How many first aiders does a New Zealand workplace need?

The short answer

No Act or regulation in New Zealand tells a business how many first aiders it needs. The duty sits in regulation 13 of the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016, which requires that

an adequate number of workers are trained to administer first aid at the workplace; or workers have access to an adequate number of other persons who have been trained to administer first aid.

What counts as adequate is left to the business. Regulation 13(3) lists what it must weigh: the nature of the work, the nature of the hazards, the size and location of the workplace, and the number and composition of the workforce.

WorkSafe's current guidance publishes no ratio either. The figures that appear on training provider websites, such as one first aider for every 10 staff, have no source in the regulations or in WorkSafe's current guide.

What regulation 13 requires in full

The regulation has three parts, and each is a separate duty.

• Equipment. Adequate first aid equipment must be provided, and each worker must have access to it.
• Facilities. Workers must have access to facilities for the administration of first aid. No first aid room is required by law.
• People. An adequate number of workers trained to administer first aid, or access to an adequate number of other trained people.

The second option in the people duty helps small sites. A business can meet it with trained people from another business, such as a neighbouring tenant or the main contractor on a shared site, as long as your workers can reach them when something happens.

A breach of regulation 13 is an offence with a fine of up to $10,000 for an individual and up to $50,000 for any other person.

The regulations name no course, provider, unit standard or number of hours. WorkSafe recommends training through an organisation accredited by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and notes that a first aid certificate is generally valid for two years.

WorkSafe's own worked examples

WorkSafe's guide First aid at work, published in February 2020, sets out six things to consider when deciding how many first aiders you need:

• the number of workers at the workplace at any given time
• the nature of the work and its risks
• how likely injuries are and how serious they might be
• the physical size of the workplace and whether workers are spread across it
• the distance to ambulance services, medical centres and hospitals
• whether members of the public visit

It then gives three examples. We have not seen them quoted on the provider pages that rank for this question.

Pat owns a large vineyard about half an hour's drive from medical and ambulance services. She has two first aiders for every 10 workers.

Arjun owns a large telephone contact centre in a suburban area. The nature of the work carried out at the contact centre is low-risk. Arjun always has two first aiders present for every 50 workers.

Tāne's company builds tiny houses and employs eight people. As the nature of his company's work is high-risk, he has two trained first aiders.

The examples run from two per 50 to two per eight. The difference comes from how far help is and how risky the work is, which are two of the factors the regulation names. The vineyard needs more cover because an ambulance is half an hour away. The builder needs two even with eight staff because the injuries are likely to be serious.

The word "present" in the contact centre example carries weight. WorkSafe's fact sheet on first aid tells businesses to think about how to cover for first aiders who are not available or who resign, so cover for leave, sickness and turnover forms part of the number.

Where one per ten comes from

Several New Zealand providers publish ratios. LifeCare's guide suggests one per 10 to 15 employees for low risk work, one per 10 for medium risk and one per five to 10 for high risk. Meditrain says at least one trained first aider for every 10 employees. Neither figure appears in regulation 13, in WorkSafe's February 2020 guide or in WorkSafe's 2018 first aid fact sheet.

Older Department of Labour first aid guidance, written under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, still circulates on third party websites. It is not current WorkSafe guidance and has no legal status under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

Using a ratio without weighing the factors in regulation 13(3) skips the assessment the regulation asks for.

Small businesses and the 2027 changes

The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Act 2026 comes into force on 1 April 2027. From that date a small business, meaning one with fewer than 20 workers, only has to manage critical risks under its core duties.

First aid is outside that change. WorkSafe's guidance for small businesses says worker welfare duties, including first aid, apply in all workplaces because they are about basic working conditions. A five person business still needs adequate equipment, access to facilities and access to trained people.

Working out your own number

1. Count the people on site at the busiest time and at the quietest, including night shifts and weekends.
2. List the injuries your work could realistically cause, and how serious each would be.
3. Time how long an ambulance takes to reach the furthest part of the site.
4. Check whether workers are spread across buildings, yards or vehicles, and whether any work alone.
5. Decide how many trained people must be present on every shift, then add cover for leave, sickness and turnover.
6. Match the equipment and facilities to the same assessment, and review it when the work, the site or the headcount changes.

Write down what you decided and why. The law does not require that record.

Common questions

Sources

• Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016, regulation 13
• WorkSafe, First aid at work, February 2020
• WorkSafe, First aid fact sheet, August 2018
• WorkSafe, First aid guidance page
• WorkSafe, Managing critical risks for small PCBUs