NUMBERS OF FIRST AIDERS REQUIRED
Every work place environment is different therefore the number of first aiders required in a workplace will depend on the outcome of a full risk assessment of the company or place of employment.The first aid risk assessment should also identify any special circumstances, such as shift work, sites with several separate buildings or staff working in remote situations. In these cases, an employer may wish to increase the numbers of first aiders accordingly.
The table below shows the suggested numbers of first aid personnel, as recommended by the Health and Safety Executive. To ensure adequate cover is available, sufficient staff should be trained to cover sickness and leave periods.
Where there are special circumstances, such as remoteness from emergency medical services, shift work, or sites with several separate buildings, you may need to have more first aid personnel than suggested in the list below. The requirement should be identified via your risk assessment.
| Risk (HSE website - correct as of July 2006) | No. of Employees | First Aiders Required |
| LOWER RISK [eg. shops, offices, libraries] |
Fewer than 50 | One appointed person |
| 50 to 100 | One first aider | |
| More than 100 | One more first aider for every additional 100 employees | |
| MEDIUM RISK [eg. light engineering, assembly work, food processing, warehousing] |
Fewer than 20 | One appointed person |
| 20 to 100 | One first aider for 50 employees | |
| More than 100 | One more first aider for every additional 100 employees | |
| HIGH RISK [eg. most construction sites, slaughter-houses, chemical manufacture, dangerous machinery, sharp instruments] |
Fewer than 5 | At least one appointed person |
| 5 to 50 | At least one first aider | |
| More than 50 | One more first aider for every 50 employees |
See also Workplace First Aid Requirements for comments on different working environments.