HSE requirements for first aid courses
Since 2013 the Health and Safety executive (HSE) does not approve any first aid courses or the training providers that teach them. This means businesses have more flexibility to choose what courses they need to meet their obligations.
It places businesses into a difficult position as it allows them to choose what they need but this comes at its own risk. If as a business, you do not choose the right course for your risks you could be faced with first aiders who do not know how to respond to your business needs which could open you up to liability. This is why it is important that you complete a risk assessment of your environment to determine what course is right for you.
Be wary of how a training provider teaches the first aid course, online only courses rarely offer enough knowledge and hands on experience to allow someone to feel confident and knowledgeable about what to do in an emergency.
The best types of courses are face to face or blended courses where you can still get practical demonstrations and more importantly a chance to have a go!
Accredited, CPD or neither?
There are three types of classifications of courses, these apply not just to first aid but to many courses you will likely find in the vocational education sector.
Accredited – This is the highest level of course. This means the course is controlled by an awarding body who has but a lot of time in certifying the course with OFQUAL the government education regulatory body. This shows the course content, and the quality assurance of the course is set at a high standard. An accredited qualification in some instances has UCAS points attributed to them. You will usually find the assessment of these courses is a lot stricter which is what gives the course its value.
CPD – These types of courses are similar in that they are validated by a specific organisation that reviews the content and assessments of the course. These CPD awarding bodies are not recognised institutions they are just companies who have built up popularity and renown for either being a provided of quality CPD courses or not. Always check the CPD providers as part of your due diligence.
Neither – An educational course does not need to be certified by anyone; you can offer a course as an educational institution in your own right. Offering a certificate for completion that is awarded by your own institution. The issue with these types of courses is that they are an unknown, you could be getting accredited level quality course, but you could also be getting a course that is not fit for purpose.
How do you tell which course is right for you?
There are two main types of courses for first aid, but there are actually 70+ different versions or subsection of these courses for specific needs.
1 day course – This is what we would consider the minimum requirement for a first aider. It is usually face to face and takes one day to complete. It covers a lot of the basics including CPR, Defibrillators, Burns, Wounds, and some conditions such as shocks and seizures.
3-day course – This course is designed for higher risk environments, if the business uses any heavy machinery or has a greater risk of loss of life or serious injury then they must complete this course. It covers the same fundamental basics as the 1-day course but includes increased knowledge of illnesses, treatments and some include tourniquets and advanced CPR measures.
Why choose us?
Our First aid courses are accredited qualifications from TQUK, who is an awarding body that has certified its courses with OFQUAL. We only do face to face course for first aid as it gives the real-life hands-on experience that is needed for first aid. We have highly trained staff within the organisation who teach these courses and offer real life explanations of what to do and how to do it.
Our courses are competitively priced, local to the Birmingham area and are all inclusive with lunch provided as part of the course.
