First aid needs assessment. UK tattoo studio

Studio: [STUDIO NAME]
Assessment date: ____________________
Assessor: ____________________
Review date: ____________________ (annual minimum)

Under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and HSE L74 guidance, every UK workplace must complete a first aid needs assessment. This template addresses the assessment for a tattoo studio.

1. Hazards present in this workplace

Hazard	Likelihood	Severity	Notes
Sharps injury	Moderate	High	Inherent in tattooing; sharps protocol in place
Blood and body fluid exposure	Moderate	High	Universal precautions; PPE; vaccination
Vasovagal fainting (client)	Common	Low-Mod	Common during sessions; protocol below
Anaphylactic reaction (client)	Rare	High	Could be ink, anaesthetic, latex
Burns from autoclave or equipment	Rare	Low-Mod	Only if autoclave operated; access controlled
Chemical splash to eye	Rare	Mod-High	Cleaning chemicals; eye-wash in place
Slips, trips, falls	Variable	Variable	Premises maintenance; wet floor signs
Allergic reactions (client)	Variable	Variable	Could include immediate or delayed
Mental health distress	Variable	Variable	Memorial work, intimate work, recovery context

2. Number of staff and clients

Group	Typical number on premises
Working artists
Apprentices
Reception / support staff
Clients (peak hours)
Visitors

3. Layout

• Number of treatment rooms: ____________________
• Single or multi-room operation: ____________________
• Bathroom location relative to treatment area: ____________________
• First aid kit location: ____________________
• Eye-wash station location: ____________________

4. Lone working considerations

• Lone working occurs?: Y/N
• When?: ____________________
• What measures are in place?: ____________________

5. Distance to emergency services

• Nearest A&E: ____________________
• Estimated emergency response time: ____________________
• Out-of-hours GP access: ____________________

6. History of incidents

Date	Incident	Outcome	Lessons applied

7. First aid provision

Based on the assessment above:

Appointed person

Name: ____________________
Role: ____________________
Responsibilities: maintain first aid kit, manage first aid records, coordinate response in emergencies.

Trained first aider

Recommendation: at least one staff member with EFAW (Emergency First Aid at Work, 1-day course) or FAW (First Aid at Work, 3-day course) qualification.

Trained first aiders:

Name	Qualification	Date	Expiry

Anaphylaxis awareness

Recommendation: every artist familiar with anaphylaxis recognition and response.

Staff trained:

Name	Training	Date

8. First aid kit contents

Based on HSE first aid kit guidance and tattoo-specific risks:

Basic kit (BS 8599-1 small workplace pack)

• First aid guidance leaflet
• Plasters (assorted, waterproof and fabric)
• Sterile eye pads
• Triangular bandages
• Safety pins
• Sterile dressings (medium and large)
• Disposable nitrile gloves (separate pair, in addition to procedure gloves)
• Sterile saline pods
• Foil / heat-retention blanket
• Resuscitation face shield with one-way valve
• Burns dressings (hydrogel-impregnated)
• Adhesive tape
• Cleansing wipes (alcohol-free for wound area)

Tattoo-specific additions

• Large absorbent dressings (haemorrhage control)
• Pressure bandages
• Glucose tablets / gel
• Saline eye-wash bottles (250-500ml)
• Anaphylaxis recognition aide-memoire card

9. Emergency contact arrangements

• NHS 111: 111
• A&E: 999
• Local A&E address: ____________________
• Studio first aid lead (above): ____________________
• Owner / manager mobile (out of hours): ____________________

10. Specific protocols in place

• Needlestick injury protocol - posted in staff area
• Vasovagal fainting protocol - staff trained
• Anaphylactic reaction protocol - staff trained
• Severe bleeding protocol - staff trained
• Sharps disposal protocol - posted

11. Sign-off

Assessed by: ____________________
Date: ____________________
Signature: ____________________

Reviewed by all staff:

Name	Date	Signature

---

Adaptation notes for studios: tailor specific provisions to your studio's size, layout, services offered. Review annually and after any incident. See first aid in the studio for the full framework.