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Do I Legally Need a Qualified First Aider at Work in the UK?
This is one of those UK workplace questions where the honest answer is genuinely “it depends” — and the specifics matter more than most guides let on. Here’s what the law actually requires.
The short version
- The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require every employer to provide “adequate and appropriate” first aid arrangements — but the law doesn’t fix a single number or qualification that applies to every workplace.
- What’s “adequate” depends on a first-aid needs assessment — the size of your workforce, the nature of the work, and the risks involved.
- A small, low-risk office might only need a trained “appointed person”; a busy commercial kitchen or warehouse will typically need genuinely qualified First Aiders.
What the law actually says
Every employer has a legal duty to make sure there’s adequate provision for giving first aid to employees if they’re injured or fall ill at work. Crucially, the regulations don’t specify a fixed number of trained First Aiders for every business — instead, they require you to carry out a needs assessment and provide provision that genuinely matches what that assessment finds.
What a first-aid needs assessment actually considers
Things that push you towards needing more, and more highly trained, first aid cover: higher-risk work (kitchens, machinery, working at height), a larger workforce, multiple sites or shift patterns, and how far away emergency services realistically are. Lower-risk, small, single-site workplaces can often meet their legal duty with a trained appointed person — someone who takes charge in an emergency and calls for help — rather than a fully qualified First Aider.
The two main qualifications
- Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) — a shorter course covering the essentials: CPR, choking, bleeding, shock. Suitable for lower-risk workplaces.
- First Aid at Work (FAW) — a fuller qualification covering a wider range of injuries and illnesses, generally expected in higher-risk workplaces or larger teams.
Which one you need again comes back to your own needs assessment — there’s no single answer that applies to every business.
Why kitchens tend to need proper cover
A working kitchen has genuine, everyday risks — knives, hot surfaces, hot liquids, slips — that push most food businesses towards needing at least one properly trained First Aider on site during working hours, rather than relying on the lighter “appointed person” route that might suffice for a quiet office.
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Frequently asked questions
Is an “appointed person” the same as a qualified First Aider?
No — an appointed person takes charge in an emergency and calls for help, but hasn’t necessarily completed formal first-aid training. A qualified First Aider has completed a recognised course (EFAW or FAW) and can actually administer first aid.
How many First Aiders does my business need?
There’s no fixed number in law — it depends entirely on your own first-aid needs assessment, based on workforce size, risk level and site layout.
Can I do the needs assessment myself, or do I need a professional?
Many small businesses can carry out their own assessment using HSE guidance, though larger or higher-risk workplaces sometimes bring in a health and safety professional to do it properly.