First Aid at Work
On the 1st April 2009 new regulations for First aid at Work were published which will take effect on 1st October. These may affect your choice of course, so make sure you are aware of the changes - click on the link below to see a summary of how these changes may affect you.;
New first aid at work regulations
The information below relates to First Aid at Work as it stands at the moment. If you have any specific enquiries please contact us to have a chat about it,
The First Aid at Work course is the HSE standard first aid course. There is a requirement on employers to provide adequately trained first aid staff to deal with first aid emergencies in the workplace. - information from http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/firstaid.htm
The relevant regulations are the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. This guidance to the regulations sets out the difference between a ‘first aider’ and an ‘appointed person’: In any company, the number and type of first aid personnel would be based on an assessment. In assessing need, employers need to consider:
- workplace hazards and risks;
- the size of the organisation;
- the organisation’s history of accidents;
- the nature and distribution of the workforce;
- the remoteness of the site from emergency medical services;
- the needs of travelling, remote and lone workers;
- employees working on shared or multi-occupied sites;
- annual leave and other absences of first aiders and appointed persons.
Whilst the regulations do not give specific personnel numbers, the guidance does give suggested numbers of first aid personnel:
| Category of risk | Numbers employed at any location | Suggested number of first-aid personnel |
| Lower risk e.g. shops, offices, libraries Fewer than 50 At least one appointed person |
Fewer than 50 | At least one appointed person |
|
“ |
50 - 100 | At least one first aider |
|
“ |
More than 100 | One additional first aider for every 100 employed |
| Medium risk e.g. light engineering and assembly work, food processing, warehousing Fewer than 20 At least one appointed person |
Fewer than 20 | At least one appointed person |
|
“ |
20-100 | At least one first aider for every 50 employed (or part thereof) |
|
“ |
More than 100 | One additional first aider for every 100 employed |
| Higher risk e.g. construction, slaughterhouses, chemical manufacture, extensive work with dangerous machinery or sharp instruments Fewer than five At least one appointed person |
Fewer than 5 | At least one appointed person |
|
“ |
5-50 | At least one first aider |
|
“ |
More than 50 | One additional first aider for every 50 employed |
The details above 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.