WRONG!!!!!
Every week I hear something along the lines of “But we don’t need to worry about first aid as there are only 3 of us. You only need to worry when you get to 5 employees”
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations you need to provide written risk assessments when you have 5 or more employees but First Aid regulations apply to every workplace and the self-employed.
“The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with less than five employees and to the self-employed.”
In the event of injury or sudden illness, failure to provide first aid could result in a casualty’s death. The employer should ensure that an employee who is injured or taken ill at work receives immediate attention.
The Regulations do not place a legal duty on employers to make first-aid provisions for non-employees such as the public or children in schools. However, HSE strongly recommends that non-employees are included in an assessment of first-aid needs and that provision is made for them
So even if you only have 1 employee, first aid arrangements must be made.