Every business wants to make sure their team is safe, looked after, and ready to look out for one another if something goes wrong. But trying to figure out exactly how many first aiders you need, what kind of kits to buy, or which regulations apply to your workplace can sometimes feel like a bit of a headache!
We admit that choosing the perfect first aid setup can be a pain, but we’re here to make it simple. We ♡ turning people into heroes, and that starts with getting the right plan in place.
Use our quick, interactive First Aid Needs Assessment Tool below. Just pop in your workplace details, and it will instantly give you a tailored recommendation based on your unique workplace setup.
Why Do You Need a First Aid Needs Assessment?
A first aid needs assessment ensures you are fully compliant with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulations – but it’s about so much more than just ticking a legal box.
At SkillBase, we believe being a first aider is about stepping beyond basic “competence” and stepping into genuine confidence. Carrying out an assessment helps you transition from basic compliance to creating a workplace full of Heroes-on-Standby – people who are genuinely ready and empowered to save a life or support someone’s wellbeing in an emergency.
Completing your assessment helps you:
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Protect Your Workplace Family: Ensure that life-saving, confident support is right there when it matters most.
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Stay Completely Compliant: Meet your legal employer due diligence obligations easily and without the stress.
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Build a Confident Culture: Show your team that their physical and mental health are genuinely valued, both in and out of work.
What Dictates Your Workplace First Aid Needs?
Our smart calculator looks at a few different ingredients to figure out your ideal first aid recipe:
1. Your Workplace Hazard Levels
Different workplaces have entirely different risk recipes. We split environments down to ensure everyone gets exactly what they need:
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Low-Hazard Environments: Offices, shops, and libraries. The primary focus here is managing minor illnesses or everyday trips and slips.
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Higher-Hazard Environments: Warehouses, construction sites, manufacturing, or commercial kitchens. These require a more robust first aid presence due to heavy machinery, sharp objects, or hazardous materials.
2. Your Team and Visitor Numbers
The more people on-site, the greater the statistical chance that someone might need a helping hand. Your assessment will calculate the ideal ratio of trained first aiders to staff. Don’t forget to consider visitors, contractors, and customers who visit your site, too!
3. Layout, Shifts, and Location
Is your business spread across multiple floors? Do you have different buildings, or operates over a 24-hour shift pattern? If so, you can’t rely on just one centralized first aid station. Each distinct area and shift needs to be self-sufficient and ready to handle an emergency.
How often should we review our first aid assessment?
We recommend looking over your assessment at least once a year to keep everything fresh. You should also update it immediately if your business undergoes a big change – like moving to a new building, introducing new machinery, or welcoming a sudden influx of new staff members.
What’s the difference between Emergency First Aid (EFAW) and First Aid at Work (FAW)?
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Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW): A 1-day course that covers core life-saving skills, CPR, choking, and treating minor injuries. It’s fantastic for low-risk, smaller environments.
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First Aid at Work (FAW): A comprehensive 3-day course expanding on EFAW to cover a wider variety of specific medical conditions, illnesses, and major injuries. This is essential for higher-risk settings or larger workforces. (P.S. Whichever you need, we banish stressful exams from our courses to focus purely on practical, confidence-building practice time!)
Do remote or hybrid workers change our assessment?
Yes! While remote workers don’t impact the physical first aid kit requirements of your main office, you still hold a duty of care. We love helping businesses support remote staff by providing guidance on home safety and compact, personal first aid kits.
What is the SkillBase Confidence Guarantee?
We are so passionate about coaching confidence, not just competence, that we guarantee everyone who trains with us will leave feeling ready and inspired to step in during an emergency. If someone leaves our course feeling unsure, we will refund and retrain for free!
Let's talk!
We’re on a mission to fill workplaces with Heroes-on-Standby - people who feel confident stepping in during a first aid emergency or supporting someone’s mental wellbeing.
Got a quick question, an idea, or just fancy a chat about training? We’d love to hear from you (fair warning: we can get a little over-enthusiastic when it comes to first aid and wellbeing!).
If your enquiry is a bit more detailed, you can book a consultation with one of our training experts.