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IMPORTANT CHANGES TO THE FIRST AID AT WORK REGULATIONS

From 1st October 2009 the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) have made some important changes to the First Aid at Work Regulations.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), carried out an evaluation of first aid in the workplace and found that ‘although first aid awareness and penetration in workplaces was good, compliance was found to be more “in spirit” rather than the letter of the regulations and this exposed some important deficiencies in the format and content of guidance and in the proportionality of the current regulatory requirements for lower risk employees’. .

The changes have been developed in consultation with employers and training providers and it is hoped that the new format will make it easier for employers to comply with the regulations.

When will it change & what are the changes?

The changes will come into effect on Thursday 1 October 2009.

The current initial Four Day First Aid at Work (FAW) course will be shortened to three days and there will be a new qualification of Emergency First Aider in the Workplace (EFAW) that will require a one day training course (6 Hours).

The FAW Requalification stays at two days.

Both the New First Aid at Work including the 2 Day Requalifier and Emergency First Aider in the Workplace Courses will be Approved by the HSE and must be taught by an HSE Approved First Aid Training Provider.

These changes however do not affect training for Appointed Persons which may still be taught by non-HSE approved training providers.

Is my current FAW certificate still valid after 1st October?

Yes, even if the expiry date is after 1 October 2009.

On 1 April 2009 the HSE confirmed that the First aid at work course will be similar to the current version in content, but will be covered in three days, not four. Recent simplification of first aid protocols, including CPR and casualty movement, mean that less time is needed to teach these and other subjects. The teaching techniques used by First Aid Works highly skilled trainers will ensure your First Aiders will continue to be trained to the highest standards demanded by the HSE.

You will need to maintain trained First Aiders in your workplace between now and October 2009. The HSE published their guidance for first aid training providers on 1 April, 2009 and the content of course after 1 October is very similar to the First aid at work course already being taught. The current qualification taken before 1st October will still be valid for three years from the date it was taken.

Is refresher training Mandatory?

The simple answer is no. But the HSE guidelines strongly recommend that FAW and EFAW students attend an annual three hour refresher course.
The HSE recognises that skills can fade during the three year validity of current certificates and therefore strongly recommends a three hour Annual refresher course at the end of both the first and second year of your First aid at work qualification.

You do not need an Annual refresher in the third year as you will do a requalification course to renew your certificate.

What is the difference between a first aider in the workplace and an emergency first aider in the workplace?

Employers are required to carry out a risk assessment to decide on the numbers of First Aiders required and the level of training needed.

EFAW training enables a first-aider to give emergency first aid to someone who is injured or becomes ill while at work.  FAW training includes EFAW and also equips the first-aider to apply first aid to a range of specific injuries and illness.

Employers should use the findings of their first aid needs assessment to help them decide whether first-aiders should be trained in FAW or EFAW.  If the needs of the workplace require FAW trained first-aiders to be provided, it is not an acceptable alternative to provide EFAW trained first-aiders.


First Aiders with a First aid at work certificate will be required in higher risk sites or places with a large workforce or a higher perceived level of risk; lower risk may only require Emergency First Aid in the Workplace trained staff, but this will depend on the needs that a risk assessment identifies.

When assessing specific needs, you need to consider:

1          Workplace hazards and risks

2          The size of the organisation

3          The organisation’s history of accidents

4          The nature and distribution of the workforce

5          The remoteness of the site from emergency medical services

6 The needs of travelling, remote and lone workers

7 Employees working on shared or multi-occupied sites

8 Annual leave and other absences of first aiders and appointed persons.

The HSE will provide updated guidance for employers on 1 October 2009 on how many First Aiders will be

required depending on the size and nature of your organisation.

Remember these changes will be implemented on 1st October 2009