The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981

Citation and commencement E+W+S

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and shall come into operation on 1st July 1982.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 1 in force at 1.7.1982, see reg. 1

Interpretation E+W+S

2.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—

“first-aid” means—

(a)

in cases where a person will need help from a medical practitioner or nurse, treatment for the purpose of preserving life and minimising the consequences of injury and illness until such help is obtained, and

(b)

treatment of minor injuries which would otherwise receive no treatment or which do not need treatment by a medical practitioner or nurse;

“mine” means a mine within the meaning of [F1 regulation 3 of the Mines Regulations 2014].

(2) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to—

(a) a numbered Regulation or Schedule is a reference to the Regulation of, or Schedule to, these Regulations bearing that number;

(b) a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph bearing that number in the Regulation in which the reference appears.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (6.4.2015) by The Mines Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/3248), reg. 1(2), Sch. 5 para. 5(a) (with reg. 1(3))

Commencement Information

I2 Reg. 2 in force at 1.7.1982, see reg. 1

Duty of employer to make provision for first-aid E+W+S

3.—(1) An employer shall provide, or ensure that there are provided, such equipment and facilities as are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for enabling first-aid to be rendered to his employees if they are injured or become ill at work.

[F2 (2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), an employer shall provide, or ensure that there is provided, such number of suitable persons as is adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for rendering first-aid to his employees if they are injured or become ill at work; and for this purpose a person shall not be suitable unless he has undergone such training and has such qualifications as may be appropriate in the circumstances of that case.]

(3) Where a person provided under paragraph (2) is absent in temporary and exceptional circumstances it shall be sufficient compliance with that paragraph if the employer appoints a person, or ensures that a person is appointed, to take charge of—

(a) the situation relating to an injured or ill employee who will need help from a medical practitioner or nurse, and

(b) the equipment and facilities provided under paragraph (1)

throughout the period of any such absence.

(4) Where having regard to—

(a) the nature of the undertaking, and

(b) the number of employees at work, and

(c) the location of the establishment,

it would be adequate and appropriate if instead of a person for rendering first-aid there was a person appointed to take charge as in paragraph (3)(a) and (b), then instead of complying with paragraph (2) the employer may appoint such a person, or ensure that such a person is appointed.

[F3 (5) Any first-aid room provided pursuant to this regulation shall be easily accessible to stretchers and to any other equipment needed to convey patients to and from the room and be sign-posted, and such sign to comply with regulation 4 of the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 as if it were provided in accordance with that regulation.]

Textual Amendments

F2 Reg. 3(2) substituted (1.10.2013) by The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Revocations and Amendments) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1512), regs. 1(2)(a), 4

F3 Reg. 3(5) added (17.9.2002) by The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2174), regs. 1, 2

Commencement Information

I3 Reg. 3 in force at 1.7.1982, see reg. 1

Duty of employer to inform his employees of the arrangements made in connection with first-aid E+W+S

4.  An employer shall inform his employees of the arrangements that have been made in connection with the provision of first-aid, including the location of equipment, facilities and personnel.

Commencement Information

I4 Reg. 4 in force at 1.7.1982, see reg. 1

[F4 Duty of relevant self-employed person to provide first-aid equipment E+W+S

5.— (1) A relevant self-employed person must provide, or ensure that there is provided, such equipment, if any, as is adequate and appropriate in the circumstances to enable that person to render first-aid to himself or herself while at work.

(2) For the purpose of this regulation “relevant self-employed person” means a self-employed person who conducts an undertaking of a prescribed description for the purposes of section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.]

Textual Amendments

F4 Reg. 5 substituted (1.10.2015) by The Deregulation Act 2015 (Health and Safety at Work) (General Duties of Self-Employed Persons) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1637), art. 1, Sch. para. 1

Power to grant exemptions E+W+S

F5 6.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F5 Reg. 6 revoked (29.12.1999) by The Management of Health and Safety at Work 1999 (S.I. 1999/3242), regs. 1(1), 24 (with reg. 2(1))

Cases where these Regulations do not apply E+W+S

7.  These Regulations shall not apply—

(a) where [F6 the Diving at Work Regulations 1997] apply;

(b) where the Merchant Shipping (Medical Scales) (Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1974 apply;

[F7 (c) where the Merchant Shipping (Medical Stores) Regulations 1986 apply;]

(d) on vessels which are registered outside the United Kingdom;

(e) to a mine of coal, stratified ironstone, shale or fireclay;

(f) in respect of the armed forces of the Crown and any force to which any provision of the Visiting Forces Act 1952 applies;

[F8 (g) where the Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (First-Aid) Regulations 1989 apply.]

Textual Amendments

F6 Words in reg. 7(a) substituted (1.4.1998) by The Diving at Work Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/2776), reg. 1, Sch. 2 para. 1 (with reg. 3)

F7 Reg. 7(c) substituted (13.9.1990) by The Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (First-Aid) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/1671), regs. 1, 8(a) (with reg. 3)

F8 Reg. 7(g) added (13.9.1990) by The Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (First-Aid) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/1671), regs. 1, 8(b) (with reg. 3)

Commencement Information

I5 Reg. 7 in force at 1.7.1982, see reg. 1

[F9 Application to mines E+W+S

8.— (1) Subject to paragraph (2), these Regulations (except regulation 3(3) and (4) and regulation 5) apply to mines.

(2) In their application to mines—

(a) regulation 3(1), (2) and (5) and regulation 4 have effect as if the mine operator were the employer and as if all persons for the time being at work in the mine were the mine operator’s employees; and

(b) regulation 3(2) must be read as if the words “Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4)” were omitted.

(3) In this regulation, “mine operator” has the meaning given by regulation 2(1) of the Mines Regulations 2014.]

Textual Amendments

F9 Reg. 8 substituted (6.4.2015) by The Mines Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/3248), reg. 1(2), Sch. 5 para. 5(b) (with reg. 1(3))

Application offshore E+W+S

9.  Subject to Regulation 7, these Regulations shall apply to and in relation to any premises or activity to or in relation to which sections 1 to 59 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 apply by virtue of Articles 6 and 7(a), (b) and (d) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 1977 (which relate respectively to mines extending beyond Great Britain and to certain activities concerning vessels and construction works in territorial waters).

Commencement Information

I6 Reg. 9 in force at 1.7.1982, see reg. 1

Repeals, revocations and modification E+W+S

10.—(1) The enactments mentioned in column (1) of Schedule 1 are hereby repealed to the extent specified opposite thereto in column (3) of that Schedule.

(2) The Orders and Regulations mentioned in column (1) of Schedule 2 are hereby revoked to the extent specified opposite thereto in column (3) of that Schedule.

(3) Section 91(1) of the Mines and Quarries Act 1954 shall be modified by after the words “every mine” inserting the words “of coal, stratified ironstone, shale or fireclay”.

Commencement Information

I7 Reg. 10 in force at 1.7.1982, see reg. 1

Signed by order of the Secretary of State.

David Waddington

Joint Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Department of Employment

29th June 1981