The First Aid at Work (FAW) course is the UK standard for company employees, as advised by the HSE. A First Aid Needs Assessment should be conducted by all UK companies and organisations to determine what First Aid provisions they should provide, including the number and contents of First Aid Kits, the number of First Aiders that should be available, and the level of training they should have. The First Aid Needs Assessment should take into account the number of employees and the risks present in the workplace. The 1-day Emergency First Aid at Work course is usually a sufficient level of training for smaller companies with low risk environments (e.g. shops, offices, libraries) but with larger organisations or higher risk environments (e.g. construction, warehouses, factories) it is recommended to have First Aiders trained in the full First Aid at Work (FAW).

The First Aid at Work course includes detailed life-saving training, including the use of AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillators). It also covers all types of physical injury and common illnesses that could occur to employees while at work. Training consists of a mixture of practical skills and visual presentations and we always ensure our trainees remain engaged and have plenty of regular breaks throughout the course. A more detailed list of what is covered by our training is included below.

Trainees will need to complete 3 full days of training, consisting of 8 hours of instruction per day, in line with HSE guidance. All our trainees are sent a confidential ILP (Individual Learning Plan) document to complete so we can understand and compensate for any physical or learning difficulties that may impact their experience with us. We are keen to ensure that every trainee can achieve their full potential and not be disadvantaged in any way.

All our courses are fully assessed so that trainees can be certified as First Aiders rather than certified as “Attended a Course in First Aid.” Legally, the latter certification means they cannot be called First Aiders because they have not demonstrated competence. Assessments are carried out through both practical and written examination. Practical skills are assessed continually throughout all 3 days and should a trainee fail to correctly demonstrate their skills they are reminded of the correct procedure and allowed to try again until they have achieved the required standard. Trainees' knowledge is assessed through a multiple-choice written exam at the end of the course. Should they not achieve the required mark they will be given the opportunity of trying again with an alternative exam which may be presented in a different format (e.g. as an oral exam). Our task is to prove that a trainee has the necessary understanding of first aid, not that they are good at exams, so we have many alternative measures in place to assist our trainees, which can be seen on our Inclusivity page. In the unlikely event that a trainee is not able to achieve the required standard they will be issued with a certificate of attendance instead.