What UK Employers Must Know About the Health and Safety First Aid Regulations 1981

What are the Health and Safety First Aid Regulations 1981?

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 are a set of legal standards that mandate UK employers to provide appropriate first-aid arrangements in the workplace. This includes ensuring that suitable equipment and facilities are available and appointing a sufficient number of trained personnel to administer emergency care to employees who are injured or ill.

These regulations apply universally to all workplaces, irrespective of size. Additionally, the law mandates a regular review of first-aid needs to ensure continuous adherence to national health and safety standards.

Importance and Benefits

The comprehensive Health and Safety at Work etc. Act of 1974, which governs occupational health and safety, enabled the development of more detailed regulations. Among these was the requirement for first aid in the workplace, introduced in 1981 and fully enacted in 1982.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) primarily enforces this to mitigate the severity and long-term impact of workplace injuries and illnesses through timely first aid. This commitment to occupational health and safety enhances employee confidence and morale, empowering staff to remain productive team members. Finally, strategic investment in comprehensive first aid infrastructure yields tangible financial benefits, including reduced insurance premiums, lower hospitalization costs, and minimal risk of penalties and legal action.

Understanding Roles and Responsibilities

Employers and employees hold distinct responsibilities in cultivating a safe and compliant workplace. Understanding these duties is crucial to ensure first aid provisions are both effective and compliant with the law. Here are the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 employees’ responsibilities and employers’ duties:

Core Requirements of the Health and Safety First Aid Regulations 1981

Ensuring immediate and effective first aid response requires a few essentials to control illnesses and injuries, stabilize affected individuals before they receive extensive medical care, and, in some cases, save lives. These are the core requirements per the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981:

First-aid needs assessment

A systematic evaluation of an organization’s specific first aid requirements, this assessment dictates the level and type of first aid care required, ensuring that resources are proportional to the risks and that employees’ safety and well-being are prioritized. Here are some considerations when conducting this review:

• The nature of the work (e.g., office safety vs. remote and isolated work)

• Hazards and risks present

• Number of employees

• The remoteness of the workplace from emergency medical services

• Needs of vulnerable workers

• The organization’s accident history

Basic first-aid kit

Having readily available and appropriately stocked first-aid kits is fundamental to workplace safety because this collection of essential medical supplies treats minor injuries and provides initial care for more serious conditions until professional medical help arrives. Here are some must-haves in the kit per HSE’s EHS standards:

• Individually wrapped sterile plasters, eye pads, and dressings

• Triangular bandages and safety pins

• Sterile solutions

• Disposable gloves

• Over-the-counter medications (e.g., for pain, fever, allergic reactions)

Here are some items considered “beyond basic” that may be needed, depending on the needs assessment conducted:

• Antiseptic wipes

• Burn dressings

• Splinting materials for dislocations

• Tourniquets to stop bleeding

• Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in construction, manufacturing, and healthcare

Location and accessibility of kits

First aid kits must be easily accessible during emergencies. Any delay in providing care can worsen injuries and put lives at risk. Here are some related best practices:

• Place kits near areas with higher accident potential, such as machinery, kitchens, laboratories, and workshops.

• Ensure kits are within a reasonable distance of all work areas, especially for larger sites or those with multiple floors.

• Use universally recognized first-aid signs (i.e., a white cross on a green background) to mark the kit’s location.

• Store kits in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures that may degrade the contents.

Maintenance and monitoring of supplies

The contents of the first-aid kit should be regularly checked to ensure all items are present, in good condition, and within their expiry date. Any used, expired, or damaged supplies must be replaced because these are ineffective and may put employees at risk. Take note of the following:

• Assign a responsible person to conduct regular checks.

• Set a restocking protocol, paying close attention to expiry dates. Use a digitized central inventory system for efficiency.

• Maintain a record of checks to provide an audit trail for compliance.

Appointed persons/trained first aiders

The appointed person is someone designated to take charge of first-aid arrangements, from regular checks to restocking. This person may also be trained to administer first aid, as long as they hold a valid certificate. Here are some factors to consider:

• The number of personnel depends on the needs assessment (e.g., workforce size, hazards, site remoteness). Per EHS compliance guidelines, there should be one EFAW first aider for 25 to 50 employees. Higher-risk environments should have more.

• Refresher training should be undertaken before the certificate expires, which is typically every three years.

• Communicate who the first aiders are, their locations, and how to contact them (e.g., on notice boards and internal directories).

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Many organizations face challenges in complying with the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. Get to know some of the difficulties and strategies for health and safety professionals to address them effectively:

• Interpreting “adequate and appropriate” provision of first aid needs: Because the regulation doesn’t provide qualitative metrics, companies should figure this out on their own, often leading to under- or over-provision. Aside from conducting and documenting a site- and hazard-specific needs assessment, internal EHS teams can consult with specialists to design a compliant and effective first aid system.

• Maintaining certification currency: Aside from the lack of resources, many find it hard to schedule refresher training and revalidations, especially when they have operational tasks at work. Implementing a proactive and systematic safety competency management program with a centralized tracking system can help track certifications, expiry dates, and training history.

• Deficient stock levels for all work sites: It’s hard to consistently maintain adequate and unexpired stock levels in all first-aid kits across work sites, primarily because of costs. Including first-aid needs in the inventory replenishment system can help custodians review and restock the kits on-site.