Appointed Person for First Aid: Role, Rules and Training

An appointed person for first aid is someone you name to take charge of your workplace first aid arrangements: looking after the first aid kit and facilities, and calling the emergency services when needed. HSE says it is the minimum provision where your needs assessment shows you don't need a trained first-aider. An appointed person doesn't need any formal first aid training.

It's a useful role, but it's often misunderstood. Some employers treat it as a cheaper first-aider; others use it to cover holidays. Neither works. Here is what the role is, when it's enough, and when it isn't.

Where the role comes from

The duty sits in regulation 3 of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, which apply in England, Scotland and Wales. The Regulations don't use the phrase "appointed person". They talk about a person appointed "to take charge" of two things: the situation when an employee is injured or ill and needs a doctor or nurse, and the first aid equipment and facilities.

That person can be used in two ways:

• Instead of first-aiders, where the nature of the work, the number of employees and the location of the workplace mean that is adequate and appropriate (regulation 3(4)).
• As short-term cover when a first-aider is absent in temporary and exceptional circumstances (regulation 3(3)).

HSE's guidance on the Regulations, L74, sets out the role in paragraphs 78 to 81. Northern Ireland has equivalent rules in the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982, and HSENI gives the same minimum: an appointed person and a suitably stocked first aid kit. For the wider legal picture, see our guide to the First-Aid Regulations 1981.

What an appointed person does

According to HSE and L74, the appointed person:

• takes charge of the first aid arrangements
• looks after the first aid equipment and facilities, which in practice means checking the kit and restocking it
• calls the emergency services when they are needed
• can give emergency cover if a first-aider is unexpectedly absent

Picture a small office where someone trips on the stairs and can't put weight on their ankle. The appointed person takes charge: they make sure someone is with the injured colleague, fetch the kit, decide whether to call 999 and meet the ambulance at the door. Nothing more is expected of them.

What they don't do

An appointed person isn't a first-aider. HSE says they should not attempt to give first aid they haven't been trained in. They can comfort someone, call for help and hand over to paramedics, but nobody should expect them to manage a cardiac arrest with skills they've never practised.

When an appointed person is enough

Your first aid needs assessment decides. HSE's leaflet INDG214 gives suggested numbers, not rules:

• Lower-hazard workplaces such as offices and shops: at least one appointed person for fewer than 25 employees; at least one first-aider trained in Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) for 25 to 50.
• Higher-hazard workplaces such as construction sites and warehouses: at least one appointed person only for fewer than five employees; above that, trained first-aiders.

L74 is firm on one point: where 25 or more people are employed, even in a low-hazard workplace, at least one first-aider should be provided. It also says appointed persons aren't needed where you have enough first-aiders. Shift patterns, several buildings and absences all push the numbers up. Our guide on how many first-aiders you need goes through this in more detail.

Does an appointed person need training?

No. L74 says appointed persons don't need first aid training to fulfil the role, though they may benefit from an EFAW course.

The law sets the minimum; it doesn't stop you doing more. An appointed person who has done EFAW can start CPR, use a defibrillator and deal with choking or heavy bleeding while the ambulance is on its way. For a one-day course, it's often worth it.

Covering absence: the holiday trap

Regulation 3(3) lets an appointed person stand in for a first-aider only when the absence is temporary and exceptional. L74 says absences such as annual leave don't count, and at all times during the working day there should be a first-aider on duty. So if your assessment says you need a first-aider, plan enough of them to cover planned leave.

The same applies to the appointed person. HSE says someone must be available for the role whenever people are at work. In practice:

• name a second appointed person for when the first is off
• make separate arrangements for each shift, including evenings and weekends
• put names on your first aid notices, and tell staff at induction who to go to

Appointed person vs first-aider

• Training: an appointed person needs none. A first-aider must have training and qualifications appropriate to your workplace, typically EFAW (at least six hours over at least one day) or First Aid at Work (at least 18 hours over at least three days), according to HSE.
• What they can do: an appointed person manages the situation and calls for help. A first-aider can also give treatment.
• Certificates: there's nothing to renew for an appointed person. First aid certificates last three years.
• When it's enough: an appointed person suits small, low-risk workplaces. Most others need first-aiders.

What about care settings?

The First-Aid Regulations cover your employees. The people you support are protected by care regulation as well: in England, CQC inspects against Regulation 12 (safe care and treatment), which expects staff to have the qualifications, skills and experience to provide care safely. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own regulators.

In a care home, supported living service or children's home, staff work with people who may fall, choke or have a seizure, often at night with few colleagues on shift. It's hard to argue that an appointed person alone is adequate in that setting. Plan for trained first-aiders on every shift, and treat the appointed person as a back-up rather than the plan.

How Kasorb can help

Our Emergency First Aid at Work course is the one-day course that trains staff to give emergency first aid at work, and a good step up for an appointed person. We deliver it on site anywhere in the UK for 2 to 12 staff, at one flat rate for the group. It covers CPR and AED use, an unresponsive casualty, choking, seizures, bleeding and shock, with four practical assessments and a multiple-choice theory paper.

Everyone receives a Kasorb certificate valid for three years, emailed the next day, or you can choose the Qualsafe Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work (RQF) if your policy asks for a regulated qualification. Your trainer has used these skills for real. For higher-risk workplaces, see First Aid at Work.

This guide summarises the law and guidance; it isn't legal advice.

FAQs

What is an appointed person in first aid?

An appointed person is someone an employer names to take charge of first aid arrangements. They look after the first aid kit and facilities and call the emergency services when needed. HSE says it is the minimum provision where a needs assessment shows a trained first-aider isn't required.

Does an appointed person need first aid training?

No. HSE's guidance, L74, says appointed persons don't need first aid training to fulfil the role, though they may benefit from an Emergency First Aid at Work course. Without training, they should not attempt first aid they haven't been taught.

Can an appointed person cover for a first-aider on holiday?

No. The Regulations allow an appointed person to cover only when a first-aider is absent in temporary and exceptional circumstances. HSE says annual leave doesn't count, so if you need first-aiders, plan enough of them to cover planned leave and every shift.

How many employees can you have with only an appointed person?

There is no fixed limit, because your needs assessment decides. As a suggestion, HSE's leaflet INDG214 says an appointed person may be enough for fewer than 25 employees in a low-hazard workplace, or fewer than five in a higher-hazard one.

What is the difference between an appointed person and a first-aider?

A first-aider has completed first aid training, such as Emergency First Aid at Work or First Aid at Work, and can give treatment. An appointed person needs no training; they take charge of the arrangements, look after the kit and call for help.