Health & Safety FAQ
First Aid Teams
How many first aid personnel do I
need?
The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require
companies to provide an adequate number of first aid personnel
based on an assessment of risk and need. In assessing need,
employers need to consider:
- workplace hazards and risks;
- the size of the organisation;
- the organisation's history of accidents;
- the nature and distribution of the workforce;
- the remoteness of the site from emergency medical
services;
- the needs of travelling, remote and lone workers;
- employees working on shared or multi-occupied sites;
- annual leave and other absences of first aiders and appointed
persons.
Whilst the regulations do not give specific personnel numbers,
the guidance does give suggested numbers of first aid personnel.
See the table below.
| Category of risk |
Numbers employed at any location |
Suggested number of first-aid personnel |
| Lower risk (eg shops, offices, libraries) |
Fewer than 50 |
At least one appointed person |
| 50 - 100 |
At least one first aider |
| More than 100 |
One additional first aider every 100 employed |
| Medium risk (eg light engineering and assembly
work, food processing, warehousing) |
Fewer than 20 |
At least one appointed person |
| 20-100 |
At least one first aider for every 50 employed (or part
thereof) |
| More than 100 |
One additional first aider every 100 employed |
| Higher risk (eg construction, slaughterhouses,
chemical manufacture, extensive work with dangerous machinery or
sharp instruments) |
Fewer than 5 |
At least one appointed person |
| 5-50 |
At least one first aider |
| More than 50 |
One additional first aider every 50 employed |
| These figures are for guidance only and are neither
definitive nor are they a legal requirement. It is your company's
obligation to assess your first aid needs in the light of your
particular circumstances. |