First Aid at Work - personnel
First Aiders
For a person to be designated as a First Aider within the workplace they must first complete an HSE Approved 'First Aid at Work' training course. The course covers topics including treatment of an unconscious casualty, choking, control of bleeding, fractures and shock. On completion they are awarded a certificate which is valid for three years.
Appointed Persons
An appointed person is someone has been chosen to take charge if someone is injured or falls ill, and to look after the First Aid equipment. Appointed Persons are not First Aiders and should not attempt to administer First Aid if they have not been adequately trained.
Requirements
In order to decide how many First Aiders and Appointed Persons you require, a risk assessment must be carried out. The information below is for general guidance only and does not take into account any special circumstances which would require increased provision such as shiftwork, holiday cover or the remoteness of the site from emergency services.
Lower risk
e.g. shops, offices, libraries
| Numbers employed at each location | Suggested number of first aid personnel |
| 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, food processing, warehousing
| Numbers employed at each location | Suggested number of first aid personnel |
| Fewer than 20 | At least one Appointed Person |
| 20 - 100 | At least one First Aider for every 50 employed |
| More than 100 | One additional First Aider for every 100 employed |
Higher risk
e.g. construction, slaughterhouses, chemical manufacture, work involving dangerous machinery or sharp instruments
| Numbers employed at each location | Suggested number of first aid personnel |
| 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 |
Information from HSE leaflet INDG214 2003
For more detailed information on First Aid at work, plus a full list of publications to help you carry out your risk assessment, see the HSE web site
www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/index.htm
