As an employer you are required by law to provide adequate and appropriate first aid courses, equipment, personnel and facilities to ensure your employees can be treated if they are ill or injured whilst at work. To do this you need to ensure you have individuals in your workforce who are fully trained and have attended first aid courses to ensure they can capably carry out their role.

How do you choose a first aid training course provider? What do you need to keep in mind? The first thing you need to do is carry out a full needs assessment of the first aid facilities you require, so you can assess the level of first aid required for your business. This will be dependent on factors such as the size of the workplace, the type of workplace and the different types of work activity which take place. A low-risk workplace such as an office should have a first aid box and an appointed first aider as a minimum for example but these needs grow as the size and activities of a company change. Once you have carried out a full assessment you will be able to work out how many trained first aid personnel you need and make your employees aware that they may be able to go on a first aid course.

A First Aid Course: The Employer’s Responsibility

Whilst the Health and Safety Executive play a key role in monitoring the safety of workplaces they no longer provide approval for first aid training courses or training organisations which means the responsibility of choosing a reliable provider is on you, the employer. Despite not providing approval for any organisations, the HSE has put together a full set of guidance on selecting a first aid training provider to give employers a little more support and this includes a range of criteria you should consider before selecting your provider including:

1. The qualifications expected of your potential assessors or trainers;
2. The monitoring and quality assurance system your chosen training company has in place;
3. The teaching standards they provide;
4. The full syllabus content;
5. The information which is provided on the course certificate on completion.

Most workplaces require either First Aid at Work Training or Emergency First Aid at Work Training, with the former of these courses required for any employee you want to be appointed as a Qualified First Aider in your workplace.

Choosing the Right First Aid Training Course Provider

Whenever you search for a new service provider, in any field, you should consider the same general questions. Do they have a good reputation? Do they provide a comprehensive and full account of what they have to offer (e.g. have a regularly updated website) and can you easily get in touch with them to ask further questions? Some providers may seem to offer a stellar service but if you can’t speak to a real representative of their company it can set off warning signals. First aid is a legal requirement in every workplace so it isn’t something you can just ignore. Ensuring you have fully trained first aid personnel on your premises at all times is essential and finding the right first aid courses to provide them with the necessary first aid training is essential too.