Emergency Contact Cards

When someone is hurt, the first person to reach them needs to know who they are and who to call. An emergency contact card in a wallet or on a lanyard answers both, without anyone having to unlock a phone.

CP Cards prints emergency contact and ICE (in case of emergency) cards for employers with lone workers, schools running trips, sports clubs, youth organisations and expedition groups. Manufactured in England since 1992.

Printed or written on

The first option is a personalised card. Send us a spreadsheet and each card is printed with the holder’s name and their own emergency contacts. It is tidy and legible, and there is nothing for the holder to fill in.

The second is a write-on card: printed with your organisation’s details and the procedure to follow, plus a write-on panel where the holder adds their own contacts in ordinary pen. It suits groups whose details change often, and people who would rather not send their contacts to anyone.

What organisations add

• An emergency line or out of hours number
• The procedure a lone worker should follow if they need help
• Trip or expedition leader phone numbers
• The organisation’s name and address, for the emergency services

Wallet, lanyard or rucksack

Cards are standard 86 x 54mm to fit a wallet, or we punch a slot or hole so they sit behind an ID badge on a lanyard. A 54 x 29mm key fob version clips onto a rucksack zip for expeditions and field work.

Handling personal details

An emergency contact card carries personal data, and medical details are special category data under UK GDPR, which needs a specific lawful basis and extra care. The ICO’s guidance on special category data explains the conditions.

The simplest route is often the write-on card. The holder decides what goes on it, and the organisation never has to collect the details or send them to a printer.

Why a plastic card

Emergency cards spend months in a wallet or on a lanyard before anyone needs them. Paper softens, ink smudges, and a phone number with a missing digit is no use to anyone. PVC keeps its print legible, and a card that has been rained on all day on a hillside still reads.

Content reviewed by the CP Cards team, September 2026.

Printed for employers, schools and clubs

Emergency contact cards are printed alongside the membership cards and ID cards we produce for clubs, schools and employers across the UK. You approve a free photorealistic proof before we print, and our design team can set out the procedure clearly if you send us the wording.

Emergency Contact Card FAQs

Can each card be printed with a different name and emergency contact?

Yes. Send a spreadsheet and every card is printed with its own details.

Can holders write their own contacts on the card?

Yes. A write-on panel can be added that takes an ordinary pen.

Can the cards go on a lanyard?

Yes. We can punch a 15 x 3mm slot or a 5mm hole so the card sits on a lanyard or behind an ID badge.

Should medical details go on the card?

That is for your organisation and the holder to decide. Medical details are special category data under UK GDPR, so many organisations leave them for the holder to write on.