First aid law applies to every employer in the UK — including offices. Yet a significant proportion of UK office businesses either have no trained first aider, the wrong qualification, or a lapsed certificate. This guide sets out exactly what the HSE requires, what questions your needs assessment must answer, and what training your office staff need.
Published 17 May 2026 • 7 min read
The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require every UK employer to ensure that "adequate and appropriate" first aid equipment, facilities, and trained personnel are provided. This applies regardless of business size — a 5-person office has the same legal duty as a 500-person corporate headquarters, though the scale of provision differs.
The critical phrase is "adequate and appropriate." The HSE does not prescribe a single universal standard for all offices — instead, it requires employers to carry out a first aid needs assessment to determine what their specific workplace requires. The assessment must be documented and reviewed whenever the workplace changes significantly (new premises, expansion, change in activities).
The consequences of getting this wrong are not abstract. An employer without adequate first aid provision when a serious workplace incident occurs faces HSE enforcement action, potential prosecution, and — in a civil claim — significantly reduced ability to defend a negligence case. The cost of an EFAW course for an office team (£495 for up to 12 people at your premises) is trivial by comparison.
Despite what many HR managers assume, there is no single statutory ratio for office first aiders. The HSE's guidance gives the following as a starting framework for low-hazard workplaces such as offices:
| Number of Employees | Suggested Minimum Provision |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 25 | At least 1 appointed person (not necessarily a trained first aider) |
| 25–100 | At least 1 trained first aider (EFAW minimum) |
| More than 100 | 1 trained first aider per 100 employees as a starting point |
These are guidance figures, not hard legal minimums. Your first aid needs assessment may conclude that you need more first aiders — for example, if your office spans multiple floors, operates shift patterns that leave some periods with very few staff, or has employees with known medical conditions that increase incident risk.
One point that frequently catches office managers out: first aid provision must cover all working hours. If your office operates two shifts and your only qualified first aider works 9 to 5, the evening shift has no first aid cover — which is a breach of the regulations. Cover plans must account for holidays, sick days, and the first aider leaving the business.
The overwhelming majority of UK offices require the Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) qualification — the 1-day, Level 2 course. Offices are classified as low-hazard workplaces under HSE guidance, and the EFAW's syllabus (CPR, AED, choking, bleeding, burns, recovery position) is appropriate for the injury and medical emergency profile of an office environment.
The full 3-day First Aid at Work (FAW) is generally not required for a pure office environment. However, it may be appropriate if your office building also includes a warehouse, workshop, or maintenance facility where higher-hazard activity takes place, or if you are the designated first aid provider for a mixed-use site. Our guide on EFAW vs First Aid at Work explains exactly how to decide.
Skills 42U delivers the EFAW course at your office premises across Kent, including Medway, Maidstone, Dartford, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, and across the county. The fixed group price is £495 for up to 12 delegates — there is no per-head charge up to that number.
The HSE does not prescribe a mandatory contents list for office first aid kits, but the British Standard BS 8599-1 provides the widely accepted benchmark. An office first aid kit should typically include:
Kits should be checked monthly and restocked as items are used or expire. The kit location must be clearly signposted, and all staff — not just the designated first aider — should know where it is. Some offices also keep eyewash stations at workstations where screen use is intensive or where there is any risk of chemical splash.
An EFAW certificate is valid for 3 years from the date of completion. Before it lapses, the certificate holder must complete a renewal (requalification) course — typically another 1-day EFAW — to remain qualified. There is no automatic grace period after the expiry date: a lapsed certificate means no valid first aid cover from that person.
The HSE also recommends (but does not legally require) annual refresher training in between renewals to keep skills fresh — particularly CPR, which is a motor skill that degrades without practice. Our post on how often first aid certificates need renewing covers the renewal timeline in full detail.
There is currently no UK legal requirement for offices to have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). However, the British Heart Foundation, NHS England, and the Resuscitation Council UK all strongly recommend them for workplaces — particularly where the workforce is older or large. The survival rate for cardiac arrest outside hospital drops by approximately 10% for every minute without defibrillation; an AED on-site can bridge the gap before paramedics arrive.
If your office has or is considering an AED, all first aid training should include AED operation. Every Skills 42U EFAW and FAW course includes hands-on AED training using a training defibrillator as standard — your team will know exactly how to use the device before they need to.
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