How many first aiders does a South African workplace need? The answer depends on the number of employees, the type of workplace and whether trained first aiders are actually available during working hours.
It is also important not to confuse two different requirements in General Safety Regulation 3: the requirement to provide a first-aid box and the requirement to have a trained first aider available.
Direct answer: Where more than 10 employees are employed at a workplace, the employer must ensure that at least one person with a valid first-aid certificate is readily available during normal working hours for every group of up to 50 employees, or for every group of up to 100 employees in a shop or office. A first-aid box is required once more than five employees are employed at the workplace.
The legal minimum: General Safety Regulation 3
General Safety Regulation 3, issued under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, sets the basic workplace first-aid requirements.
Where more than five employees are employed at a workplace, the employer must provide a first-aid box or boxes that are readily accessible for the treatment of injured persons.
Where more than 10 employees are employed, the employer must also ensure that a person holding a valid certificate of competency in first aid is readily available during normal working hours.
The general minimum ratio is:
- Other workplaces: at least one trained first aider for every group of up to 50 employees.
- Shops and offices: at least one trained first aider for every group of up to 100 employees.
These figures are the legal starting point. Employers must still consider the actual risks, layout, operating hours and emergency-response needs of the workplace.
First-aid box requirement versus trained first-aider requirement
First-aid box or boxes
Required when more than 5 employees are employed at the workplace.
Trained first aider
Required when more than 10 employees are employed at the workplace.
A workplace with seven employees may therefore need a properly stocked first-aid box even though the specific trained-first-aider threshold has not yet been reached.
Working out the minimum number of first aiders
To calculate the basic minimum, start by determining how many employees are present at the workplace and whether the workplace is a shop or office, or falls into the general workplace category.
For example:
- A general workplace with 35 employees would normally require at least one trained first aider.
- A general workplace with 75 employees would normally require at least two.
- A general workplace with 120 employees would normally require at least three.
- An office with 120 employees would normally require at least two.
Always round up when the workforce extends into another group.
Your workplace risk may justify more than the minimum
The legal ratio should not be treated as a target that automatically makes every workplace safe.
A low-risk office and a manufacturing plant may have the same number of employees, but their first-aid risks can be very different.
Your workplace risk assessment should consider factors such as:
- Machinery and moving equipment;
- Hazardous chemicals;
- Work at height;
- Heat, electricity or burns;
- Remote work areas;
- Travel time to professional medical assistance;
- Multiple buildings or departments; and
- The number of people actually available on each shift.
Where the risk profile is higher, management may decide that additional first aiders, additional first-aid equipment or a higher level of practical first-aid competence is appropriate.
Related article: Risk-Based First Aid Training: Matching the Course Level to Your Workplace Risk Profile
What about First Aid Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3?
General Safety Regulation 3 establishes the need for suitably certificated first aiders, but employers should be careful about assuming that the legislation automatically prescribes one particular training level for every workplace.
The appropriate competence should be considered against the hazards and likely injuries identified in the workplace risk assessment, together with any sector-specific requirements that may apply.
A lower-risk office may have different needs from a construction site, engineering workshop or facility handling hazardous substances.
Related article: First Aid Level 1 vs Level 2 vs Level 3: Which Does Your Workplace Need?
Shift work changes the calculation
Having enough trained people on the company payroll is not the same as having enough trained people available when work is being performed.
If all your first aiders work day shift but production continues at night, your night shift may have a compliance and emergency-response gap.
The same principle applies to weekends, overtime and other operating periods.
The practical question is not “How many first aid certificates do we have?” It is “Is a suitably trained first aider actually available wherever and whenever employees are working?”
Related article: Does Every Shift Need Its Own Trained First Aider?
Multiple buildings and large sites
Large or spread-out workplaces deserve special attention.
A first aider located at reception may not provide a realistic emergency response for employees working several hundred metres away in a warehouse, workshop or separate building.
Your first-aid arrangements should therefore consider:
- Distance between work areas;
- Access-controlled areas;
- Different buildings or floors;
- Hazardous production areas;
- Remote teams; and
- How quickly the first aider can reach an injured person.
This is one reason a risk-based approach is important even when the minimum employee ratio has technically been achieved.
What happens when a first aider is absent?
Leave, sickness, training days, resignations and transfers can all remove first-aid coverage without management immediately noticing.
Employers should therefore plan for backup.
A useful training matrix should show:
- Who the designated first aiders are;
- Where they work;
- Which shift they cover;
- When their certificates expire; and
- Who provides backup when they are absent.
Related article: How to Build an OHS Training Matrix That Keeps Your Workplace Compliant
Do first-aid certificates expire?
Employers should monitor the validity of first-aid certificates and arrange refresher or renewal training before required competence lapses.
The training matrix should therefore contain the certificate date, expiry or renewal date and enough advance warning to book training before the workplace loses coverage.
First aid on construction sites
Construction work can introduce additional practical considerations because workers may be spread across changing work areas, work at height, operate machinery or be exposed to other higher-risk activities.
Contractors should assess first-aid arrangements as part of their overall construction health and safety planning rather than relying only on a headcount calculation.
Related article: First Aid Requirements on Construction Sites: What Contractors Must Provide
Five questions every employer should be able to answer
Your first-aid system should make it easy to answer:
- How many employees are present during each shift?
- How many trained first aiders must be available?
- Where are those first aiders located?
- Are their certificates still valid?
- Who provides backup when a first aider is absent?
If management cannot answer these questions quickly, the workplace may have a first-aid coverage gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does GSR 3 apply to small businesses?
Yes. The first-aider requirement applies once an employer has more than 10 employees at a workplace. Separate first-aid equipment requirements start once more than five employees are employed, so employers should not confuse the requirement for a first-aid box with the requirement for a trained first aider.
How many first aiders are required for 50 employees?
In a general workplace, at least one trained first aider would normally be required for a group of up to 50 employees, provided the other requirements of GSR 3 are met and the workplace risk assessment does not indicate that additional coverage is necessary.
How many first aiders are required for 100 employees?
In a general workplace, two trained first aiders would normally be required. In a shop or office, one trained first aider would normally meet the basic headcount ratio for a group of up to 100 employees. Actual availability and workplace risk must still be considered.
Can the same employee be a first aider and perform another safety role?
Yes, an employee may perform more than one safety function if they have the necessary training and competence and can realistically fulfil each role. Employers should consider whether assigning multiple emergency roles to one person could create a conflict during an actual emergency.
Does every shift need a trained first aider?
The employer must ensure the required first-aid competence is readily available during working hours. In a shift-based operation this means first-aid coverage must be considered for every shift on which employees are working.
Does GSR 3 prescribe First Aid Level 1, 2 or 3?
GSR 3 establishes the requirement for a valid certificate of competency in first aid. Employers should determine suitable training and competence against the workplace risk profile and any applicable sector-specific requirements rather than assuming that one training level automatically applies to every workplace.
Are you sure your workplace has enough first aiders?
Altra Medical Productions can help you review your employee numbers, shifts, workplace risks and certificate expiry dates to identify first-aid coverage gaps.
We also provide workplace first-aid training and can help management build a practical training matrix for ongoing compliance.
Related articles and services
- First Aid Training
- Does Every Shift Need Its Own Trained First Aider?
- Risk-Based First Aid Training
- First Aid Level 1 vs Level 2 vs Level 3
- How to Build an OHS Training Matrix
- What Safety Training Does My Company Legally Need?
Legal reference
General Safety Regulation 3, issued under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993.
This article provides general information and should be read together with the current Occupational Health and Safety Act, General Safety Regulations and any sector-specific requirements applicable to the workplace.