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Small businesses —
the minimum first-aid requirements

Really useful advice from The Health, Safety and Environment Company, sister company of The Fire Safety Company.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reminded small businesses of the minimum first-aid provisions, which they, as an employer, need to provide on any work site.

In looking at the basic requirements for first aid, the health and safety watchdog has directed small companies to its First Aid at Work leaflet which points out that the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide “adequate and appropriate” first-aid equipment, facilities and people so employees can be given immediate help if they are injured or taken ill at work.

The leaflet emphasises that people at work can suffer injuries or be taken ill and it doesn’t matter whether the injury or illness is caused by the work they do or not, it is important to be able to offer immediate attention and call an ambulance in serious cases.

Employers are required to ensure such arrangements for first aid at work are in place.

What is “adequate and appropriate” will depend on the circumstances in each workplace and employers will need to assess what their first-aid needs are.

However, the HSE says the minimum first-aid provision on any work site is:

• a suitably stocked first-aid kit
• an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements
• information for employees about first-aid arrangements.

While there is no mandatory list of items to put in a first-aid box and items will depend on individual needs, the HSE says a minimum stock of first-aid items would include:

• a leaflet giving general guidance on first aid (eg HSE’s leaflet Basic Advice on First Aid at Work)
• individually wrapped sterile plasters (of assorted sizes)
• sterile eye pads
• individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile
• safety pins
• large, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings
• medium-sized, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings
• disposable gloves.

Until next time,
Sanjay and The Health Safety & Environment Team

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