First Aid at Work Questions

Employers hold the overall responsibility for ensuring effective record-keeping is undertaken. However, responsibility for completing the record-keeping would usually belong to the first-aider or appointed person.

It is not a legal requirement for first aid training to be approved by the HSE. However, first aid training providers should be able to demonstrate how they comply with the criteria set by the HSE. Our First Aid Appointed Person eLearning course provides an overview of the role and the main responsibilities that come with it.

A First Aid at Work course lasts three days (around 18 hours of training), although it may be delivered over consecutive days or spread out, depending on the training provider.

Our online Appointed Person First Aid course takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. This course supports workplaces by training someone to take charge of first aid arrangements, such as calling the emergency services and looking after first aid equipment.

Yes, you can fail a First Aid at Work course if you do not meet the required standards. To pass, learners must demonstrate both the practical first aid skills and the theoretical knowledge set out by the awarding body, and failure to do so means the certificate will not be awarded until the required competence is achieved.

First Aid at Work covers managing emergencies, treating minor injuries (cuts, burns), handling major incidents (heart attacks, strokes, unconsciousness), and providing CPR and defibrillator use. It also includes recognising and responding to specific workplace hazards like fractures, choking, and severe bleeding.

A First Aid at Work (FAW) certificate is valid for three years from the date of completion. To maintain certification, you must complete a requalification course before the certificate expires. It is also recommended to undertake annual refresher training to keep skills up to date.

The cost of a First Aid at Work (FAW) course varies depending on the training provider and location. Generally, prices range from approximately £220 to £349 for a comprehensive three-day course.

Praxis42 Appointed Person First Aid Course costs £25 and it provides those who are responsible for first aid arrangements in their workplace with the knowledge and skills to fulfil their role.

Examples of what to include in a first aid box includes:

• Range of plasters in different sizes
• Bandages
• Safety pins
• Disposable gloves

Your first aid needs assessment should identify any additional requirements for your first aid box.

The HSE recommends it as good practice for first aiders and appointed persons to record incidents that required their assistance. This information can then help identify accident trends and areas for improvement.

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide appropriate first aid arrangements in the workplace. This includes ensuring an adequate number of trained first aiders, suitable first aid equipment, and facilities based on the specific risks and number of employees.

Employers must assess their first aid needs and ensure they comply with these regulations to safeguard employees’ health and safety at work.

The minimum requirement for first aid at work under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 is to have a suitably stocked first aid kit and an appointed person responsible for managing first aid arrangements. This appointed person does not need to be trained in first aid but is responsible for maintaining supplies and contacting emergency services when needed.

For low-risk workplaces with small staff numbers, this may be sufficient, but higher-risk environments will require trained first aiders.

If there is no first aider at work, the employer must still comply with the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 by appointing someone to manage first aid arrangements. This appointed person can handle the first aid kit, ensure supplies are stocked, and call emergency services if needed.

However, in higher-risk workplaces, the lack of a trained first aider could result in non-compliance with legal requirements and pose significant safety risks, potentially leading to fines or liability if injuries occur.

The role of a first aider in the workplace is to provide immediate assistance to anyone who becomes injured or ill until professional medical help arrives.

Their responsibilities include assessing the situation, delivering appropriate first aid treatment, maintaining calm, and ensuring the safety of others. They are also tasked with keeping records of incidents and ensuring the workplace first aid kit is properly stocked and maintained.

Under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, employers are responsible for providing adequate first aid arrangements to ensure employees receive immediate assistance if injured or taken ill at work. This includes conducting a first aid needs assessment, supplying suitable first aid equipment, ensuring an adequate number of trained first aiders, and communicating first aid arrangements to staff.

These measures must reflect the specific risks and size of the workplace.

The number of first aiders needed at work in the UK depends on the outcome of your first aid needs assessment, as required by the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.

• Low-risk workplaces (e.g., offices): At least one appointed person or one trained first aider for every 25 employees.
• Medium-risk workplaces (e.g., retail, warehouses): One trained first aider for every 50 employees.
• High-risk workplaces (e.g., construction, manufacturing): At least one trained first aider for every 5 to 50 employees, with additional first aiders required as numbers increase.

Specific needs may vary based on the type of work, hazards, and shift patterns.

In the UK, there is no legal requirement for workplaces to have an automated external defibrillator (AED). However, the HSE strongly encourages employers to consider AEDs as part of their first aid needs assessment, particularly in larger sites, higher-risk environments, or places with public access.

Many employers choose to install an AED voluntarily because early defibrillation significantly improves survival rates following a cardiac arrest.

Workplace first aid does not normally include giving out tablets or medication such as paracetamol or aspirin. This is because first aiders may not know a person’s allergies, medical conditions, or interactions with other medication.

However, in a medical emergency, a first aider may administer a person’s prescribed medication if:

• The medication belongs to the individual and is prescribed to them (e.g. an adrenaline auto-injector or inhaler), and
• The person is unable to self-administer due to their condition (for example, during an anaphylactic reaction), and
• The first aider has been trained and feels competent to do so, or is acting under 999 guidance.

The priority in these situations is preserving life while emergency services are called and on their way.

First aid at work can include mental health. The Health and Safety Executive advise employers to consider mental as well as physical health when carrying out a first aid needs assessment.

This may involve:

• Providing mental health first aid training
• Ensuring staff know how to recognise signs of mental ill health
• Offering initial support and signposting to professional help

Mental health first aid does not replace clinical care, but it helps ensure employees receive timely support, just as they would for a physical injury.

In the UK, it is highly unlikely that a workplace first aider would be held personally liable if they make a mistake, provided they act in good faith and within their training.

Key points:

• First aiders are expected to provide reasonable care, not perfect treatment.
• Employers are generally vicariously liable for the actions of employees acting in the course of their duties.
• Most employers’ liability insurance covers first aiders carrying out their role.
• Courts recognise that first aid is given in emergency, high-pressure situations.

Only in exceptional cases (such as acting recklessly or far outside training) would personal liability even be considered.

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 legally require employers to provide first aid for their employees only.

However, the HSE recommends that employers also consider visitors, customers, and contractors when carrying out their first aid needs assessment, especially in public-facing or higher-risk environments (e.g. shops, leisure venues, schools).

There is no formal grace period if a first aid certificate expires. Once it has expired, the person is no longer considered a competent first aider under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.

Employers should:

• Ensure requalification is completed before expiry, and
• Make temporary cover arrangements if a certificate lapses (for example, appointing another trained first aider or arranging refresher training urgently).

Allowing certificates to lapse can leave the organisation non-compliant with its first aid duties.

First aid cover must always be maintained, even when staff are on annual leave or off sick.

Employers should:

• Appoint enough trained first aiders to provide cover across shifts, locations, and absences
• Avoid relying on a single individual for first aid provision
• Plan rotas and leave in advance to ensure continued coverage
• Use appointed persons or temporary arrangements if a trained first aider is unavailable
• Review first aid cover as part of the first aid needs assessment

Failure to plan for absences can leave a workplace without adequate first aid provision and lead to non-compliance with UK first aid regulations.