Duties and Authority of a First Aider in the Workplace

First aider duties: definition and the limits of authority

When a workplace speaks of a "first aider", it often means an employee whose certificate sits in a file but who is unsure how far they can go at the moment of an accident. First aider duties are framed in a single sentence in the legislation, and that sentence sets both the authority and its limit.

Under Art. 4 of the Ministry of Health's First Aid Regulation (Official Gazette 29.07.2015, issue 29429), first aid means the medication-free interventions carried out at the scene with the means available, without seeking medical equipment, in order to save life or prevent the situation from getting worse in any accident or life-threatening situation until medical help arrives. A first aider is the person who carries out these interventions and who has received first aid training and obtained a first aider certificate.

Three conclusions follow from this definition:

• The first aider's job is to buy time; not treatment, but protecting life until the medical team arrives.
• The intervention is medication-free; this includes painkillers, creams and drops.
• Authority depends on the certificate. Under the regulation, first aid training is 16 hours and the certificate is valid for 3 years. With the amendment of 27.12.2025, refresher training must be taken within the 3 months before the validity period ends; an expired certificate does not count towards the number of first aiders. For how the certificate is obtained, see our article on how to get a first aid certificate.

What can and cannot a first aider do?

Every intervention taught in the training falls within the first aider's authority; anything not taught in the training, or requiring medical equipment, medication or a physician's decision, falls outside it. The table below separates the situations most often met in the workplace:

The first aider's order of duties at the time of an incident is also set and is taught in training as "protect, report, rescue": first they ensure their own and the casualty's safety, then they alert 112, and then they intervene within the limits of their training. When this order is broken, for example by running to a casualty in front of a panel whose electricity has not been cut, a second casualty results. For this reason, first aiders knowing the energy isolation points, machine emergency stop buttons and the location of the chemical spill kit in their own department is the workplace-specific complement to their training.

The most common mistake on site is the first aider widening their scope "like a nurse". A painkiller given with good intentions can mask the seriousness of an injury; a cream applied to a burn makes it harder to assess its depth. Detailed steps for burns and eye injuries are in our articles on first aid for burns in the workplace and chemical splashes in the eye, and for cardiac arrest in our article on basic life support and the AED.

Can a first aider give medication?

No. The definition itself says the intervention is medication-free. This is why the first aid cabinet is not a medicine cabinet either; keeping painkillers, antibiotic creams or eye drops in it invites the first aider to do something outside their authority. For the cabinet's contents see our article on what a first aid cabinet should contain.

Situations requiring medication and treatment are the work of health professionals. Under Art. 9 of the Regulation on Workplace Physicians and Other Health Personnel, the workplace physician organises first aid and emergency response services in the workplace and the training of personnel. During hours when the physician is not at the workplace, the decision belongs to 112: the first aider acts according to the instructions given by the medical team over the phone.

First aider responsibility: legal framework and job description

The question of first aider responsibility usually arises from the worry "will I get into trouble if I do something wrong?" Two separate points need to be distinguished here.

First, helping is an obligation for everyone. Art. 98 of the Turkish Penal Code punishes anyone who fails to help a person unable to look after themselves to the extent that the circumstances allow, or who fails to notify the relevant authorities immediately. This provision is not specific to first aiders, but it shows that doing nothing out of the thought "I have a certificate, so if I get involved I'll be responsible" also has consequences. Second, for a first aider "the extent that the circumstances allow" means what they learned in training. A first aider who applies the steps from the training has done their duty; interventions that go beyond the training create a separate risk.

The main obligation lies with the employer. Art. 11 of Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety requires the employer to appoint a sufficient number of suitably equipped and trained people for emergencies including first aid, to provide the equipment and to ensure the teams are always ready. The 2026 basic administrative fine for breaching emergency obligations is 22,194 TL for each unfulfilled obligation and is repeated every month the breach continues. The employer needs to put the following in writing:

1. The letter of appointment and the first aider's signed acceptance of it.
2. Tracking of certificate validity dates; planning refresher training in the 3 months before expiry.
3. Who is responsible for the first aid cabinet and any AED, and how often they are checked.
4. The communication chain: first aider, shift supervisor, workplace physician, 112.
5. Participation in drills and a first aid scenario in the drill.

This information is part of the emergency plan; for how it is prepared see our guide to the emergency plan and support personnel.

How should first aiders be distributed across shifts?

Art. 19 of the First Aid Regulation sets the number of first aiders according to hazard class:

This number works on paper for the workplace as a whole; but when an accident happens on the night shift, it is of no use if all the first aiders are on the day shift. Art. 11/5 of the Regulation on Emergencies in Workplaces requires support personnel for first aid to be appointed in accordance with the First Aid Regulation; Art. 11/8 requires the workplace's shift pattern to be taken into account when determining the support personnel and reserves to be appointed to teams.

The practical way is to do the calculation using each shift's own headcount. An example of a three-shift factory in the hazardous class:

The number of reserves is not given as a figure in the legislation; it is determined through the risk assessment so that no gaps arise due to leave, sickness and shift changes. When distributing them, also check the following: first aiders should be spread across different buildings and floors, not concentrated on a single line; the first aider list should be updated at shift handover; and under Art. 11/9 the teams' names, contact details and areas of responsibility should be posted in a visible place. For problems specific to the night shift you can read our article on emergency teams on the night shift.

Incident record: what is written after an intervention?

The regulation does not prescribe a standard intervention form for first aiders. Even so, there are two important reasons to keep records. First, every incident requiring first aid is a potential occupational accident; under Art. 14/2 of Law No. 6331, an occupational accident is notified to the SGK (Social Security Institution) within 3 working days after the accident, and minor injuries are included. For details see our article on notifying minor occupational accidents. Second, through these records the workplace physician sees recurring injuries and gives feedback to the risk assessment.

A short, standard record should include:

• Date, time and location of the incident (line, machine, department).
• The person affected and a description of the incident in a few sentences.
• The first aid given and the supplies used (for restocking the cabinet).
• Whether 112 was called, the time and referral details.
• Witnesses and the first aider's name and signature.

This record contains health data. It is not posted on a noticeboard or written in the shift log; it is passed directly to the workplace physician or nurse and kept in accordance with confidentiality rules. For details see our article on employee health information and KVKK (the Personal Data Protection Law). All the steps after an accident are in our article on the first 72 hours after an occupational accident. You can see your first aider and other obligations according to your workplace's hazard class with our OHS obligations calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a first aider give medication?

No. The First Aid Regulation defines first aid as medication-free interventions carried out with the means available. Giving painkillers, creams or drops is outside the first aider's authority; in situations requiring medication, the instructions of 112 or the workplace physician apply.

Does an employee with an expired certificate count as a first aider?

No. The certificate is valid for 3 years and refresher training must be taken within the 3 months before the validity period ends. The holder of an expired certificate is not added to the number of first aiders until they obtain a new certificate.

Is it mandatory to have a first aider on the night shift?

The Regulation on Emergencies requires the shift pattern to be taken into account when determining support personnel and reserves. In practice, every shift must have the number of certified first aiders calculated from the headcount on that shift.

Should a first aider take a casualty to hospital in their own vehicle?

Generally not. No intervention can be made inside a vehicle on a casualty whose condition worsens during transport. 112 is called and the instructions given over the phone are followed; transfer by private vehicle is considered only in minor cases the medical team deems suitable.