What should a first aid room or area include?

You should consider your workplace’s specific hazards when choosing your first aid equipment and supplies as well as the size of your workplace and the number of employees in each area. A suitable first aid room(s) should be provided where your needs assessment identifies this as necessary.

The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance contains examples of the equipment and facilities a workplace first aid room, or designated safe first aid area, may contain, such as:

• First aid signs, advising of the names, locations and, if appropriate telephone extensions of first aiders and how to contact them
• A sink with hot and cold running water
• Drinking water with disposable cups
• Soap and paper towels
• A store for first aid materials, such as a first aid cabinet
• Appropriately stocked portable first aid kit(s), we recommend your first aiders should be able to get a first aid kit and reach a casualty within 60 seconds. To find out how many kits your workplace requires please see our Workplace first aid kit buying guide
• Foot operated refuse containers, lined with disposable, yellow clinical waste bags or a container suitable for the safe disposal of clinical waste
• An examination / medical couch with waterproof protection and clean pillows and blankets (a paper couch roll may be used that is changed between casualties)
• A telephone or other communication equipment
• A record book for recording incidents attended by a first aider or appointed person.

Should you have a defibrillator for the workplace?

Defibrillators are easy to use and can drastically improve a cardiac arrest casualty’s chance of survival. Having a defibrillator on-site is especially important if your workplace is remote, or if there could be a significant delay in the ambulance service getting to the casualty.

Having an defibrillator on-site is also valuable if:

• you have an ageing work force,
• there has been a history of cardiac conditions in the work force,
• your workplace is frequently visited by large numbers of the general public, such as a supermarket.

For more information see our guide to defibrillators, or view our buying guide to find out which defibrillator is right for your needs.

Defibrillator buying guide