How many first aiders does your workplace need?

There’s no single legal number. Under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, every employer must provide “adequate and appropriate” first-aid cover — and what that means depends on your risk level, how many people are on site, and how your work is organised. This first aid needs assessment tool applies the HSE framework to your answers and gives you a defensible starting recommendation: how many first aiders you need, at what level (appointed person, EFAW or FAW), plus a printable record for your files. Work through the short assessment below.

Working out your wider training obligations? First aid is one duty among many. Our free health and safety training matrix works out every training requirement that applies to your workplace — by sector, hazard and job role — tracks who is covered and when certificates expire, and exports the whole register as a PDF.

First Aid Needs Assessment Tool
First Aid Needs Assessment
Work out how many first aiders your workplace needs — and at what level
Assessment Aid

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require every employer to provide adequate and appropriate first-aid personnel, equipment and facilities. There’s no fixed legal number — it depends on your risk level, workforce size and how your work is organised. Answer the questions below and this tool applies the HSE framework to give you a defensible starting recommendation and a printable record.

1 Workplace profile Sets the baseline numbers
For your records — appears on the printed assessment.
Count employees usually present together. Include a separate assessment for very different areas (e.g. office + factory).
Low: offices, shops, libraries. Higher: warehousing, light engineering, food processing, construction, machinery, chemicals.
Early-years settings (nurseries, pre-schools, childminders) have a separate paediatric first aid duty under the EYFS framework, on top of the workplace requirements above.
2 Coverage & organisation These can increase the number you need
Shift work or out-of-hours working
Cover must be available during all hours people are at work, not just core hours.
Spread over several floors, buildings or sites
A first aider must be able to reach any part of the workplace quickly.
Lone or remote workers
People working alone or away from the main site need their own provision.
Members of the public or non-employees on site
HSE advises including visitors, customers and contractors in your assessment.
Young workers, expectant mothers, or workers with health conditions/disabilities
May affect the level of cover and the type of training needed.
Staff who travel or drive as part of the job
Consider personal first-aid kits and cover away from the workplace.
History of significant accidents or specific hazards
Past incidents or specific hazards (e.g. chemicals) may mean additional or specialist training.
3 Continuity of cover The “what if they’re off?” check
Annual leave, sickness, training, lunch breaks. If yes, you almost always need more than one trained person — a single first aider can’t cover their own absence.
Recommended provision
—
—

What’s driving this recommendation

Recommended training

Based on your assessment above. Workplace certificates (EFAW/FAW) are valid for three years, with annual refresher recommended.
All first aid courses & providers
Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) 1-day
SJASt John Ambulance→BRCBritish Red Cross→SASSt Andrew’s Scotland→
First Aid at Work (FAW) 3-day
SJASt John Ambulance→BRCBritish Red Cross→SASSt Andrew’s Scotland→
First Aid at Work Re-qualification (FAWR) 2-day renewal
SJASt John Ambulance→BRCBritish Red Cross→SASSt Andrew’s Scotland→
Paediatric First Aid early-years settings
SJASt John Ambulance→SASSt Andrew’s Scotland→
Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) good practice
SJASt John Ambulance→SASSt Andrew’s Scotland→HFHuman Focus→
Defibrillator (AED) Training CPR + AED use
SASSt Andrew’s Scotland→
Assessment record
On record as: —
Recommended review date: — (or sooner if your workplace, staffing or activities change).
This tool is an assessment aid, not a substitute for professional judgement. The figures follow Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, which sets minimum starting points — the final decision on “adequate and appropriate” provision rests with you as the employer. For complex, high-hazard or multi-site workplaces, have your assessment checked by a competent health and safety professional. Guidance: HSE leaflet INDG214. © 2026 drewmitchell.co.uk. All rights reserved. Licensed for the purchaser’s own use; not to be resold, redistributed or republished.