First aid, accidents and illness in the workplace
Guidance for providing first aid and recording and reporting accidents and illnesses including RIDDOR responsibilities and what to include in a first aid box.
You are responsible for making sure that your employees receive immediate attention straight away if they become ill or are injured at work. Therefore, you must have first aid measures available in your workplace.
At a minimum you at least must have:
- a suitably stocked first aid box
- an appointed person to take charge of first aid arrangements
- information for all employees giving details of first aid arrangements
This guide covers what to include in your first aid kit and the role of first aiders and appointed persons. It also explains your RIDDOR responsibilities, including reporting an incident and keeping records of accidents and illness.
What should a workplace first aid kit include?
A list of what should be included in your business' first-aid box, such as plasters and dressings, and what you should not include in your first aid box.
Your business must have a suitably stocked first aid kit. There is no set list of items to put in a first aid box as it depends on what you assess your needs to be.
A low-hazard workplace first aid kit should include at least the following:
- a leaflet giving general guidance on first aid
- 20 individually wrapped sterile plasters (assorted sizes), appropriate to the type of work (you can provide hypoallergenic plasters, if necessary)
- two sterile eye pads
- four individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile
- six safety pins
- two large, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings
- six medium-sized, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings
- a pair of disposable gloves
You shouldn't keep tablets and medicines in the first aid kit.
Make sure you tell your employees where the first aid kit is and put up notices to let everyone in your workplace know where to find it.
First aiders and appointed persons
When your business will need a qualified first-aider or a person in charge of first aid arrangements and how to appoint someone and provide training.
You need to appoint someone to take charge of first aid in your workplace.
Workplace first aiders
When you assess the first aid needs for your workplace you might decide that you need a qualified first aider. A first aider is someone who has undertaken training and has a qualification is approved by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI). This means that they must hold a valid certificate of competence in either:
- first aid at work, issued by a training organisation approved by HSENI
- emergency first aid at work, issued by a training organisation approved by HSENI or a recognised awarding body
Appointed persons in charge of first aid
If you decide you don't need a first aider in your workplace, you should appoint someone to take charge of first aid arrangements. The role of this appointed person includes:
- looking after first aid equipment and facilities
- calling the emergency services when required
They can also provide emergency cover where a first aider is absent due to unforeseen circumstances (annual leave does not count). Appointed persons do not need first aid training, though emergency first aid courses are available.
There is always chance of an accident or illness, so you may consider providing qualified first aiders even if they aren't strictly needed. You do not need an appointed person if there are enough first aiders.
RIDDOR: Reporting an incident
Your legal responsibilities to report accidents and illnesses under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).
As an employer, a person who is self-employed, or someone in control of work premises, you have a legal duty to report and record some work-related accidents as soon as possible. The law is called the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, known as RIDDOR.
If there is an accident connected with work, and someone is injured or killed you must notify the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) or your local council without delay. Within ten days this must be followed up with a completed accident report form. This applies whether the person affected is an employee, self-employed person or member of the public.
What does RIDDOR apply to?
You must report the following incidents, whether they involve your employees or members of the public:
- deaths
- major injuries
- over-three-day injuries - where an employee or self-employed person is away from work or unable to work as normal for more than three days in a row (this doesn't include the day of the accident, but does include weekends and holidays)
- injuries where the person is taken from the scene of an accident to hospital
- some work-related diseases
- dangerous occurrences - where something happens that does not result in an injury, but could have done
Gas Safe registered gas fitters must also report dangerous gas fittings they find. Gas conveyors/suppliers must report some flammable gas incidents.
RIDDOR applies to all work activities but not all incidents are reportable. If someone has had an accident in a work situation where you are in charge, and you are unsure whether to report it, just call the HSENI Helpline on Tel: 0800 032 0121.
How to report an incident
You can report an incident to the HSENI:
- by calling the HSENI Helpline on Tel 0800 032 0121
- using the online form -
- by writing to them at the following address - HSENI, 83 Ladas Drive, Belfast BT6 9FR
Information supplied to the HSENI in a RIDDOR report is not passed on to your insurance company. If you think your insurer needs to know about a work-related accident, injury, or case of ill health remember to contact them separately.
RIDDOR: Keeping records of accidents and ill health
What records of accidents, injuries and ill health you must keep under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).
You must keep a record of any reportable injury, disease or dangerous occurrence. This must include:
- the date and method of reporting
- the date, time and place of the event
- personal details of those involved
- a brief description of the nature of the event or disease
You can keep the record in any form you wish. For example, you could choose to keep your records by:
- keeping copies of report forms in a file
- recording the details on a computer
- using your accident book entry
- maintaining a written log
If you choose to report the incident by telephone or through the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) website, the HSENI will send you a copy of the record held within the database. You will be able to request amendments to the record if you feel the report is not fully accurate.
Keeping records will help you to identify patterns of accidents and injuries, and will help when completing your risk assessment. Your insurance company may also want to see your records if there is a work-related claim.
Remember:
- make sure you protect people's personal details by storing records confidentially in a secure place
- if you have more than 10 employees, or own or occupy a mine, quarry or factory, you must keep an accident book under social security law
- you can buy an accident book or record the details in your own record system