CalmComplianceRisk Assessment template
School First-Aid Needs Assessment and Provision Risk Assessment
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 1 October 2026
- Audience
- Primary and secondary schools in England, including maintained schools and academies, for use by those responsible for assessing and arranging first-aid provision.
- Jurisdiction
- england
Activity assessed
Assess the nature of school work, hazards and risks, workforce size and nature, work patterns, absences, accident history, travelling or lone workers, workforce distribution, distance from emergency services, shared or multi-occupancy sites and first-aid provision for non-employees; record verified existing controls and proposed controls, including decisions about personnel, equipment, facilities and whether a first-aid room is required.
Assess each hazard and its controls against your site before use. Template ratings require local review.
Hazards and controls
The nature of the school's work may not have been fully assessed, resulting in first-aid provision that does not reflect the activities undertaken.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record only controls verified for the particular school workplace.
- Proposed controls
- Describe the work and activities undertaken at the workplace, including teaching, practical, sporting, maintenance, catering, premises, transport, trips and other relevant activities. Identify how the findings affect first-aid personnel, equipment and facilities.
Local assessment and additional controls
Workplace hazards and risks, including specific hazards requiring special arrangements, may not be reflected in first-aid provision.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record verified arrangements for identified hazards only.
- Proposed controls
- Identify workplace hazards and risks relevant to first-aid needs, including any specific hazards requiring special arrangements. Link the findings to the required competence, availability, equipment and facilities without assigning unverified risk scores.
Local assessment and additional controls
The size and nature of the workforce may not be reflected in the number, availability or distribution of first-aid personnel.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record the verified workforce characteristics and current arrangements.
- Proposed controls
- Record the workforce size and nature for the workplace and determine appropriate first-aid personnel arrangements from the assessment findings. Consider employees and relevant working arrangements without assuming a prescribed provision level.
Local assessment and additional controls
Work patterns may leave periods when first-aid personnel, equipment or facilities are unavailable.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record verified cover arrangements for all relevant work periods.
- Proposed controls
- Record work patterns, operating hours, shift arrangements, extended-day activities and other periods when employees are at work. Check that proposed first-aid arrangements remain available for the assessed periods.
Local assessment and additional controls
Holiday and other absences of first-aiders or appointed persons may reduce effective first-aid cover.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record only verified absence and cover arrangements.
- Proposed controls
- Assess holiday and other absences of those expected to provide first aid or act as appointed persons. Identify and document arrangements to maintain suitable cover where the assessment identifies a need.
Local assessment and additional controls
The school's accident or incident history may not inform the assessment of first-aid needs.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record the verified accident and incident information considered.
- Proposed controls
- Review the organisation's relevant accident and incident history and record how it informs decisions about first-aid personnel, equipment, facilities and any special arrangements.
Local assessment and additional controls
Travelling, remote or lone working may create circumstances in which normal school first-aid arrangements are not readily available.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record verified arrangements for travelling, remote and lone workers where applicable.
- Proposed controls
- Determine whether travelling, remote or lone workers are present and, if so, assess their first-aid needs, access to assistance, communication arrangements and relevant equipment or facilities.
Local assessment and additional controls
The distribution of the workforce across buildings, areas or activities may delay access to first aid.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record verified locations, coverage and access arrangements.
- Proposed controls
- Map the workforce distribution for the assessed workplace using verified information and consider how location affects access to first-aid personnel, equipment and facilities. Do not assume site layouts or distances.
Local assessment and additional controls
Distance or remoteness from emergency medical services may affect the first-aid arrangements required.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record verified information about the workplace's distance or remoteness from emergency medical services.
- Proposed controls
- Assess the workplace's distance or remoteness from emergency medical services and record how the verified finding affects first-aid personnel, equipment, facilities and arrangements for obtaining emergency assistance.
Local assessment and additional controls
Work on a shared or multi-occupancy site may create uncertainty about responsibility, access and coordination of first-aid provision.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record verified shared-site arrangements and responsibilities where applicable.
- Proposed controls
- Determine whether the workplace is shared or multi-occupancy. Where applicable, document how first-aid responsibilities, access, communication and coordination are arranged between occupiers, based on verified information.
Local assessment and additional controls
First-aid needs of non-employees, such as members of the public, visitors, pupils or contractors, may not have been considered where relevant.
- Existing controls
- No existing control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record verified arrangements for non-employees only where the assessment identifies them as relevant.
- Proposed controls
- Consider whether provision for non-employees is relevant to the workplace and record the decision and its basis. If relevant, assess how personnel, equipment and facilities should address those needs without assuming that a particular arrangement is required.
Local assessment and additional controls
A first-aid room may be required by the assessment but not provided, or an existing room may not be suitable, accessible or available when employees are at work.
- Existing controls
- No existing first-aid-room control has been evidenced in the supplied information. Record whether a first-aid room exists and verify its condition and availability rather than assuming provision.
- Proposed controls
- Keep the decision about whether a first-aid room is required conditional on the needs assessment. Where the assessment identifies that one is required, provide a suitable room that is clean, tidy, accessible and available whenever employees are at work; provide suitable physical conditions and equipment, including sufficient space for an examination or medical couch, washable surfaces, adequate heating, ventilation and lighting, and ideally a sink with hot and cold running water. Where possible, reserve it exclusively for first aid, place it as near as possible to a point of access for transport to hospital, and assign responsibility for supervising it.
Local assessment and additional controls