Are you an employer?

You must have first-aid arrangements in your workplace. This advice will help you and includes information on appointing a first-aider and reporting accidents or ill health.

What employers need to do

You are responsible for making sure that your employees receive immediate attention if they are taken ill or are injured at work. Accidents and illness can happen at any time and first aid can save lives and prevent minor injuries from becoming major ones.

Your arrangements will depend on the particular circumstances in your workplace and the outcomes of your first-aid needs assessment.

As a minimum, you must have:

a suitably stocked first-aid box
an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements;
information for all employees giving details of first-aid arrangements.

First-aiders

You might decide that you need a first-aider. This is someone who has been trained by an approved organisation and holds a qualification in first aid at work or emergency first aid at work. If you have identified that you need first-aiders, we've provided information on the requirements for training them. You can also view our list of HSE approved training providers.

More detailed information can be found in our leaflet First aid at work: Your questions answered.

Accidents and ill health

Under health and safety law, you must report and keep a record of certain injuries, incidents and cases of work-related disease.

You can find out which ones must be reported and how to report them on our report an incident pages.

Keeping records will help you to identify patterns of accidents and injuries, and will help when completing your risk assessment. Your insurance company may also want to see your records if there is a work-related claim.

Remember

Make sure you protect people's personal details by storing records confidentially in a secure place.

If you have more than 10 employees, or own or occupy a mine, quarry or factory, you must keep an accident book under social security law.
You can buy an accident book from HSE Books or record the details in your own record system.

Reclaiming health and safety for all

First aid at work - The Health and safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981

An independent review of health and safety legislation by Professor Ragnar E Löfstedt recommended changes to the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 and revised guidance on the regulations to help businesses.

The review also recommended a review of the First Aid Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and the removal of specific requirements placed on the self-employed.

Changes will soon be made to first aid regulations and guidance.

To support implementation of the changes, information is currently being gathered from businesses and individuals involved in procuring and providing first aid training.

Please complete this short survey to provide details of your knowledge and/or experience.