HSE Requirements

Legal duties

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to employees if they are injured or become ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with five or fewer employees and to the self-employed. Detailed information can be found in the Approved Code of Practice and Guidance: First aid at work. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 L74.

What is adequate will depend on the circumstances in the workplace. This includes whether trained first aiders are needed, what should be included in a first aid box and if a first aid room is needed. Employers should carry out an assessment of first aid needs to determine this.

The Regulations do not place a legal obligation on employers to make first aid provision for non-employees such as the public or children in schools. However, HSE strongly recommends that non-employees are included in a first aid needs assessment and that provision is made for them.

So what do I need to do?

The minimum first-aid provision on any work site is:

• a suitably stocked first-aid box (see below);
• an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements. It is also important to remember that accidents can happen at any time. First-aid provision needs to be available at all times people are at work.

What should I put in the first-aid box?

GLOVES
More quantity reflecting the need, and Nitrile type in line with NHS and St. John Ambulance guidelines.
PLASTERS
Sensible quantities, reflecting consumer demand.
WIPES
Increased quantities, reflecting consumer demand. New specification is sterile and now must meet the European CE marking rules.
MEDIUM and LARGE DRESSINGS
Fewer quantities, reflecting consumer demand.
TRIANGULAR BANDAGES
Quantities are reduced reflecting the change in training first aid protocol, where immobilisation of lower limbs using triangular bandages is no longer indicated.
FINGER DRESSINGS
A smaller finger dressing is introduced specifically for finger injuries that are too large for first aid plasters, dressing complete with an easy-fix adhesive tab.
BURNS GEL DRESSING
Every employer with as much as a kettle, must have a risk from burns. A modern burns gel dressing is added to meet this risk, together with a conforming bandage to attach and retain it.
ADHESIVE TAPE
Many first aiders prefer not to use safety pins, where additional injury could potentially be caused, adhesive tape is an easy and inexpensive way to secure dressings and bandages. Safety pins are retained, allowing users a choice of application.
SHEARS
Clothing around wound sites needs to be removed to allow first aid treatment. Shears, capable of cutting fabric and leather enable this removal.
FOIL EMERGENCY BLANKET
Clinical shock presents one of the most serious life threatening risks to a casualty, treatment includes keeping the casualty warm. The introduction of the foil survival blanket enables this.
MOUTH TO MOUTH RESUSCITATION DEVICE
The introduction of a mouth to mouth resuscitation device, incorporating a one way valve, protects the first aider from infection from body fluid pathogens.
EYE WASH
Incorporated into the travel kit since fixed eye wash stations are unlikely to be available. The environment of a travelling worker is unpredictable and could include a risk to eyes.
FIRST AID GUIDANCE LEAFLET
Conforming to the latest HSE guidance.

What kits are available?

There are four sizes of first aid kits, workplace small, medium, large and a travel kit.

What size is required?

Employers are required to make a risk assessment to decide what the hazard levels are and how many employees are involved in the area to be covered.  There is a useful guide provided to help match this risk assessment to an appropraite size kit.

You should not keep tablets or medicines in the first-aid box.