KNAR-MEDICAL
Workplace/Regulatory
Workplace First Aid, BS8599-1 and the Law
What does the law say?
The Health and Safety (First Aid) regulations 1981 states:
“An employer shall provide or ensure that there are provided such equipment and facilities as are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for enabling first aid to be rendered to his employees if they are injured or become ill at work”
How does an employer meet the requirements of the law?
1. Do a risk assessment.
LOW RISK (e.g. shops, offices, libraries etc.)
HIGH RISK (e.g. light engineering and assembly work, food processing, warehousing, extensive work with dangerous machinery or sharp instruments, construction, chemical manufacture etc.)
2. Decide on the size and quantity of kits required to meet your risk needs assessment.
SMALL KIT USAGE GUIDELINES
LOW RISK Less than 25 employees HIGH RISK Less than 5 employees
MEDIUM KIT USAGE GUIDELINES
LOW RISK 25-100 employees HIGH RISK 5-25 employees
LARGE KIT USAGE GUIDELINES
LOW RISK 1 Large Kit per 100 employees HIGH RISK 1 Large Kit per 25 employees
What standard first aid kits are available?
The only official UK standard for first aid kit contents is the British Standard BS8599-1. The HSE provides some guidance on the type of items that should be in a first aid kit, but not the quantities. The old BHTA standard kit 10, 20 and 50 (often called HSE kits), are now obsolete and withdrawn. The British Standard BS8599-1 Compliant kits, now provide employers with a means by which they can choose a kit that matches their risk needs assessment, while still demonstrating compliance with the spirit of the legislation. Some employers may have diverse or unusual situations and will need to make bespoke provision for such risks, these situations however, are not likely to be typical. The BS8599-1 compliant first aid kits
will be suitable for most situations.
