How Many Staff Need First Aid Training?

Plan enough cover for your risks, shifts and absences.

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There is no single legal First Aider-to-staff ratio for every workplace.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides suggested starting points. Your employer’s needs assessment means checking likely injuries, the people at work, shifts and cover for absences to decide how many trained people you need.

Plan for the people who are actually available across shifts, holidays and sickness, not just the number of certificates in a drawer.

Suggested Numbers for Lower-Risk Workplaces

For workplaces such as offices, shops and libraries, HSE suggests:

Fewer than 25 employed: at least one appointed person.
25–50 employed: at least one Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)-trained First Aider.
More than 50 employed: at least one First Aid at Work (FAW)-trained First Aider for every 100 employed, or part thereof.

These numbers are guidance, not fixed legal ratios. A workplace’s hazards, medical needs and other circumstances can change the appropriate arrangements.

Suggested Numbers for Higher-Risk Workplaces

Examples include construction, engineering, warehousing and work involving dangerous machinery or sharp instruments. HSE suggests:

Fewer than 5 employed: at least one appointed person.
5–50 employed: at least one EFAW- or FAW-trained First Aider, depending on the likely injuries.
More than 50 employed: at least one FAW-trained First Aider for every 50 employed, or part thereof.

Consider full FAW where machinery or site work could cause serious injuries: it adds training for fractures, head and spinal injuries. Your workplace’s particular risks may call for different staffing or specialist training.

What Is an Appointed Person?

An appointed person takes charge of arrangements, including the equipment and calling emergency services. They do not need a formal First Aid qualification for that role.

That is different from a qualified First Aider, who has completed practical training and assessment. Where trained First Aiders are needed, an appointed person is not a replacement.

Example: Cover for an Office Team

A 30-person lower-hazard office might start with HSE’s suggestion of one EFAW-trained First Aider. If that person is on holiday or works only some opening hours, the workplace still needs suitable cover. Training an additional person can help avoid that gap.

For separate sites or shifts, work through each arrangement. Keep expiry dates in the plan and review cover when staffing or risks change.

Sources: HSE: suggested numbers of First Aiders and appointed persons; Health and Safety Executive: assessing workplace needs; Health and Safety Executive: common questions

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