who:

	Can take charge when someone is injured or falls ill, including calling an ambulance if required
	Looks after the first aid equipment (eg Restocking the First Aid kit)

Appointed persons should not attempt to give First Aid for which they have not been trained. They represent the minimum of First Aid cover and as such there must be at least one on duty whenever work is in progress.

What is a First Aider?

A First Aider is someone who has undergone a training course, currently of four days duration, in administering First Aid at work and holds a current First Aid at Work Certificate. The training must be approved by the HSE. You may decide following your First Aid assessment that you need one or more First Aiders. A First Aider can undertake the duties of an appointed person.

How many First Aiders or Appointed Persons do I require?

It is not possible to give hard and fast rules on when or how many First Aiders or appointed persons might be needed. This will depend on the circumstances of each particular organisation or worksite. The following table will serve to act as a guide to possible numbers. The details in the table are suggestions only - they are not definitive nor are they a legal requirement. It is for you to assess your First Aid needs in the light of your particular circumstances.

Category of risk		Numbers employed at any location		Suggested Nos of First Aid Personnel
Lower risk, for example shops, offices & libraries		Fewer than 50 50-100 More than 100		At least one AP At least one FA. One additional FA for every 100 employed
Medium risk, for example light engineering and assembly work, food processing and warehousing		Fewer than 20 20-100 More than 100		At least one AP At least one FA for every 50 employed or part there of One additional FA for every 100 employed.
Higher risk, for example most construction, slaughter houses, chemical manufacture, extensive work with dangerous machinery or sharp instruments		Fewer than 5 5-50 More than 50		At least one AP. At least one FA. One additional FA for every 50 employed.

Who should I select for First Aid Training?

The staff you select for training should:

	Be reliable and have good communication skills.
	Have an aptitude and the ability to absorb new knowledge and skills
	Be able to cope with stressful and physically demanding situations Have normal duties that can be left immediately and rapidly.

Need I do anything else?

You must inform your staff of the First Aid arrangements. Putting up notices telling staff who and where the First Aiders or appointed persons are, and where the First Aid Box is, will usually be sufficient. Don’t forget that you will need to make arrangements to give First Aid information to employees with reading or language difficulties.

The information contained here has been sourced from HSE publication 'First Aid at Work - Your questions answered.'