What Does an Emergency First Aid at Work Course Cover?

Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) is a one-day, Level 3 qualification that teaches workplace first aiders to handle the emergencies that matter most in the first few minutes: an unresponsive casualty, cardiac arrest (CPR and defibrillator), choking, serious bleeding, shock, seizures and common minor injuries. It is assessed practically on the day, and the certificate lasts three years. Most lower-risk workplaces, such as offices, shops and hospitality, train their first aiders at this level.

What EFAW covers

A regulated EFAW course follows a syllabus aligned with HSE guidance. Delegates learn to:

• Understand the role and responsibilities of a workplace first aider, including recording incidents
• Assess an incident safely and prioritise what to do first
• Manage an unresponsive casualty who is breathing normally (the recovery position)
• Manage an unresponsive casualty who is not breathing normally: CPR and safe use of an AED
• Help a casualty who is choking (see our choking guide)
• Control external bleeding and recognise and manage shock
• Help a casualty having a seizure
• Treat minor injuries: small cuts, grazes, bruises, minor burns and scalds, and splinters

Most of the day is practical. Delegates practise compressions on manikins, use a training defibrillator (see what an AED is), put each other in the recovery position and apply dressings. When we deliver on site we tailor scenarios to your workplace: a kitchen burn for a restaurant, a fall from steps for a warehouse office.

How long it takes and how it is assessed

EFAW runs over a single day, with at least six hours of training time, so a typical session fits a normal working day. Assessment is continuous and practical: the trainer watches each delegate perform the key skills, backed up by a short question paper. There is no revision or pre-course reading required.

What to wear and bring

Comfortable clothing you can kneel in, and flat shoes. We bring everything else: manikins, training defibrillators, dressings and course materials. On site, you just need a room with space to move and chairs for the group.

EFAW vs First Aid at Work

The three-day First Aid at Work (FAW) course covers everything in EFAW and adds a wider range of injuries and illnesses, including fractures, head and spinal injuries, chest injuries, eye injuries, poisoning, anaphylaxis, heart attack, stroke, asthma, diabetic emergencies and epilepsy. It suits higher-risk workplaces such as construction, warehousing and care. Your first aid needs assessment decides which you need, and our EFAW vs FAW guide walks through the choice.

After the course

Every successful delegate receives a certificate valid for three years. HSE recommends a short annual refresher in between to keep skills sharp, and renewing before expiry avoids having to retake the full course (see certificate renewal).

We deliver Emergency First Aid at Work on site across London for £550 per session, up to 12 staff, no VAT to add and nothing to pay to book. Request a free quote and we will confirm within 24 hours.