Is it compulsory for employers to provide first aid in the workplace?

First aid involves giving prompt medical assistance to anyone who has experienced an injury. Regular people will usually deliver this before professional paramedics arrive on the scene.
All UK employers are legally required to plan for first aid at work. They need to carry out an assessment before pre-arranging emergency first aid training courses.

First Aid Evaluation

First aid evaluations help employers work out the number of staff to book into first aid training.

The assessment covers:

– Potential workplace dangers
– Past illnesses and accidents
– How small or large the business is
– Where employees are stationed within business hours
– Employee work patterns
– Business visitors

It’s a good idea to note down your first aid evaluation findings, but this isn’t a legal necessity.

First Aid Requirements at Work

The first aid evaluation will disclose how many tools, resources, and staff your business needs. Employers can use the assessment to work out if emergency first aid training courses are necessary, as well as how many employees will be trained.

The Health and Safety Executive says that the number of first-aiders required varies based on the type of business and where it’s located.

Employers need to check that staff are educated through authorised training courses. Programs such as the emergency first aid training courses by Tidal Training are taught by accredited tutors. This ensures that course participants are fully prepared for what the first aider job involves.

Employers should ensure that appropriate first aid kits are on-site. These should be readily available and contain functioning, in-date materials such as plasters, gloves, and sterile bandages.

Investing in first aid training ensures that employers meet legal requirements and, most importantly, protect the health and safety of their employees.