Whether you’re looking for a short Emergency First Aid at Work or something a bit more specialist like Outdoor First Aid or First Aid for Sport, Exercise and Fitness, there are a multitude of options for individuals looking to gain life saving skills. Simply entering ‘first aid course’ on google provides a multitude of courses, options and routes to pick from.
How do you know what you’re getting is suitable?
National standards, guidance and best practice
It’s the duty of every employer to ensure their workplaces have appropriate first aid cover, which normally means having trained/qualified staff on site. First aid training is underpinned by national legislation and guidance, which is maintained by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The key documents for employers are GEIS3 and L74. As an absolute minimum employers must carry out their own due diligence on training providers to ensure their staff will be trained and assessed appropriately (see GEIS3) (There are some instances where this doesn’t apply e.g., Regulated First Aid qualifications).
National standards are also voluntarily agreed, via the First Aid Quality Partnership, a group including, representatives from Awarding Organisations, Voluntary Aid Sector organisations, Police, HSE and First Aid Industry Body (FAIB).