How Many First Aiders Does a Workplace Need?

There is no single legally prescribed number of first aiders for all workplaces. Instead, the Health & Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide "adequate and appropriate" first aid provision based on their circumstances.

This means the right number of first aiders depends on your specific workplace, its risks, and your workforce — not a single rule applied universally.

The starting point is always a first aid needs assessment, which every employer is required to carry out.

Your first aid needs assessment should consider: the nature of the work and the hazards involved, the number of employees and their location across the site, working patterns including shifts and lone working, the proximity of emergency services, and the history of accidents and incidents in your workplace.

The HSE provides indicative guidance rather than fixed ratios. For lower-risk environments, one first aider may be appropriate for up to 50 employees. For higher-risk workplaces, a first aider may be required for every 10 to 15 employees.

These are indicative figures only. Your needs assessment may identify that more provision is required, for example if employees work in dispersed locations, in shifts, or in environments with specific hazards.

For small, lower-risk workplaces (such as offices with fewer than 25 employees), the HSE guidance suggests that an appointed person — rather than a trained first aider — may be sufficient, supported by a well-stocked first aid kit.

For lower-risk workplaces with 25 to 50 employees, at least one EFAW-qualified first aider is typically appropriate. As numbers increase, the number of first aiders should increase proportionally.

For higher-risk workplaces — including construction sites, manufacturing, utilities and warehousing — at least one FAW-qualified first aider is expected regardless of workforce size, with additional first aiders required as the workforce grows.

Employers should also consider cover during absences and ensure that first aid provision is not dependent on a single individual.

Adequate provision means adequate at all times when employees are at work. If your first aider is absent, on leave or off sick, you must have arrangements in place to maintain first aid cover.

This usually means training more first aiders than the minimum number identified by your needs assessment, to provide resilience.

Large organisations often aim for a network of trained first aiders across departments or locations so that cover is maintained without relying on one or two individuals.