HSE reissues first aid guidance with mental health focus

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reissued its official First aid at work: Guidance on regulations (L74), bringing fresh clarity to employers on how to meet legal obligations — including new emphasis on mental health and life-threatening injuries.

The updated third edition includes important additions for 2024, notably a reminder that employers must consider employees’ mental health needs when carrying out first aid assessments. The revision also replaces the term ‘catastrophic bleeding’ with ‘life-threatening bleeding’, alongside clearer advice for workplaces where such injuries could occur.

Aimed squarely at employers, the free guidance sets out how to manage first aid provision across all types of workplaces. This includes deciding what kit and equipment is needed, what training first-aiders should receive, and how to make employees aware of the arrangements in place. It also covers self-employed workers and cases where first aid regulations may not apply.

The L74 guidance was originally published in 2013, with minor updates made in 2018 to reflect the end of HSE’s approval of training providers and to expand on the use of defibrillators and blended learning in first aid training.

This latest revision also simplifies the process for employers to assess what first aid they should provide, aiming to make compliance more straightforward across a range of industries — including high-risk environments such as construction, concrete production and mineral extraction.

Employers can download a free digital version of the document directly from the HSE website or purchase a hard copy from HSE Books.

For more information and to access the publication, visit: First aid at work: Guidance on regulations – HSE