As an employer, you have a legal duty to make “adequate and appropriate” first aid arrangements for your staff.

That means more than putting a green box on the wall and hoping for the best. This checklist walks you through the basics so you can see, in plain language, where you stand and what needs tightening.

The checklist

Have you done a first aid needs assessment?

• Have you considered your hazards, headcount, shift patterns and remote workers?
• Have you documented the assessment and kept a record of who signed it off?

Suitable first aid kits in the right places

• Do you have a “suitably stocked first aid kit” in each work area, not just one in reception?
• Are contents based on your needs assessment, not a generic list or whatever came in the box?
• Are kits clearly marked, easy to access and known to all staff?

Appointed person(s) and trained staff

• Do you have an appointed person responsible for first aid arrangements (including kit checks)?
• Do you have enough trained first aiders for your risk profile and shift pattern – and do you have cover for leave and sickness?

Checks, restocking and expiry control

• Are all kits checked regularly (at least every few months, more often in busy areas)?
• Are expired, damaged or used items replaced promptly, not on a “when someone remembers” basis?
• Do you keep a simple log of checks and restocking dates?

Information for employees

• Do staff know who the first aiders are and where the kits are kept?
• Is this information easy to find for new starters and temporary workers?

When a managed first aid service makes sense

If you’re stretching across multiple sites, high staff turnover or limited H&S capacity, it may be simpler to have your kits supplied, checked and restocked on a managed schedule.

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If you’d rather not manage all of this in‑house, our managed first aid kits service can design, stock and document your workplace provision for you.