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A survey for St John Ambulance has revealed that a third of employees feel anxious about having a lack of trained first aiders in their workplace. What are the rules?

The law says that you must have first aid provision (equipment, facilities and personnel) that is “adequate and appropriate” for your workplace. As a minimum this includes a suitably stocked and properly identified first aid kit, an “appointed person” to take charge of first aid arrangements, e.g. looking after the first aid equipment and facilities and calling the emergency services, and the provision of information to staff about first aid arrangements, e.g. where the first aid kit is located and who the appointed person is.

To assess the first aid needs in your particular workplace, you should first conduct a first aid needs assessment. This will also help you decide whether you need to have trained first aiders and, if so, how many, i.e. employees who have been trained by a competent first aid training provider in either first aid at work (FAW) or emergency first aid at work (EFAW) and who hold a valid certificate of competence. EFAW requires less training than FAW as it’s a one-day training course whereas FAW is a three-day training course. All certificates are valid for three years. If you have trained first aiders, you won’t also need to have an appointed person.

There are no statutory provisions governing the exact number of trained first aiders that you need to have but the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has provided guidance on the suggested number based on whether you have a low-hazard workplace, such as an office or shop, or a higher-hazard workplace, such as a factory, warehouse or construction site, and how many employees you employ there:

  • low-hazard workplace with fewer than 25 employees – at least one appointed person
  • low-hazard workplace with 25 to 50 employees – at least one EFAW trained first aider
  • low-hazard workplace with more than 50 employees – at least one FAW trained first aider for every 100 employed (or part thereof)
  • higher-hazard workplace with fewer than five employees – at least one appointed person
  • higher-hazard workplace with 5 to 50 employees – at least one EFAW or FAW trained first aider, depending on the type of injuries that may occur
  • higher-hazard workplace with more than 50 employees – at least one FAW trained first aider for every 50 employed (or part thereof).

Do ensure that you have sufficient first aid personnel available at all times during the working day, taking account of hybrid working arrangements, alternative working patterns, annual leave, etc.