Are first aiders allowed to give tablets and medications to casualties?
First aid at work is the initial assistance given at the scene of an accident or when presented with illness. It does not include giving tablets or medications to treat illness and these items should not be kept in the first aid box. However, strictly speaking, there is no legal bar to employers making such items available to employees, if the assessment of first aid needs indicates they should be provided. There is no objection to paracetamol or aspirin being made available in the workplace. First Aiders issuing these tablets should have a reasonable understanding of what is involved.
