How to Choose a First Aid Training Provider

These requirements are highlighted and outlined in the 1981 Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations.

Training is a necessity.  How do you know which training provider to choose?

These steps should help:

1) First-Aid Assessment

To decide what equipment, you need, you should undertake a first-aid needs assessment.

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 (e.g. members of the public).
• The minimum requirements is that you designate a person to take charge of first-aid arrangements. We recommend that this personal undergoes first-aid in the workplace training.

2) Choosing a First-Aid Training Provider

Here are some of the factors involved:

• How experienced are the trainers?  Are the trainers familiar with their subject, au fait with the latest developments?
• Is your potential training provider certified by a relevant governing body?
• Will the trainers be able to engage and make their points to your team?
• Can they understand your business and provide a tailored course that fits your needs?
• Does the provider look to cut costs by photocopying training material and certificates or do they only use original documents?
• How flexible are they regarding the date and location of your training?

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’.

Once you have gone through the Due Diligence process then book up your training!

Further Reading

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

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