Determining the necessary "adequate and appropriate" first-aid arrangements for your workplace depends on various factors related to the nature of your work and its location. As the employer, you are in the best position to understand your specific work environment and assess your first aid requirements. Consider the following factors when evaluating your first aid needs:

Type of work: Analyse the nature of your work activities and identify any potential hazards or risks that could cause harm to your employees.

Hazard assessment: Assess the likelihood and severity of potential hazards, taking into account the specific risks associated with your work environment.

Workforce size: Consider the number of employees in your organization to determine the level of first aid provision required. Larger workforces generally have a higher likelihood of accidents or medical emergencies.

Staff work patterns: Take into account the working patterns of your staff, including shifts and variations in working hours, to ensure that first aid coverage is available during all operating times.

Absences of first aiders and appointed persons: Consider the availability of your designated first aiders and appointed persons, taking into account holidays, absences, and any potential gaps in coverage.

Accident history: Review the history of accidents or incidents within your business to identify any patterns or recurring issues that may require specific first aid attention.

Additional factors to consider:

Traveling, remote, and lone workers: If you have employees who work off-site, travel frequently, or work alone, their first aid needs should be assessed separately to ensure their safety and well-being.

Proximity to emergency medical services: Evaluate the distance between your workplace and nearby emergency medical services to determine the time it would take for professional help to arrive in case of an emergency.

Shared or multi-occupancy sites: If your workplace shares premises or operates within a multi-occupancy site, collaborate with other businesses to ensure that appropriate first aid arrangements are in place for all employees.

First aid for non-employees: Consider the potential need for providing first aid to non-employees, such as customers, clients, or members of the public who may visit your premises.

By considering these factors and conducting a thorough assessment, you can determine the necessary first aid arrangements tailored to your specific workplace needs. It is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of your employees, as well as any other individuals who may be present in your work environment. To help determine what first-aid arrangements are necessary, employers can conduct a first-aid needs assessment, which can be found at this link:https://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/needs-assessment.htm

Accredited first-aid training (Emergency First Aid at Work, Paediatric First Aid) are both valid for 3 years.

The HSE recommend annual skills update sessions to ensure your staff skills and knowledge remain up-to-date.

To maintain a current first aid certificate, you must attend a first aid at work or emergency first aid at work course and pass the assessments.

These assessments evaluate your knowledge and response skills for various first aid incidents. If your first aid at work certificate is expiring soon, you can attend a requalification course to renew it.

The roles are very different - workplaces are advised to undertake a first-aid risk assessment which will help recommend appropriate first-aid training to meet their businesses needs.

‘Appointed persons’ are suitable for small, low-risk workplaces where the risk assessment determines that a dedicated first aider is unnecessary. An appointed person is responsible for overseeing first aid arrangements, which includes managing first aid equipment, such as regularly restocking the first aid kit, and contacting emergency services in the event of an incident. However, they are not trained or expected to administer first aid themselves.

A ‘First Aider’ is specifically trained and assessed to provide competent first aid in the event of an emergency.

Current guidance from the HSE 2013 is that ALL workplaces regardless of their size are required to have a provision of first-aid. This means having a designated individual who will take charge and call the Emergency Medical Services. Alongside this there is the requirement to have a well stocked first aid kit available.

As a general guideline, for low risk environments, the minimum recommended ratio is one first aider for the first 25 employees on site at all times, with an additional first aider required for every subsequent 100 employees. Employers need to take into account for annual leave, sickness and other leaves.

If your workplace spans multiple floors, a large site, or operates with different shifts, it is crucial to ensure consistent first aid provision throughout the entire premises and during all operating hours. In cases where your site has multiple uses, such as combining office spaces with light manufacturing, it is necessary to assess and provide an adequate number of trained first aiders based on the varying hazards present in different areas of your site. Additionally, if parts of your site are accessible to the public, it is important to consider their presence and ensure sufficient first aiders are available.

By carefully evaluating these factors and implementing the appropriate number of trained first aiders, you prioritise the safety and well-being of your employees and any visitors to your site.

Regenerate response

All sessions are delivered ‘onsite’ on a day/time that suits you and your businesses needs. Delivering onsite means that I am able to keep costs down to a minimum without the addition costs associated with room hire.

If there is an issue with delivering the training onsite - I am able to source local training rooms at reasonable costs.

For accredited first-aid training the course is capped to 12 learners.

Each training session will be attended exclusively by one business - this enables me as a Trainer to tailor the examples to give a better training experience for learners.

This is an easy one - the Paediatric First Aid - Level 3 accredited first-aid training is a fantastic course for anyone who works in childcare.

It is nationally recognised, OFSTED recognised, EYFS compliant and meets the current UK and European Resuscitation Paediatric Guidelines.

I offer this training as a ‘blended’ option which is made up of 6 hours eLearning and 6 hours face-to-face. An alternative option available should you not wish to undertake the ‘blended’ option is available and I am able to offer this training as 12 hours face-to-face.

When it comes to First-Aid Training for business purposes, it's important to consider that the costs are likely to be higher than unaccredited first-aid. However, there are several factors that contribute to the higher cost, such as the extensive work that goes into creating and updating the training content to meet current guidelines, venue hire, trainer training, and ongoing equipment costs.

At First Start, we offer a range of courses with different qualifications and delivery methods, with most qualifications being valid for three years.

Choosing First Start as your first-aid training provider - gives you the added benefit you’ll get access to Chloe's extensive clinical knowledge and expertise, which has been praised by many of our clients.

There is the option of ‘blended’ learning options, which help reduce both the cost and the time employees need to spend away from the workplace while still leading to the same qualification.

Don’t forget the costs of attending first-aid training are a ‘business expense’ so make sure you put them down in your accounts.