The legal baseline: three things every site needs
Under the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, every construction and industrial site needs a first aid box stocked for the number of workers on site, an appointed person who takes charge of first aid arrangements, and clear information telling everyone who that person or first aider is and where to find them, usually a notice in the site hut or cabin.
How many trained first aiders does your site need?
HSE scales the requirement to headcount:
| Workers on site | Minimum first aid provision |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 5 | At least one appointed person |
| 5 to 50 | At least one first-aider trained in EFAW or FAW, depending on the injuries likely on site |
| More than 50 | At least one FAW-trained first-aider for every 50 people, or part of 50 |
That "depending on the injuries likely on site" line is doing a lot of work. It's why a needs assessment, not a headcount alone, decides whether EFAW is enough or whether you need the fuller FAW qualification.
What actually drives the needs assessment
- Nature of the work. Steelwork, demolition and work with hazardous substances carry a higher injury risk than lower-risk finishing trades, and push you toward FAW rather than EFAW.
- Site layout and access. A spread-out site, or one with restricted access, may need first aid cover in more than one location so help isn't a long walk away.
- Distance from emergency services. Remote or rural sites need to factor in ambulance response time when deciding how much cover to have on hand.
- Shift patterns. Cover needs to exist on every shift a site runs, including early starts and night work, not just during the main working day.
EFAW or FAW: which do your site's first aiders need?
For most lower-risk trade and light industrial work, EFAW meets the requirement for sites in the 5 to 50 headcount band. Once you're dealing with higher-risk activity, heavier machinery, or a site consistently over 50 workers, FAW is the qualification HSE expects. If you're not sure which band your site falls into, we'll talk it through against your actual risk assessment rather than guess.
Quick self-check for site managers
- Do you have a documented first aid needs assessment for this site, not just a generic company-wide one?
- Is there a named first aider or appointed person on every shift, including early starts and weekend work?
- Are first aid box locations known and signposted, especially on larger or split-level sites?
- Has anything changed recently, new phase, more workers, new subcontractor, that should trigger a fresh review?
Sources
Related courses
Frequently asked questions
Does a construction site need an EFAW or FAW first aider?
It depends on headcount and risk. Sites with 5 to 50 workers need at least one first aider trained in EFAW or FAW depending on the injuries likely on site. Sites with more than 50 workers need one FAW-trained first aider for every 50 people, or part of 50.
What is an appointed person and do they need training?
An appointed person looks after first aid equipment and calls the emergency services when needed. They don't need formal first aid training, but many sites train them anyway since they're often the fallback if a first aider is unexpectedly unavailable.
Does a small site with under 5 workers need a trained first aider?
HSE's baseline is an appointed person for sites under 5 workers, which doesn't require formal first aid training. Many small trade and industrial employers still choose EFAW training given the nature of tools, machinery and site hazards involved.
Do shift patterns affect first aid cover?
Yes. Your first aid needs assessment should account for every shift the site runs, including early starts, night shifts and weekend work, since cover needs to exist whenever people are on site, not just during standard hours.