Frequently asked questions

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide appropriate first-aid equipment, facilities, and personnel. Employers must conduct a first-aid needs assessment based on the nature of the work, number of employees, and workplace environment to determine the necessary level of provision.

The number of first aiders your workplace needs depends on your employer’s first-aid needs assessment. This assessment determines the required training level, the number of first aiders, and the frequency of training. (Use our First Aid Requirements Calculator for guidance.)

First Aid is a vital skill for everyone! Employers are legally required to provide adequate First Aid provisions in the workplace. For individuals, it’s a valuable addition to your CV and equips you to handle emergencies anytime, anywhere. Are you prepared to make a difference?

The first aid training course you need depends on the activities carried out in your workplace and the number of employees that you have (Low or High risk). This will help you determine what level of training is needed and how many staff will need to be trained. There are two levels of first aider in the work place • Emergency First Aider at Work (1-day)(javascript:void(0)) • First Aider at Work (3-day(javascript:void(0))

The 3-Day First Aid at Work (FAW) course meets Health & Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines and complies with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. It ensures your workplace has a fully qualified first aider. The qualification is valid for three years, with annual refresher training recommended to maintain skills and confidence. Students must pass an exam conducted by independent assessors.

The FAW requalifying course is a 2 Day course that updates the first aid skills for people who need to renew their statutory first aid at work qualification and whose existing qualification is still valid

Blended Learning combines traditional face-to-face training/assessment with remote training or e-Learning. With part of the course delivered online – usually the theory – and practical elements of the qualifications then being covered in the classroom. For example, a First Aid at Work course can be split into two sections, with 1/3 delivered online: • Day one: covering theory outside of the classroom – either via e-Learning or remote training through video conferencing • Day two & three: classroom-based delivery focussing on practical skills

Nurseries, crèches, child-minders and similar which come under the remit of OFSTED Early Years are usually required to have some staff trained on the two day First Aid For Child carers course. This is sometimes referred to as a Paediatric First Aid course. Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid (RQF)(javascript:void(0))

Yes!! We offer a 2 Day Paediatric First Aid course This course is for Early Years and EYFS Foundation stage staff and complies with the OFSTED requirements for first aid training in Early Years settings, this could include a nursery, school, child minder, crèche, after school club etc. The course can help you comply with an OFSTED inspection.

A UK standard first aid kit should typically include bandages, plasters, sterile wipes, and gloves. The exact contents should be based on your employer’s first-aid needs assessment. For detailed guidance, check our First Aid Kit Checklist on our website.

Although there is no specified review timetable, many items, particularly sterile ones, are marked with expiry dates. They should be replaced by the dates given and expired items disposed of safely. In cases where sterile items have no dates, it would be advisable to check with the manufacturers to find out how long they can be kept. For non-sterile items without dates, it is a matter of judgement, based on whether they are fit for purpose. All used items should be disposed of responsibly in yellow CLINICAL WASTE bags.

First aid at work does not include giving tablets or medicines to treat illness. The only exception to this is where Aspirin is used when giving first aid to a casualty with a suspected heart attack in accordance with currently accepted first-aid practice casualty should be asked if they are allergic to Aspirin. It is recommended that tablets and medicines should not be kept in the first-aid box. Some workers carry their own medication that has been prescribed by their doctor (Inhaler for Asthma). If an individual needs to take their own prescribed medication, the first-aider’s role is generally limited to helping them to do so and contacting the emergency services as appropriate. Medicines legislation restricts the administration of injectable medicines. Unless self-administered, they may only be administered by or in accordance with the instructions of a doctor (eg by a nurse). However, in the case of an Automatic Adrenalin Injector (AAI) (Epipen) there is an exemption to this restriction, which means in an emergency a layperson (First Aider) is permitted to administer it by injection for the purpose of saving life.