Are you an employer comparing first aid training providers?
If you are, you have a legal responsibility to provide first-aid equipment and facilities. Further, you must ensure that your employees can receive immediate medical attention if they are injured or ill at work.
To do this, you’ll need a choose an appropriate first aid training provider and perform ‘Due Diligence’ to ensure your this provider is competent.
Are you an employer who is confused by what the above even means?
We’re here to help. Simply watch our helpful video and read the simple steps listed below and all your first aid training problems will be solved.
Step 1: First-Aid Assessment
In order to decide what equipment you need, you should undertake a first-aid needs assessment.
You can download our helpful risk assessment cheatsheet here.
Look around your working environment and identify the hazards and risks that may be present. The HSE advises that you consider:
- the nature of the work you do
- workplace hazards and risks (including specific hazards requiring special arrangements)
- the nature and size of your workforce
- the work patterns of your staff
- holiday and other absences of those who will be first-aiders and appointed persons
- your organisation’s history of accidents
You may also need to consider:
- the needs of travelling, remote and lone workers
- the distribution of your workforce
- the remoteness of any of your sites from emergency medical services
- whether your employees work on shared or multi-occupancy sites
- first-aid provision for non-employees (eg members of the public).
The minimum requirements is that you designate a person to take charge of first-aid arrangements. We recommend that this person undergoes first aid in the workplace training at a minimum.
Step 2: Choose Potential First-Aid Training Providers
Your next step is to shortlist first-aid training providers.
At the First Aid Training Co-operative, we make fulfilling your company’s legal requirements easy and hassle free. We provide a number of options for you including our extensive range of both private and public courses.
Our private courses are tailored to your needs and can take place either in your place of work or a venue of your choice.
Our highly experienced, approachable and professional trainers ensure that our courses are memorable and easily applicable. With outstanding client feedback and years of experience, we make First Aid Training convenient, relevant and, most importantly, life-saving.
Step 3: Due Diligence
Since October 2013, the HSE has stopped issuing ‘training numbers’, to first aid training companies. This now means that employers who need first aid training are required to ensure that their chosen provider is competent. This is known as ‘Due Diligence’.
Work your way through the list of questions below. Your first aid training provider should have simple answers to all these questions:
- Do the trainers/assessors have a current FAW certificate?
- Do the trainers/assessors have an appropriate training/assessing qualification?
- Is there a documented quality assurance plan designating an individual to take responsibility for quality assurance, including assessment of the performance of trainers/assessors at least annually?
- Does the designated person have a current FAW certificate?
- Does the designated person have an assessing/verifying qualification?
- Is there a documented course evaluation procedure?
- Is there a documented complaints procedure?
- Is FAW/EFAW taught in accordance with current guidelines on adult basic life support published by the Resuscitation Council (UK), and for other aspects of first aid, in accordance with current guidelines published by the Voluntary Aid Societies?
- Does the course content adequately meet the needs of your workplace as indicated by your first-aid needs assessment?
- For FAW, does the syllabus include the topics in Appendix 1 & does the course include at least 18 contact hours, over 3 days?
- For FAW requalification, does the syllabus include the topics in Appendix 1 & does the course last at least 12 contact hours, over 2 days?
- For EFAW, does the syllabus include the topics listed in Appendix 2 and does the course last 6 contact hours?
- For EFAW requalification, does the syllabus include the topics listed in Appendix 2 and does the course last at least 6 contact hours?
- Do the certificates issued to students assessed as competent contain the name of the training organisation, the title of the qualification (eg FAW or EFAW), reference to the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, the date of issue and confirmation the certificate is valid for three years
Step 4: Arrange Training
Finally, book your training, knowing you’ve reached your legal requirements. Congratulations!
References:
- First aid at work: The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/L74.htm
- Selecting a first-aid training provider A guide for employers http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/geis3.pdf
Further reading:
- First aid at work: Your questions answered Leaflet INDG214(rev1) HSE Books 2009 www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg214.htm
- Basic advice on first aid at work Leaflet INDG347(rev2) HSE Books 2011 www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg347.htm
- HSE’s first aid at work website: www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid