First Aid 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 you must make to ensure this happens. It can save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming major ones.
A first aider is someone who has undergone a training course in administering first aid at work and holds a current first aid at work certificate. The training has to have been approved by HSE. Lists of local training organisations are available from HSE Offices. You may decide, following your first-aid assessment, that you need one or more first aiders. A first aider can undertake the duties of an appointed person.
How many first aiders or appointed persons do I need?
It is not possible to give hard and fast rules on when or how many first aiders or appointed persons might be needed. This will depend on the circumstances of each particular organisation or worksite. Refer to the following table after working through the assessment checklist in Q3. It offers suggestions on how many first aiders or appointed persons might be needed in relation to categories of risk and number of employees. The details in the table 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.
Do I have to do anything else?
You have to inform your employees of the first aid arrangements. Putting up notices telling staff who and where the first aiders or appointed persons are and where the first-aid box is will usually be sufficient. But don't forget that you will need to make special arrangements to give first-aid information to employees with reading or language difficulties.
. Putting up notices telling staff who and where the first aiders or appointed persons are and where the first-aid box is will usually be sufficient. But don't forget that you will need to make special arrangements to give first-aid information to employees with reading or language difficulties.
Suggested numbers of first-aid personnel.
First-aid personnel should be available at all times people are at work,
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Category of risk
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Numbers employed at any location
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Suggested number of first-aid personnel
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Lower risk
eg shops and offices, libraries
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Fewer than 50
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At least one appointed person
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50-100
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At least one first aider
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More than 100
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One additional first aider for every 100 employed
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Medium risk
eg light engineering and assembly work, food processing, warehousing
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Fewer than 20
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At least one appointed person
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20-100
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At least one first aider for every 50 employed (or part thereof)
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More than 100
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One additional first aider for every 100 employed
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Higher risk
eg most construction, slaughter houses, chemical manufacture, extensive work with dangerous machinery or sharp instruments
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Fewer than five
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At least one appointed person
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5-50
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At least one first aider
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More than 50
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One additional first aider for every 50 employed
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