First aid duties in the UK are often delegated to managers, safety officers or HR teams. However, ultimate responsibility usually sits higher up the organisation.
Business owners and company directors are legally responsible for ensuring that suitable first aid arrangements are in place. Understanding this responsibility is essential for compliance, governance and risk management.
This guide explains the role of business owners and directors in first aid provision in the UK, how responsibilities are applied in practice, and what reasonable oversight looks like.
Yes. Under UK health and safety law, responsibility for compliance rests with those who control the business.
While tasks can be delegated, legal responsibility cannot. Directors and business owners remain accountable for ensuring that first aid arrangements are suitable, effective and reviewed.
This principle is part of wider health and safety duties and is explained in UK First Aid Law Explained.
First aid is not a standalone obligation. It forms part of broader duties to protect health and safety.
For directors, this usually means ensuring that:
Directors are not expected to manage first aid personally, but they are expected to ensure it is managed properly.
In practice, first aid responsibilities are often delegated to managers or safety leads.
Delegation may include:
However, if first aid provision is inadequate, enforcement action is likely to focus on the organisation and its leadership, not just the individual tasked with day-to-day management.
Reasonable oversight does not require technical expertise. However, directors should be confident that:
The link between risk and provision is explained in First Aid Risk Levels Explained (UK).
Responsibilities apply regardless of business size.
However, how first aid is managed may vary between:
For organisations with more than one location, oversight must ensure that first aid is suitable at each site. This is explained in First Aid Provision for Multi-Site Businesses (UK).
| Role | Primary responsibility | First aid involvement |
|---|---|---|
| Business owner / director | Legal accountability | Ensure systems and oversight are in place |
| Senior manager | Operational control | Implement and monitor first aid arrangements |
| First aid lead / safety officer | Day-to-day management | Maintain kits, training and records |
| Employees | Follow procedures | Use first aid facilities responsibly |
Inadequate first aid provision may come to light during inspections, audits or following an incident.
Where failures are identified, regulators will look at whether:
Preparation and oversight are key. Practical guidance is covered in HSE First Aid Inspection Guide (UK).
Good documentation supports effective governance.
Directors may reasonably expect to see:
Clear records help demonstrate that first aid responsibilities are taken seriously. Further detail is available in Accident Reporting & First Aid Records (UK).
Understanding these boundaries helps directors apply proportionate and defensible oversight.
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