Introduction to Fire Safety Management

15.22.2 Provision for fi rst aid – regulation 3
The employer is required to provide, or ensure that there 
are provided:
➤
Adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities 
to enable fi rst aid to be rendered to their employees 
if they are injured or become ill at work
➤
Adequate and appropriate numbers of suitable per-
sons for rendering fi rst aid.
The ACoP provides extensive guidance on how to deter-
mine the adequacy of fi rst aid equipment and facili-
ties which should largely be determined by the nature 
of the activities performed as opposed to the numbers 
employed.
As a minimum, there should be:
➤
At least one fi rst aid kit which:
➤
Is placed in a clearly identifi able and readily 
accessible location
➤
Contains a suffi cient quantity of suitable fi rst aid 
materials and nothing else (guidance on suitable 
contents is detailed in the ACoP)
➤
Is checked regularly so that the contents are not 
used past their expiry date and are replenished 
as soon as possible after use
➤
Is stored in a clearly identifi able and suitable box 
designed to protect the contents from damp and 
dust and labelled with a white cross on a green 
background (see later section on the Safety 
Signs and Safety Signals Regulations 1996)
➤
Soap and water and disposable drying materials 
for fi rst aid purposes (individually wrapped moist 
cleansing wipes which are not impregnated with 
alcohol may be used instead)
➤
Disposable plastic gloves, aprons and suitable 
protective equipment should also be provided as 
should plastic disposable bags for soiled or used 
fi rst aid dressings. These should be disposed of in 
sealed bags as necessary.
In deciding on the provision of ‘suitable persons’, the 
employer should again concentrate on the nature of the 
work as opposed to the numbers employed. As a mini-
mum there must be an ‘appointed person’ at all times 
when employees are at work and in low risk situations, 
e.g. offi ces, an employer will need one ‘suitable person’ 
for every 50 employees. Supporting guidance from the 
HSE provides a simple chart to assist in determining the 
level of provision required.
A ‘suitable person’ is defi ned as a fi rst-aider who 
holds a current fi rst aid certifi cate issued by an HSE 
approved organisation and any other person who has 
undergone training and obtained qualifi cations approved 
by the HSE. Certifi cates of qualifi cation are currently 
valid for 3 years after which a refresher course of a 
minimum of 12 contact hours (normally over 2 days) 
followed by an examination is required for recertifi cation.
An ‘appointed person’ is someone who is provided 
by the employer to take charge of the situation if a serious 
injury or illness occurs in the absence of a fi rst-aider. They 
are not required to be fi rst aid trained although it is good 
practice for them to be trained in emergency fi rst aid 
(minimum 4 hours’ contact time repeated every 3 years).