Workplace first aid preparedness — legal requirements and organization

When you take an AMU course in first aid and fire it's often because your workplace requires it. But how many should actually know first aid at a given workplace and what should be in the first aid box? The answer is less clear-cut than many expect: Arbejdstilsynet's rules don't build on a fixed number per employee but on a concrete assessment of the work's nature and the risks connected to it.

§The law requires an assessment — not a fixed number

According to the Working Environment Authority's rules on fixed workplaces, a workplace must have the fire-fighting equipment, rescue equipment and first aid equipment that the nature of the work and other circumstances make necessary. The people designated to provide first aid must be adequately trained, be an appropriate number, and have access to the necessary materials — assessed in relation to the nature of the work and the size of the company. In other words, there is no one formula for 'number of employees per first aider' — the requirement is that the employer has addressed the risk and acted accordingly.

§What must be included in the assessment?

• 01What types of accidents can realistically happen in this specific work (falls, cuts, chemicals, electricity, fire)?
• 02How far away is professional help, and what is its response time?
• 03How many are at the workplace, and is work carried out at odd times or alone?
• 04Are there special circumstances, e.g. young, pregnant or chronically ill staff?
• 05What level of first aid training matches the risk — basic training or function-specific training for the industry?

§First aid kit: contents based on risk

There is no legally prescribed uniform list of what should be in all first aid kits in Denmark — the contents must be adapted to the nature and scope of work. A standard kit with sterile bandages plasters scissors disposable gloves and eye wash covers many ordinary workplaces while work with chemical substances typically requires more: emergency showers larger eye wash equipment and equipment adapted to the specific substances being worked with.

§Marking and placement

First aid equipment must be easily accessible, clearly marked, and quick to find in a rushed situation. The green, internationally recognized first aid symbol (DS/EN ISO 7010) is used to mark where kits, defibrillators, and rinsing equipment are located. The location should be known to everyone at the workplace — not just the designated first aid person — because in an acute situation it is often a random colleague who arrives first.

§Mental first aid after a work accident

The Labour Authority also requires that the employer addresses the mental strain that a serious workplace accident or traumatic event can cause — both for the injured person and for witnesses and colleagues. It is about having a plan for who takes care of the people involved afterwards and having access to crisis help if needed. Good physical first aid and good mental first aid go hand in hand: both are part of a complete emergency response.

§The preparedness plan ties it together

The risk assessment, the equipment, the training and the psychological care are combined in practice in the company's emergency plan — the document that describes who does what, how alarms are given, and where the equipment is located. A plan that only lies in a drawer does not help; it must be known, practiced and updated when conditions at the workplace change.

“Good safety is not a single number — it is an assessment that suits your specific workplace, kept alive through exercise and updating.”

— Occupational health and safety professional point