HSE First Aid at Work

First Aid at Work:

This course is for any learner who needs to be qualified as a work places full first aider within The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 – the employer should have carried a first aid needs risk assessment to determine there first aid needs, more information can be obtained from or for anyone who has the need to be qualified in the area of First Aid at Work.

It should be remembered that any one who is placed on a course for work purposes should be done so with consultation with the employee, and such things as a person’s physical and psychological health should be taken into consideration. It should be remembered that learners will have to carry out practical sessions in areas such as cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), recovery position and bandaging, and they will be assessed in these areas. And will therefore be necessary for them to be physically able to carry out these practical sessions. It is also important to remember that the subjects taught on a First Aid at Work course might bring up emotional issues for learners, e.g. it is not uncommon for a learner to have witnessed a close relative or friend have some of the conditions on the course syllabus such as heart attacks and strokes.

The course can only be delivered by organisations that are licensed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to deliver First Aid at Work courses (Cognet’s number 1179/92). A list of approved training organisations can be found at:

The duration of the course is usually over 3 days (no less) or over 18 hours spread over a maximum of 13 weeks (each session no less than 2 hours). The course ends with the learner being independently assessed in their practical skills and knowledge of the subject area. Certificates are valid for three years and to be kept in date they must be re-qualified prior to expiry date, there is now a provision for learners to re-qualify within a period of 28 days following the expiry date. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) now recommends that anyone who has a First Aid at Work qualification undertakes a half day up-date course annually to update and refresh their practical skills, it should be remembered that this is a recommendation and is not compulsory.

The course covers the following subject areas: acting safely – promptly and effectively in an emergency, cardio pulmonary resuscitation, treatment of the unconscious casualty, wounds and bleeding, shock, minor injuries, preventing cross infection, record keeping, fractures, sprains and strains, spinal injury, chest injury, burns and scalds, eye injuries, poisoning, anaphylaxis, heart attack, stoke, epilepsy, asthma, diabetes. It should be remembered that if a workplace has any risks not included in the First Aid at Work syllabus e.g. use of oxygen or specific hazards such as cyanide poisoning then these subjects must be taught as an adjunct following the First Aid at Work course.

When attending the course it is recommended that learners dress appropriately for a course that will require learner participation in practical demonstrations and floor based activities. Should the learner have any anxieties around learning and taking assessments, then the trainer should be made aware of these in private at the start of the course in order to modify teaching and assessing tools and methods.

On successful completion of the course the learner should be able to deal safely, effectively and confidently with first aid situations that might arise in the workplace – helping to ensure a safe and healthy workplace, ensuring that the work place continues to meet its responsibilities within the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.


First Aid at Work Re-qualification:

This course is for any learner who needs to re-qualify their First Aid at Work qualification. Their current First Aid at Work certificate must still be in date (or no longer than 28 days from the date of expiry). The learner should take a copy of their certificate with them at the start of the course in order to prove that they meet the criteria of the requalification course. It is also a good time for the employer to re visit the First Aid needs risk assessment to make any amendments; further information can be obtained from:

Again it should be remembered that any one who is placed on a course for work purposes should be done so with consultation with the employee, and such things as a person’s physical and psychological health should be taken into consideration. It should be remembered that learners will have to carry out practical sessions in areas such as cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), recovery position and bandaging, and they will be assessed in these areas. And will therefore be necessary for them to be physically able to carry out these practical sessions. It is also important to remember that the subjects taught on a First Aid at Work course might bring up emotional issues for learners, e.g. it is not uncommon for a learner to have witnessed a close relative or friend have some of the conditions on the course syllabus such as heart attacks and strokes.