Does Your Workplace Need a Defibrillator? UK AED Rules and Training
Updated 26 October 2026 · 5 min read · Amber Training
Reviewed for accuracy by a qualified Amber Training first aid trainer.
Do you need a defibrillator at work? There is no specific legal requirement in the UK to have a defibrillator (AED) at work, but you should consider one in your first aid needs assessment. HSE suggests employers consider one, and Resuscitation Council UK encourages wider access to defibrillators, because the sooner a shock is given in cardiac arrest, the better the chance of survival.
HSE is clear that health and safety law does not require one. What the law does require is first aid provision that is "adequate and appropriate", and your first aid needs assessment decides whether an AED belongs in yours. If you do provide one, it counts as work equipment, and the people likely to use it should be trained, which is why defibrillator practice is now part of both workplace first aid courses.
Are defibrillators mandatory in the workplace?
No. In the UK, no regulation makes a workplace defibrillator mandatory for an ordinary employer, and that includes offices, shops and warehouses. The relevant rules are:
- The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, which require "adequate and appropriate" first aid equipment, facilities and people, decided by a needs assessment. An AED is one item that assessment can point to.
- The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), which HSE says apply once you do provide an AED, because it then counts as work equipment.
So the honest answer to "what are the AED regulations?" is that there are none specific to defibrillators at work. The duty is to assess, decide and, if you buy one, look after it and make sure people can use it.
What an AED actually does
Cardiac arrest is an electrical problem: the heart stops pumping because its rhythm has failed. CPR keeps blood moving; a defibrillator is what can restart an effective rhythm. Resuscitation Council UK guidance is blunt about the timing, with the chance of survival falling by roughly 10 per cent for every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation. An ambulance travelling across London traffic cannot always arrive inside that window: in September 2026, ambulances took 7 minutes on average to reach life-threatening calls in London. A device on the wall 60 seconds away can be there first.
Modern AEDs are designed for untrained bystanders. Open the lid and a voice talks you through pad placement and every step. The device analyses the rhythm itself and will not shock a heart that does not need it.
So does your workplace need one?
Your needs assessment decides, but these factors push strongly towards yes:
- Headcount and footfall. Large workforces, and any site where customers, pupils or visitors are regularly present.
- Distance from help. Industrial estates, construction sites and any premises where an ambulance response is realistically over a few minutes.
- Higher-risk populations. Gyms and leisure settings, schools, care settings, and workforces with older age profiles.
- Physical work. Warehousing, construction and manufacturing.
A small office above a shop with a public-access AED on the high street may reasonably decide against its own device. A 200-person warehouse in Enfield with the nearest defibrillator ten minutes away is making a different decision.
If you buy one: your duties
HSE says that if an employer provides an AED, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) apply, and the employer should provide written instructions, such as the manufacturer's. In practice:
- Register it on The Circuit, the national defibrillator network, so the ambulance service can direct 999 callers to it.
- Name someone to check it monthly: the status light, the battery, and the expiry date on the pads.
- Keep spare pads, including paediatric pads or a child setting if children are ever on site.
- Put it where everyone can reach it fast, signed, and not locked in an office that closes at 5pm.
Defibrillator training (AED training): what it covers
An AED works without training. A cardiac arrest response does not. Someone has to recognise the arrest, call 999, start compressions within seconds and keep them going while the device is fetched. HSE notes that fuller training is likely to make the user more confident, and AED training is now part of the First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work syllabus. Practical defibrillator training covers:
- Recognising cardiac arrest: unresponsive and not breathing normally.
- The first 60 seconds: calling 999, sending someone for the AED, starting CPR.
- Using the AED: switching on, pad placement, following the prompts, standing clear for the shock, and carrying straight on with CPR.
- Teamwork: swapping who does compressions every two minutes so CPR stays effective.
- Handover to the ambulance crew, and recording what happened.
Because it sits inside both workplace courses, every first aider you train with us practises on a training defibrillator:
- Emergency First Aid at Work: one day, up to 12 staff per session
- First Aid at Work: three days, up to 12 staff per session
Both include CPR and AED practice, delivered as in-house first aid training at your venue, anywhere in England. Your staff practise on the layout they will actually work in, including where your own defibrillator is kept, if you have one. If you are still weighing up which course fits, our guide comparing the two courses covers the decision in five minutes.
This article is general guidance, not a substitute for training or for your own needs assessment. Book training. No payment until your booking is confirmed. Confirmation by email within one working day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a defibrillator at work?
There is no specific legal requirement in the UK to have a defibrillator at work. You should consider one as part of your first aid needs assessment, weighing headcount, visitors, the type of work and how far you are from emergency help. HSE suggests employers consider one, and Resuscitation Council UK encourages wider access to defibrillators because early defibrillation saves lives.
Are defibrillators mandatory in the workplace in the UK?
No. No UK regulation makes a defibrillator mandatory in an ordinary workplace. The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require first aid provision that is adequate and appropriate, and your needs assessment decides whether that includes an AED.
What AED regulations apply if we have a defibrillator at work?
There is no AED-specific workplace law. If you provide one, HSE says the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) apply, so the device should be suitable, maintained in working order and come with written instructions, such as the manufacturer's. Good practice is to register it on The Circuit and check it monthly.
Where can staff get defibrillator training?
Defibrillator (AED) training is part of both Emergency First Aid at Work and First Aid at Work, so any first aider trained on either course has practised CPR and AED use. We deliver both at your venue for up to 12 staff per session.
Is a defibrillator a legal requirement in UK workplaces?
No. HSE says health and safety law does not require an AED in the workplace. The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require provision that is adequate and appropriate for your workplace, decided by a first aid needs assessment. For many sites, especially larger ones, remote ones or those with the public on site, that assessment sensibly points to having one.
Can anyone use an AED, or do you need training?
Anyone can use one. Modern AEDs talk the user through every step with voice prompts, and they will only deliver a shock if the heart rhythm needs one. Training still matters: HSE notes that fuller training is likely to make the user more confident, and trained staff start CPR and use the AED faster.
Is defibrillator training included in first aid courses?
Yes. HSE states that AED training is now part of the First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work syllabus, so every first aider trained on either course has practised with a training defibrillator.
What are an employer's duties if they buy a defibrillator?
HSE says that if an employer provides an AED, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) apply, and the employer should give written instructions, such as the manufacturer's. In practice that also means routine checks of the battery and pads, and registering the device on The Circuit so ambulance services can direct callers to it.
How quickly does an AED need to be used?
As fast as possible. In cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by roughly 10 per cent, which is why guidance emphasises starting CPR immediately, sending someone for the AED and calling 999 at once.
Book Emergency First Aid at Work for your team
Emergency First Aid at Work: 1 day at your venue, £645 per session for up to 12 staff, including trainer, equipment, certificates and travel.
Ofqual-regulated certificates. No payment until your booking is confirmed. Confirmation by email within one working day. Private sessions for your team, not public courses.