Legislation

There are a number of pieces of legislation, as well as guidance documents that cover first aid requirements, including:

THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT 1974

Also abbreviated to HASAWA, HSW 1974, HASWA

The primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in the United Kingdom. The Health and Safety Executive (and other enforcing authorities) are responsible for enforcing the Act.
The Act defines the fundamental structure for managing health and safety in the workplace and places legal duties on employers, employees, suppliers, contractors, the self-employed and other persons involved in workplace activities.

THE MANAGEMENT OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK REGULATIONS 1999

These regulations generally make more explicit what employers are required to do to manage health and safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The main requirement is to carry out a risk assessment, to identify suitable measures to control the risks in your workplace. You only need to record the assessment if you have five or more employees.

The HSE has guidance on these Regulations, titled: Managing for Health and Safety (HSG65).

THE HEALTH AND SAFETY (FIRST AID) REGULATIONS 1981 (1982 IN NORTHERN IRELAND)

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees and others receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. When deciding the first aid requirements for their business, employers should refer to the HSE L74 Guidance that supports the Regulations.