First Aider Duties: What Your Team Must Do

A first aider may be the person who makes the difference before an ambulance arrives. In a workplace, school, care setting or community venue, first aider duties go far beyond knowing where the first aid box is kept. The role is about responding calmly, protecting people from further harm and ensuring the right help is called without delay.

For employers, getting this right protects your people and helps meet your legal responsibilities. For the individual named as a first aider, clear expectations and practical, hands-on training make it far easier to act decisively when the pressure is on.

What are a first aider’s duties?

A first aider’s central duty is to give immediate, appropriate assistance to someone who is injured or becomes ill at work. They are not expected to diagnose conditions, replace a doctor or take risks beyond their training. Their job is to preserve life, prevent a condition from getting worse and promote recovery until professional help takes over.

In a real emergency, this usually means assessing whether the area is safe, checking the casualty’s response and breathing, and taking action in the right order. That may involve calling 999, starting CPR, using an AED, controlling serious bleeding, placing an unconscious breathing casualty in the recovery position or supporting someone through an asthma attack, seizure or severe allergic reaction.

The first aider should also reassure the casualty and manage the scene. A frightened colleague, pupil, resident or visitor needs clear communication as much as they need practical care. Keeping bystanders back, asking someone to meet the ambulance and ensuring emergency services have accurate information can save valuable minutes.

Act within training and competence

Confidence matters, but so do boundaries. First aiders should only carry out procedures they have been trained to perform and feel competent to deliver. Trying to do too much can create further risk for the casualty and the responder.

This is particularly relevant where medication is involved. A workplace first aider should not give medicines casually or make clinical decisions outside agreed policies. Some environments, including schools and care settings, may have specific arrangements administering medication, emergency inhalers or adrenaline auto-injectors. Those arrangements need suitable training, written procedures and clear authorisation.

A first aider should use protective equipment where appropriate, such as disposable gloves and a face shield for rescue breaths. If a scene is unsafe - for example, because of traffic, electricity, violence, chemicals or fire - they must not become a second casualty. Raise the alarm and wait for the appropriate emergency response.

First aider duties before an emergency happens

The best response starts before anyone is injured. Employers remain responsible for first aid provision, but appointed first aiders often play a practical part in keeping arrangements ready for use.

They should know where first aid equipment is held, whether supplies are in date and how to access an AED if one is available. They also need to understand the organisation’s emergency procedures, including how to call for help, who covers different shifts and what information emergency services may need to enter the building quickly.

First aid cover must reflect the reality of the workplace. A low-risk office with a small daytime team needs different provision from a warehouse, construction site, school, nursery, care home or community venue. Employers should complete a first aid needs assessment that considers the hazards, number of people on site, working patterns, lone workers, public access, travel between locations and the distance from emergency services.

Cover also needs to work when nominated staff are on holiday, off sick or attending training. One trained first aider may look adequate on paper, but not if they work a different shift from the people they are expected to protect.

Know the difference between a first aider and an appointed person

An appointed person is responsible for looking after first aid arrangements and calling emergency services when necessary. They do not automatically have the skills to provide first aid treatment.

A qualified first aider has completed suitable training and can provide care within the scope of that training. In some low-risk workplaces, an appointed person may be sufficient. In many organisations, particularly those with higher risks or vulnerable people, trained first aiders are the safer and more appropriate choice.

Recording and reporting after treatment

Once the immediate danger has passed, the first aider’s duties continue. A factual record of the incident should be completed as soon as possible. This helps the organisation understand what happened, monitor patterns and show that appropriate action was taken.

Records should include the casualty’s name, date and time, nature of the injury or illness, treatment given, whether emergency services were called and the name of the person providing first aid. Write facts, not assumptions. For example, record that a colleague said they felt chest pain, rather than attempting to identify the cause.

These records contain personal information and must be stored securely. They should only be shared with people who genuinely need the information for health, safety, safeguarding or legal purposes.

The employer must also consider whether the incident needs formal reporting under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. This is an employer duty, not usually a decision for the first aider alone, but a clear first aid record can provide the evidence needed to make the right decision.

When should a first aider call 999?

A first aider should call 999, or ask another person to call, whenever a casualty has a life-threatening condition or requires urgent medical help. Serious bleeding, chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, an unconscious casualty, suspected stroke, anaphylaxis, major trauma, seizures that do not stop or a serious head injury all require prompt escalation.

If there is uncertainty, seek emergency advice. It is better to make the call and follow the instructions given than to delay while trying to decide whether a situation is serious enough. The first aider should remain with the casualty where safe to do so, monitor their condition and be ready to update the call handler if anything changes.

When paramedics arrive, provide a concise handover. Explain what happened, any relevant information provided by the casualty or witnesses, the treatment given and any changes in their condition. Good handover prevents repetition and supports faster clinical decisions.

Training must be practical, current and relevant

A certificate alone does not guarantee that someone will respond effectively in a real emergency. First aid skills can fade, especially if they are rarely used. Practical training gives people the chance to practise CPR, recovery position, bleeding control and emergency communication until the actions feel familiar.

For many workplaces, Emergency First Aid at Work provides essential skills for a nominated responder. Higher-risk settings or larger organisations may need First Aid at Work training, which covers a wider range of injuries and illnesses. Schools, nurseries and childcare providers may need paediatric first aid, while care organisations may require additional competence in areas such as medication administration, moving and handling or evacuation procedures.

First aid qualifications are commonly renewed every three years, but annual refresher training is strongly recommended. Short, regular practice helps first aiders retain confidence and keeps essential life-saving actions at the front of their mind.

Training should reflect the environment your team works in. A nursery team needs to be ready for paediatric choking and febrile seizures. A warehouse team may need to respond to crush injuries and falls. An office may face cardiac emergencies, slips and trips, or a visitor becoming suddenly unwell. Relevant scenarios make the learning stick.

Support first aiders after difficult incidents

Responding to a serious incident can be upsetting, even for an experienced first aider. Employers should check in afterwards, offer appropriate support and give staff the opportunity to talk through what happened. This is not about criticising split-second decisions. It is about learning, supporting wellbeing and improving the workplace response next time.

Review the incident with a practical focus. Was equipment easy to reach? Was there enough first aid cover? Did staff know how to summon help? Did access arrangements delay the ambulance? Small improvements made after one event can protect someone else in the future.

Training 2 U delivers practical, instructor-led workplace first aid training across Merseyside, Lancashire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester. With training grounded in more than three decades of frontline clinical experience, teams can practise the skills they may need when every second counts.

The most effective first aider is not the person who tries to be a hero. It is the person who is prepared, recognises the priorities, works within their training and takes calm action to protect another human being when they need it most.