First aid - H&S at work

People at work can suffer injuries or fall ill. It doesn't matter whether the injury or the illness is caused by the work they do or not. What is important is that they receive immediate attention and that an ambulance is called in serious cases.

First aid at work covers the arrangements that employers must make to ensure this happens. It can save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming major ones. There are no standard requirements for the provision of first aid personnel and equipment. Employers are required to assess the workplace and make an informed judgement. The following are the general guidelines taken from the HSE Information Leaflet.

First-aid provision needs to be available at all times people are at work. The minimum first-aid provision on any work site is:

A stocked first-aid box
an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements.

Assessing Need

Employers are required to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to their employees if they are injured or become ill at work. HSE give the following table as a general guide:

Category of risk	Numbers employed at any location	Suggested number of first-aid personnel
Lower risk eg shops and offices, libraries	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 eg light engineering and assembly work, food processing, warehousing	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 eg most construction, slaughter houses, chemical manufacture, extensive work with dangerous machinery or sharp instruments	Fewer than five	At least one appointed person
	5-50	At least one first aider
	More than 50	One additional first aider for every 50 employed

Appointed Persons. The minimum provision is that an appointed person is available at all times. There role is to take charge when someone is injured or falls ill, including calling an ambulance if required. They should not give first aid unless they have been trained to do so.

First Aiders. Are people who have undertaken an HSE approved training course and hold a current certificate.

First Aid Equipment

There is no standard list of items to put in a first-aid box. 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 eg HSE leaflet Basic advice on first aid at work
20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings (assorted sizes);
two sterile eye pads;
four individually wrapped triangular bandages (preferably sterile);
six safety pins;
six medium sized (approximately 12 cm x 12 cm) individually wrapped sterile unmedicated wound dressings;
two large (approximately 18 cm x 18 cm) sterile individually wrapped unmedicated wound dressings;
one pair of disposable gloves.