Dealing with the public
According to the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, employers are not obliged to provide first aid for members of the public.
However, if your organisation is involved in providing a service to members of the public (for example in places of entertainment, shops and sports and leisure facilities), the HSE strongly recommends that employers include the public when making their assessment of first aid needs.
Event organisers in charge of large events (like concerts) must ensure there is adequate first aid provision at the venue.
The HSE has produced a downloadable guide to event safety. You can also read more about the British Red Cross' event first aid. If you require any further assistance, please contact Red Cross Training on 0844 871 8000.
Performing first aid on members of the public
We often get asked for advice about whether those trained as first aiders in the workplace can perform first aid on people outside of work. The Red Cross' view is that delegates have been trained in life-saving skills and we would encourage people to use these skills whenever necessary.
A great deal of our work is about encouraging people to help others and act on their humanitarian instinct. If you need to use your skills on someone other than a colleague, that's fine. We recommend that you follow the training you have had and don't go beyond the skills you have obtained. If you are worried about helping a member of the public, or have very little experience, we would advise you to do your best to help and contact the emergency services straight away for further advice.
Red Cross Training also offers first aid training courses for the public.