Course Genie
First Aid

Emergency First Aid at Work

Certified by HSE Approved Need help? 0300 030 1003
Pick a date that suits your team

Emergency First Aid at Work is run on demand — tell us when you'd like to attend and where, and we'll arrange a date and venue that works for you. Single delegates and group bookings both welcome.

UK-wide venues + online Group discounts available

Overview

Emergency First Aid at Work, universally shortened to EFAW, is the 1-day first aid qualification for UK workplaces. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require every employer to provide adequate first aid cover based on a needs assessment, and for lower-risk workplaces and smaller teams the EFAW-trained first aider is the standard answer.

The day is intensely practical. Delegates learn to manage an emergency scene and the priorities of casualty assessment, then practise the skills that save lives in the first minutes: CPR and safe use of a defibrillator, the recovery position, choking, serious bleeding, shock, burns and minor injuries. Assessment is continuous through the practical exercises, and the certificate is valid for three years.

Higher-risk environments, construction among them, generally need first aiders with the full First Aid at Work qualification, available here as a blended course; the HSE also recommends an annual refresher to keep skills current between renewals, and requalification before the three years expire via the FAW requalification course. Mental health cover is the parallel duty, met by the Mental Health First Aid course. Browse the cluster under first aid training.

Who this course is for

  • Nominated workplace first aiders in lower-risk environments
  • Offices, shops, warehouses and small teams meeting the 1981 Regulations
  • Construction and trade staff adding first aid cover to a site team
  • Managers building first aid cover across shifts and locations
  • Anyone who wants the confidence to act in the first minutes of an emergency

Requirements

  • No formal entry requirements
  • Delegates take part in floor-based practical work including CPR practice
  • Tell us in advance about anything that limits practical participation
  • A reasonable level of spoken and written English

What you'll achieve

  • The Emergency First Aid at Work certificate, valid for three years
  • Assessed competence in CPR and defibrillator use
  • Practical management of choking, bleeding, burns and shock
  • The ability to assess a casualty and prioritise correctly
  • Cover that satisfies the 1981 Regulations for lower-risk workplaces
  • A foundation for the full First Aid at Work qualification

Syllabus

The first aider role
Legal position, consent, hygiene and scene safety.
Casualty assessment
Primary survey and prioritising life threats.
CPR and AED
Resuscitation and safe defibrillator use, practised on manikins.
Airway emergencies
Choking and the recovery position.
Bleeding and shock
Serious bleeding control and shock management.
Burns and minor injuries
Immediate treatment and when to refer on.

Emergency First Aid at Work FAQs

For lower-risk workplaces such as offices and shops, usually yes. Your first aid needs assessment decides: higher-risk environments and larger workforces generally need first aiders holding the full First Aid at Work qualification as well.
Three years. Requalify before expiry, and the HSE strongly recommends an annual refresher to keep skills current in between.
The course follows the syllabus set out in HSE guidance for EFAW and is delivered by an accredited first aid training provider, so the certificate is accepted as evidence of compliance with the 1981 Regulations.
Continuously, through the practical exercises during the day. There is no written exam, and delegates who take part fully are rarely unsuccessful.
Yes. Safe AED use is practised alongside CPR, reflecting how widely defibrillators are now available in workplaces and public buildings.
It depends on your risk level, headcount, shifts and sites, and is set by your first aid needs assessment. As a rule of thumb, lower-risk workplaces need an EFAW first aider from around 25 people, and cover must survive leave and sickness.
Prices for the EFAW course vary by location, group size and whether you book a public date or an in-company course. Where live dates are shown at the top of this page, the price against each date is the full cost of a place. Otherwise send an enquiry from this page and we will come back within one working day with options and pricing.
Yes. EFAW works well delivered to a whole team at once, on site or at a venue near you, and in-company delivery is often the cheapest way to train several people. Request a quote through our <a href="/for-employers/">employer booking page</a>, with purchase order support included.
The course runs on demand as well as on any public dates shown at the top of this page. Send an enquiry with your preferred timing and location and we will confirm available options within one working day.

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