Legal duties
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers
to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel
to enable first aid to be given to employees if they are injured
or become ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces
including those with five or fewer employees and to the self-employed.
Detailed information can be found in the Approved Code of Practice
and Guidance: First aid at work. The Health and Safety (First-Aid)
Regulations 1981 L74.
What is adequate will depend on the circumstances in the workplace.
This includes whether trained first aiders are needed, what should
be included in a first aid box and if a first aid room is needed.
Employers should carry out an assessment of first aid needs to determine
this.
Assessment of first aid needs:
Employers are required to carry out an assessment of first aid
needs. In other words they need to identify the level of risk to
their employees in carrying out their work duties and consider what
first aid equipment, personnel and facilities they need to make
available.
First aid at work: your questions answered
HSE free leaflet. A useful checklist covering the points employers
should consider when carrying out the assessment.
Application of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981
to self-employed workers
As a self-employed worker, you are required to ensure you have
adequate facilities to provide first aid to yourself while at work.
You must make an assessment of the hazards and risks in your workplace
and establish an appropriate level of first aid provision. What
this means in practice is that if you work in a low risk activity,
eg clerical work at home, a normal domestic first aid box would
be adequate. If your work involves driving long distances or you
are continuously on the road, the assessment may identify the need
to keep a personal first aid kit in your vehicle.
Many self-employed people work on mixed premises with other self-employed
or with employed workers. Although you are legally responsible for
your own first aid provision, it is sensible to make joint arrangements
with the other occupiers and self-employed on the premises. This
would generally mean that one employer would take responsibility
for first aid cover for all workers on the premises. HSE recommends
there is a written agreement for any such arrangement.
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