First-aid training

Bodies concerned with delivery of first-aid-at-work training

56 Some first-aid training providers choose to operate through voluntary accreditation schemes whose intention is to set and maintain standards which can help employers meet their legal requirements. These schemes are not mandatory and employers may decide to choose an independent training organisation, but these bodies may help employers select training organisations that offer a standard of training with appropriate content, suitable trainers and assessors, and relevant and robust quality assurance systems.

57 Some training providers offer ‘regulated qualifications. These are nationally recognised and can be obtained from a training centre for an ‘awarding organisation’ (AO). These AOs are recognised by national qualification regulators (Ofqual, SQA or Qualification Wales),* have dedicated policies and quality assurance processes and must approve and monitor their training centres to ensure training meets standards set by the national regulators. The regulators stipulate that AOs and their training centres must work in compliance with the Assessment Principles for First Aid Qualifications – see the SQA website www.sqa.org.uk.

58 Employers may obtain appropriate training from the Voluntary Aid Societies,† who together are acknowledged by HSE as one of the standard-setters for currently accepted first-aid practice (see paragraph 61) as far as they relate to the topics covered in FAW (Appendix 5) and EFAW (Appendix 6) training courses.

59 When an employer selects a training provider, they will need to be confident that the provider will deliver training with appropriate content (ie content identified as being appropriate within the needs assessment, and/or content in line with Appendices 5 and 6), use suitable trainers and assessors, and has relevant and robust quality assurance systems in place.4 (Similar quality standards are expected of all first-aid training providers including non-affiliated, independent first-aid training organisations.) All training providers should be able and prepared to demonstrate how they satisfy these criteria.

First aid at work: The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. Guidance on Regulations L74