How Many First Aiders Does My Workplace Need? (UK Guide)

There is no single legal number of first aiders every business must have. Instead, UK law requires you to provide first aid cover that is adequate and appropriate for your workplace. Here is how to work out what that means for you.

Start with a first aid needs assessment

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require every employer to assess their first aid needs. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggests considering:

• The nature of the work and the hazards present
• The size of the workforce and how it is spread across sites or floors
• Your accident history
• Shift patterns, lone workers and remote sites
• How close you are to emergency medical services

HSE suggested starting points

The HSE provides broad guidance to help you start. As a rough guide:

Low-hazard workplaces (for example offices, shops):

• Fewer than 25 employees: at least one appointed person, or an Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) trained first aider
• 25 to 50 employees: at least one EFAW first aider
• More than 50 employees: at least one First Aid at Work (FAW) first aider for every 100 employees

Higher-hazard workplaces (for example light engineering, warehousing, construction):

• Fewer than 5 employees: at least one appointed person
• 5 to 50 employees: at least one EFAW or FAW first aider depending on the risks
• More than 50 employees: at least one FAW first aider for every 50 employees

These are starting points, not strict rules. Your own assessment may justify more.

Do not forget cover for absence

Whatever number you settle on, plan for holidays, sickness and shift changes. A single first aider is not enough if they are the only one and they are off. Many London employers train two or more people so cover never lapses.

Appointed person vs trained first aider

An appointed person takes charge in an emergency and looks after first aid equipment, but is not a trained first aider. In the lowest-risk, smallest workplaces this may be acceptable. Most workplaces benefit from at least one properly trained first aider holding an EFAW or FAW certificate.

Getting your team trained

If your assessment points to EFAW or FAW, we run both regularly across London and Enfield, and we can deliver on-site group training at your own premises, which is often the most cost-effective option for teams.

Explore the Emergency First Aid at Work course and the First Aid at Work course, or contact us for a group quote.