First Aid at Work in Northern Ireland: Arrangements and Adult Basic Life Support

A first-aid plan only works if people can find the kit, know who is responsible and act calmly when someone becomes unwell. In a care setting, clinic, office or community service, that planning needs to sit alongside staff members’ ability to recognise an unresponsive adult and begin the emergency response without delay.

For employers in Northern Ireland, the starting point is a first-aid needs assessment. It should lead to appropriate equipment, facilities and suitable people to provide first aid, with arrangements clearly communicated to employees. If an adult is unresponsive and breathing abnormally, the immediate priorities are to call 999, start CPR and use an AED as soon as it arrives.

Scope: This article concerns workplace first-aid arrangements in Northern Ireland under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982. Great Britain has separate first-aid regulations and HSE guidance. Always follow your organisation’s local emergency procedures as well.

What Northern Ireland employers need to arrange

The Northern Ireland Regulations require employers to provide, or ensure provision of, equipment and facilities that are adequate and appropriate for employees who are injured or become ill at work. They must also provide an adequate and appropriate number of suitable people to give first aid.

In this context, first aid means care intended to preserve life and reduce the consequences of injury or illness until help is obtained from a doctor or nurse. It also includes treatment for minor injuries that would otherwise receive no treatment or do not need professional medical treatment.

The arrangements cannot be chosen on guesswork or copied automatically from another workplace. The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) says employers must assess their first-aid needs. The assessment should consider factors such as:

• the number of employees;
• the size and location of the workplace;
• work activities; and
• the likely needs arising from injury or illness at work.

This assessment may show that the workplace needs trained first-aiders, additional training, specific equipment, a first-aid room, carefully chosen equipment locations or advance arrangements with emergency services.

Minimum provision: an appointed person and a kit

HSENI states that, as a minimum, a workplace should have:

• an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements; and
• a suitably stocked first-aid kit.

Where there are enough appropriately trained first-aiders, an appointed person is not needed.

An appointed person looks after first-aid equipment and facilities and calls the emergency services when required. They can also provide emergency cover if a first-aider is unexpectedly absent. An appointed person does not need first-aid training simply because they hold that role.

That distinction matters. Being responsible for the arrangements is not the same as being trained or designated to provide first aid. Employers should make the responsibilities clear, especially where rotas, multiple work areas or lone working make cover less straightforward.

Turn the needs assessment into arrangements staff can use

A written needs assessment is useful only when it results in arrangements that work on an ordinary shift and in an emergency. Review it periodically and when there are meaningful changes, such as changes to the workforce, premises, work activities, accidents or ill health.

A practical review can ask:

1. Who may need help? Consider the employees present, including how staff numbers vary across shifts.
2. Where might an incident happen? Consider the size, layout and location of the premises, including areas that are less visible or harder to reach.
3. What work is being done? Consider foreseeable injury or illness in relation to the activity.
4. Who will respond? Identify trained first-aiders, appointed people and how cover will be maintained.
5. What will staff do first? Make sure they know where to find equipment, facilities and first-aid personnel.
6. How will the plan be kept current? Build review points into normal workplace safety processes.

The law also requires employers to inform employees about their first-aid arrangements, including the location of equipment, facilities and personnel. A notice on its own may not be enough in a large or changing workforce; staff need to be able to use the arrangements in practice.

Choosing people, training and equipment

First-aid training

Since 31 October 2017, HSENI has no longer approved first-aid-at-work training and qualifications. This does not remove the employer’s duty to make arrangements for immediate attention when an employee is injured or taken ill at work.

HSENI identifies the one-day Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course and three-day First Aid at Work (FAW) course as building blocks for training. The appropriate choice should come from the needs assessment rather than from a one-size-fits-all approach.

When selecting training and a provider, employers should carry out due diligence. HSENI says providers should be able to demonstrate how they meet its criteria. Annual refresher training is strongly encouraged to help first-aiders keep core skills current.

First-aid kits

There is no mandatory list of items that every Northern Ireland first-aid box must contain. The kit should reflect the needs assessment.

For low-hazard workplaces, HSENI gives a suggested minimum stock that includes general first-aid guidance, sterile plasters, eye pads, triangular bandages, safety pins, large and medium sterile unmedicated wound dressings, and disposable gloves. HSENI advises against keeping tablets or medicines in the first-aid box.

As well as what is in the kit, consider whether it is easy to locate when needed. Equipment that is hidden, inaccessible or known only to one person can delay the response it is meant to support.

Emergency adult basic life support: what to do

The following summary is based on the Resuscitation Council UK adult basic life support guidelines. Only intervene when it is safe to do so, and follow the ambulance call handler’s instructions.

If an adult appears unresponsive

1. Check it is safe to approach. Do not put yourself or others at risk.
2. Check whether the person is conscious. If they are unresponsive, call 999 immediately.
3. Assess breathing. Abnormal breathing in an unresponsive person should be treated as an emergency.
4. Start CPR if the person is unresponsive and breathing abnormally.
5. Send for an AED and use it as soon as it is available.

Calling 999 promptly matters because the call handler can support the response while emergency help is on its way.

Giving chest compressions

For adult CPR, Resuscitation Council UK advises chest compressions at a rate of 100–120 per minute and a depth of at least 5 cm but no more than 6 cm. Allow the chest to recoil fully after each compression and keep interruptions as short as possible.

If you are trained to give rescue breaths, use a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 breaths. If you are not trained to provide rescue breaths, give continuous chest compressions rather than delaying action.

These are core skills that benefit from appropriate training and refresher practice. In an actual emergency, the priority is to act safely, call 999 and follow the call handler’s guidance.

Using an AED

An automated external defibrillator (AED) is designed so that anyone can use it. Use it as soon as one is available:

• turn it on or open it and follow its audio and visual prompts;
• attach the pads to the person’s bare chest as shown on the device or pads;
• make sure nobody is touching the person while the AED analyses the heart rhythm or delivers a shock; and
• restart chest compressions immediately after a shock, or if the AED says no shock is advised.

For public-access AEDs, Resuscitation Council UK recommends clear visibility, signage, accessibility and registration with The Circuit where applicable. It also recommends unlocked cabinets and 24/7 access for public-access devices. Workplace decisions about access and location should be informed by the local needs assessment.

Common gaps to look for in workplace first-aid planning

Some gaps are not about a lack of goodwill; they are about arrangements not being tested against the reality of the workplace. Useful questions include:

• Is the first-aid needs assessment current after changes to staffing, work activity or incidents?
• Do employees know who the first-aiders or appointed person are on their shift?
• Can staff quickly identify the location of kits, facilities and AEDs?
• Is training selected because it matches assessed need, rather than because it is simply familiar?
• Are first-aiders encouraged to refresh key skills annually?
• Are AEDs accessible and are staff aware of their location?

For managers, these questions help turn a compliance task into a workable response plan. For care assistants, HCAs and nurses, they help clarify what to do in the first moments of an emergency and where to seek support.

Workplace first-aid checklist for Northern Ireland

Use this as a prompt for a local review:

• A first-aid needs assessment has been completed and is reviewed when circumstances change.
• The assessment considers staff numbers, workplace size and location, work activities, and foreseeable injury or illness.
• There is a suitably stocked first-aid kit based on assessed need.
• An appointed person is in place, unless sufficient appropriately trained first-aiders are available.
• First-aid roles, equipment and facility locations are communicated to employees.
• Training and providers have been selected through appropriate due diligence.
• First-aiders are encouraged to complete annual refresher training.
• AED location and access arrangements are clear, where an AED is available.
• Staff understand the immediate response for an unresponsive adult: safe approach, 999, breathing check, CPR for abnormal breathing and early AED use.

Frequently asked questions

Is an appointed person required to be trained in first aid?

No. HSENI states that an appointed person does not need first-aid training. Their role is to manage first-aid equipment and facilities and call emergency services when needed. They may also provide emergency cover when a first-aider is unexpectedly absent.

Is there a legally required contents list for a first-aid kit in Northern Ireland?

No. HSENI says there is no mandatory contents list. The contents should be based on the workplace first-aid needs assessment. HSENI provides suggested items for low-hazard workplaces and advises against storing tablets or medicines in the kit.

What should I do if an adult is unresponsive but breathing abnormally?

If it is safe to approach, call 999 immediately, assess breathing and start CPR if the person is unresponsive with abnormal breathing. Use an AED as soon as it is available and follow its prompts.

Can an untrained person use an AED?

Yes. Resuscitation Council UK states that anyone can use an AED. Turn it on or open it, attach the pads as illustrated and follow the device’s instructions.

Does Great Britain guidance apply directly in Northern Ireland?

No. Northern Ireland has its own workplace first-aid regulations and HSENI guidance. HSE’s L74 guidance is for Great Britain. It can be useful context, but Northern Ireland employers should make compliance decisions using current Northern Ireland legislation and HSENI guidance.

Conclusion

Good first-aid provision in Northern Ireland begins with an assessed, communicated and regularly reviewed workplace plan. The plan should match the risks and realities of the setting, identify the right people and equipment, and give staff confidence about the first steps in an emergency.

For an unresponsive adult, the response is clear: act only when safe, call 999, assess breathing, begin CPR for abnormal breathing and use an AED without delay when one is available.

Clarivive MedInsight encourages teams to discuss these arrangements at local safety meetings and use evidence-based learning to keep practical emergency skills current.

Sources

• Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland: First aid at work
• Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982
• HSE: First aid at work: Guidance on regulations (L74)
• Resuscitation Council UK: Adult basic life support guidelines (2025)