Emergency First Aid at Work

EFAW is the shorter course for lower-risk workplaces and covers core life-saving skills. FAW is a longer qualification covering additional conditions and injuries, such as fractures, head injuries and eye injuries. Your employer's risk assessment decides which one is required, so check before booking.

Typically you complete a multiple-choice theory paper and are observed carrying out practical skills such as CPR, recovery position and bleeding control. You must pass both elements. The awarding body sets the exact assessment conditions, so confirm the format with your provider when you book.

Most EFAW courses run over one day, though the exact guided learning hours are set by the awarding body and can vary. Certificates are usually valid for three years, with an annual refresher recommended. Check the current requirements on your awarding body's website.

The theory is straightforward if you have read the material; the practical is where candidates lose marks. Common failures are shallow or badly paced compressions, forgetting to check for danger before approaching, poor hand placement on the AED pads, and not rechecking the casualty. Slow, deliberate practice fixes all of these.

Start with scene safety and summoning help, then unresponsive-but-breathing casualties and the recovery position. Move on to CPR, AED and choking, then bleeding and shock, minor injuries, medical emergencies, and finally kit and infection control. This mirrors the order you would act in a real incident.

Providers usually allow a reassessment, often on the same day or at a later date, and many offer extra coaching first. Policies differ between providers and awarding bodies, so ask yours in advance what happens and whether any fee applies.

Wear comfortable clothing you can kneel and move in, and expect to work on the floor. Read any pre-course material your provider sends. You do not need prior first aid knowledge, but familiarity with the recovery position, CPR sequence and AED use will make the day far less pressured.

These figures are set by the awarding body and can change, so they are not quoted here. Your training provider will tell you the current question count and pass mark, and the awarding body's website publishes the definitive assessment specification.

No. It is a training qualification showing you have been assessed against a recognised syllabus; it does not license you to practise as a healthcare professional. It also does not replace your employer's legal duty to assess risks and provide adequate first aid cover.

Attend an annual refresher, reread your course notes, and rehearse CPR and recovery position every few months. Skills such as compression depth and rate fade quickly without practice. Before your certificate expires, book a requalification course so your workplace cover is never interrupted.