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HSE approved First Aid at Work (FAW)

Course Overview
This course has been designed to meet all of the requirements of the Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. The course therefore covers all of the necessary theory and practical skills that you may need if you are asked to care for someone who has a sudden illness or an injury.
Who should attend
This course will be ideal for you if you need to be an HSE approved “Qualified First Aider’ in your workplace or if you would like to attend a comprehensive first aid course for any other reason. Many people attend the course simply because they want to know how to do first aid.
What you will learn
The course will give you the essential knowledge, skills and confidence to deal with any injury (or sudden illness) in a safe, prompt and effective way.
Learning Group
The maximum number of people that the H.S.E allows on a course is twelve per instructor. However, we tend to teach smaller groups (i.e. usually six to eight people) so the instructor is able to make sure that you understand everything and that you are 100% competent.
Course Duration
We usually deliver the course over three consecutive days. However, when necessary, if enough people are in the learning group we can also deliver the course over a longer period – e.g. Monday, Wednesday and Friday or over two/three weekends or over several weeks.
HSE approved First Aid at Work (FAW)
Course Content
The course includes the following topics...
- The Role of a Qualified First Aider
- Simple record keeping, RIDDOR and COSHH
- Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines
- Casualty Management - Initial Assessment
- Secondary Assessment (Top-to-Toe Survey)
- Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- Internal and External Bleeding
- Fractures and Dislocations
- Burns and Scalds
- Anaphylactic Shock (Severe allergic reaction)
- Stroke (CVA), Compression, Concussion, Poisoning, Eye Injuries... and more!
- The Accident Book
- First Aid Kits and Infection Control
- Managing an Incident
- The Unconscious Casualty
- The Recovery Position
- Choking (Recognition and Treatment)
- Shock (Recognition and Treatment)
- Sprains and Strains
- Heart Attack and Angina
- Epilepsy, Asthma and Diabetes
Assessment and Certification
After successfully completing a written test and three practical assessments, on the last day of the course, you will receive an Alpha Medical HSE approved certificate that will allow you to be an HSE Qualified First Aider for three years. A two day re-qualification course will then be necessary, every three years, if you wish to stay qualified. However, we strongly recommend that you update your skills on an annual basis by attending one of our one-day refresher courses.
Candidate Requirements
All course participants should ideally be fairly fit and healthy because practical work is involved – including floor work. You must also attend all of the course to be eligible for the assessments.
Course Location and Course Fees
Our main training facilities are in Chelmsford (Essex) but we also use venues in Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, London and other areas. In fact, over the years, we have delivered numerous courses all over the UK including Scotland and Wales. In addition, we are able to use teach on-site courses if your premises is suitable for the course – i.e. complies with HSE rules. If you would like Alpha Medical to teach a course in your workplace sufficient floor area is essential. Course fees depend on how many people you want to book on a course and where you would like the training to be delivered. However, generally speaking, although our courses are taught by healthcare professionals our fees are similar to (or even less than) the fees charged by St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross.
Why Choose Alpha Medical For Your Training?
Most HSE courses are taught by ‘first aid instructors’; Alpha Medical uses experienced healthcare professionals - e.g. Paramedics and Nurses. Our course fee includes unlimited free refreshments. We also give you your own uncontaminated resuscitation manikin (i.e. Little Anne) to use for the whole course. We have taught thousands of people since 1997 and they keep coming back to us!