The purpose of First Aid is to provide immediate assistance in an emergency before the arrival of a medical professional.  In the workplace this means employers should do all they can to reduce the effects of injury or illness at work, even if these were not caused by the work itself.  HSE says that any First Aid provision should be ‘adequate and appropriate’ for your circumstances.  They recommend employers complete a quick and easy ‘First Aid Needs Assessment’ to help them decide on the best type of training for their staff.

There are 4 levels of First Aider / training:

1. Appointed person – hasn’t completed a first aid course but is responsible for managing first aid supplies and making emergency calls
2. Emergency First Aider at Work (EFAW) – 1 day basic training for life-threatening conditions
3. First Aider at Work (FAW) – 3 day comprehensive training covering life-threatening conditions AND illness/injury in the workplace
4. Additional training – where the contents of an EFAW or FAW course are not enough for your situation e.g paediatric training, outdoor first aid or forestry first aid; examples are included in the table below.

Workplace courses are suitable for anyone, including those who juts want to increase their first aid skill and knowledge, or use in a community or volunteering role.   Basic first aid training is not sufficient for you to take the role of first aider in a workplace situation – the table below shows which courses are appropriate for the workplace.  All courses are regulated and accredited, following the current guidelines set out by Resuscitation Council UK and First Aid Awarding Organisations Forum (FAAOF).  The syllabus for workplace courses is advised by HSE and FAAOF in line with current Resuscitation Council requirements.