What Employers Must Tell Staff About First Aid: Notices and the Law
26 October 2026 · 4 min read · Amber Training
Reviewed for accuracy by a qualified Amber Training first aid trainer.
UK employers must tell their staff the first aid arrangements: who the first aiders or appointed person are, and where the first aid equipment and facilities are. This is regulation 4 of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. The law does not prescribe a notice, but a clear first aid notice by each kit, backed up at induction, is the simplest way to meet the duty. Our free first aid notice builder makes a printable A4 notice in a few minutes, and nothing you type leaves your device.
What the law says
Regulation 4 of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requires every employer to inform employees of the arrangements made for first aid, including the location of equipment, facilities and personnel.
HSE's guidance on the regulations (L74, First aid at work) adds the practical detail:
- First aid notices are a simple way of keeping staff informed.
- The information should be clear and easily understood by all employees, including those with reading or language difficulties.
- There should be at least one notice at each site, in a prominent place.
- First aid arrangements should be covered in induction training for new starters.
What to include on a first aid notice
- In an emergency, dial 999. Make it the largest line on the page.
- Your first aiders, with where to find them: desk, department, floor or extension number.
- Your appointed person, if you have one, under their own heading. Our guide to the appointed person for first aid explains the role.
- First aid kit locations, one line for each kit, including vehicle or travel kits.
- The defibrillator (AED), if you have one, and exactly where it is.
- The accident book, and where it is kept.
- The nearest A&E department, for injuries that need hospital treatment but not an ambulance. Check that it has a 24-hour emergency department, not only an urgent treatment centre. Our guide to A&E or an urgent treatment centre explains the difference.
- The date it was last updated, so out-of-date notices are easy to spot.
Where to display it
- By every first aid kit. Signs marking first aid equipment use the standard white cross on a green background.
- In staff rooms, kitchens and other shared areas.
- At reception or main entrances, where visitors and contractors also see it.
- On every floor or building if you have more than one.
- On your intranet or staff handbook, so hybrid and remote staff can find it.
If some of your staff read English as a second language, consider a translated copy alongside the English notice.
Keep it up to date
A notice listing a first aider who left last year, or whose certificate has expired, gives staff the wrong person in an emergency. Update the notice when:
- a first aider joins, leaves or moves desk;
- a first aid certificate expires (our certificate checker tracks the dates);
- a kit moves or a defibrillator is installed;
- you review your first aid needs assessment.
First aid notice, first aid poster and the law poster
Three different things are often called a "first aid poster":
| What it shows | Required? | |
|---|---|---|
| First aid notice | Your own first aiders, kits and arrangements | The information is required by regulation 4; a notice is the usual way to give it |
| First aid steps or CPR poster | General first aid instructions | No |
| Health and safety law poster | General health and safety rights and duties | Yes, under separate regulations, or the equivalent leaflet given to staff |
Only the first one tells staff who to call and where the kit is.
Make your notice
The free first aid notice builder asks for your first aiders or appointed person, kit locations and, if you want them, the defibrillator, accident book and nearest A&E. It prints a clean A4 notice with 999 at the top. If you tick "Remember this notice on this device", the details stay in your browser so you can update the notice when people change.
No trained first aiders to put on it?
If your first aid needs calculator result calls for trained first aiders, we deliver Emergency First Aid at Work and First Aid at Work as in-house first aid training at your venue, anywhere in England. Emergency First Aid at Work is £550 per session for up to 12 staff, including trainer, equipment, certificates and travel. Travel within London and the surrounding counties is included; elsewhere in England, travel is confirmed with the agreement.
Book training. No payment until your booking is confirmed. Confirmation by email within one working day.
This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Base your provision on your own first aid needs assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Is a first aid notice a legal requirement?
The law requires employers to inform employees of the first aid arrangements, including where the equipment, facilities and first aid personnel are (regulation 4 of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981). It does not prescribe a notice, but HSE guidance describes first aid notices as a simple way to keep staff informed.
What should a first aid notice say?
The names of the first aiders or appointed person and where to find them, where the first aid kits are kept, and to dial 999 in an emergency. Many employers also include the defibrillator location, where the accident book is kept and the nearest A&E department.
Where should first aid notices be displayed?
Where all staff will see them: by each first aid kit, in staff rooms and at reception or entrances. HSE guidance suggests at least one notice at each site, and the information needs to be clear and easily understood by every employee, including anyone with reading or language difficulties.
Is the first aid notice the same as the health and safety law poster?
No. The health and safety law poster is a separate requirement under the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations 1989. It does not replace telling staff your own first aid arrangements.
Do we need a first aid poster showing CPR steps?
It is not required. A CPR or first aid steps poster can be a useful reminder, but it does not tell staff who your first aiders are or where your kit is, so it does not replace a first aid notice.
Book Emergency First Aid at Work for your team
Emergency First Aid at Work: 1 day at your venue, £550 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.