First Aid Requirements for Construction Sites: What UK Law Actually Requires

Construction accounts for roughly 40 workers killed at work and over 50,000 non-fatal injuries in the UK each year, according to the HSE's construction statistics. Falls from height, plant and machinery incidents, and manual handling injuries are the dominant causes. Against this backdrop, the first aid requirements for construction sites are more demanding than for office or retail environments — and the penalties for non-compliance are significant.

The Legal Basis: What the Regulations Say

First aid on construction sites is governed by two pieces of legislation:

• The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 — require every employer to provide adequate and appropriate first aid equipment, facilities, and personnel for their employees.
• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) — place additional duties on principal contractors to ensure suitable welfare facilities, including first aid, are in place throughout the project.

Neither regulation specifies exactly how many first aiders you need — instead, both require you to carry out a first aid needs assessment and provide what it concludes is necessary. However, the HSE publishes detailed guidance for construction that makes the expected provision clear.

EFAW vs FAW on Construction Sites — Which Is Required?

This is the most common question construction employers ask, and the answer is unambiguous: EFAW (Emergency First Aid at Work) is not adequate as the sole qualification on a construction site.

The HSE's construction first aid FAQ states that the nature of construction work means a higher level of first aid training is expected. Working at height, use of power tools, plant operations, excavations, and exposure to hazardous substances are all factors that elevate the first aid needs assessment beyond EFAW's scope.

All designated first aiders on construction sites must hold the full First Aid at Work (FAW) qualification — a Level 3, 3-day course. See our EFAW vs FAW guide for a detailed comparison of what each course covers. Our FAW course costs £1,300 per group of up to 12 delegates, delivered at your site — under £109 per person for a full group.

How Many First Aiders Does a Construction Site Need?

The HSE's indicative guidance for construction sites, based on the number of workers present at any one time:

Important: these are minimum guidelines, not fixed legal thresholds. Your needs assessment may conclude you need more. Specific factors that push provision higher include: remote sites with long ambulance response times, multiple contractors on site simultaneously, shift working, and the presence of particularly hazardous operations such as piling, demolition, or confined space working.

First Aid Kits and Facilities: What Construction Sites Must Have

First aid kit contents (construction minimum):

• 20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings
• 2 sterile eye pads
• 4 individually wrapped triangular bandages (ideally sterile)
• 6 safety pins
• 6 medium-sized individually wrapped sterile wound dressings
• 2 large sterile wound dressings
• At least 3 pairs of disposable gloves
• Resuscitation face shield
• First aid guidance leaflet

For larger sites or those with eye-injury risks (grinding, cutting, chemical handling), an eyewash station should also be provided.

First aid facilities: CDM 2015 requires construction sites to provide a suitable first aid room or facility when the size and nature of the work makes this reasonably practicable. For sites with more than approximately 25 workers present for more than a few weeks, a dedicated welfare cabin with first aid provisions is expected.

AED (defibrillator): There is no current legal requirement for construction sites to have an AED, but the HSE strongly recommends it for large sites given the response-time implications. Our FAW course covers AED use — all delegates will be competent to operate one.

CDM 2015 and the Principal Contractor's Responsibilities

Under CDM 2015, the principal contractor (the main contractor managing the construction phase on notifiable projects) must ensure that first aid arrangements for the entire site are in place — not just for their own employees, but for all workers present.

This means:

• The construction phase plan must address first aid arrangements
• All first aiders must be identifiable to every worker on site
• Subcontractors can rely on the principal contractor's first aid cover, but only if it is formally documented and practically accessible
• The principal contractor must reassess first aid provision as site size and activities change

Individual employers — including subcontractors — retain their own duties under the First Aid Regulations and cannot simply assume the principal contractor has covered them.

Getting Trained: On-Site FAW for Construction Teams in Kent

Skills 42U delivers First Aid at Work training at your construction site across Kent — from logistics parks in Dartford and the Medway industrial estates, to housebuilding sites near Maidstone, Sevenoaks, and Ashford.

We use your site welfare cabin or a suitable site office — no travel for your workers, no disruption to the project beyond the training days themselves. Certificates are Level 3, Ofqual-regulated, and issued on the last day of training. Valid 3 years.

For pricing information, see our first aid training cost guide. FAW is £1,300 per group of up to 12 delegates — fixed price, no travel surcharge, no VAT.