The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have launched updated versions of the following documents:
L74 – Guidance on The Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981
GEIS 3 – Selecting a First Aid Training Provider – A Guide for Employers
The full documents can be accessed through the links above.
The most significant change in the First Aid Regulations (third edition which was published in 2013 and reissued with minor amendments in 2015, 2018 and 2024) relates to the emphasis the HSE now places on employers to consider employee’s mental health in their first aid needs assessment.
The HSE state:
It may also be helpful to have people trained to identify and understand mental ill health symptoms who are able to support someone who is experiencing a mental health issue. You may decide that someone with an FAW or EFAW qualification is already able to provide initial support and reassurance to a worker experiencing an acute mental health episode, but you should consider if any further training is required. You should be satisfied that they:
■ know how to access professional help if necessary;
■ can act promptly, safely and effectively until that help is available.
[L74, note 6]
The guidance also seeks to simplify the process for deciding what level of first aid trained personnel are required and allows for selection of specialist first-aid training for the purposes of work, e.g. in the outdoor industry, so long as you have ensured that the training provider meets the criteria set out in GEIS 3.
Underwood Training is able to provide a range of First Aid for Mental Health (FAMH) courses which will support existing first aiders or other nominated persons with confidence to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and how to access support for a colleague in need. Note: FAMH are not trained to be counsellors as part of their training, but to recognise issues, keep someone safe and to signpost/access appropriate assistance, in a similar way to a physical first aider would for someone who is injured or suddenly unwell. The additional take aways are learning how to spot and manage stress and decreasing stigma around mental health (we all have it after all, so why is there this stigma in society?!). The Level 2 First Aid for Mental Health qualification is our most popular course.
Our Outdoor Incident Management First Aid course covers the entire First Aid at Work (FAW) syllabus plus additional relevant topics for those persons who work in outdoor and remote environments. As standard we try to give context to each and every candidate on our courses and relate the training to their workplace situation, for example if your workers use harnesses or other PPE, we will incorporate this into their training, we will expand the ‘water related issues’ module when candidates work in/around water.
If you have questions pertaining to the updates in legislation and how they affect your business feel free to contact us for assistance with a free first aid needs assessment update.
EYFS – the standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 has also been updated; for the full information use the following link: Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statuatory Framework.
Childminders: the requirement for childminders to display a paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate has been removed, instead these are available on request (Section 3, Paediatric first aid)
Schools: a clarification made on the wording on the validity of paediatric first aid (PFA) certificates (Section 3, Paediatric first aid)
Key takeaways pertaining to first aid:
The guidance states:
Paediatric First Aid
3.29 At least one person who has a current paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate must be on the premises and available at all times when children are present and must accompany children on outings. The certificate must be for a full course consistent with the criteria set out in Annex A. PFA training19 must be renewed every three years and be relevant for people caring for young children and babies.
19 Providers are responsible for identifying and selecting a competent training provider to deliver their PFA training. Training is available from a wide range of providers including: those who offer regulated qualifications; or the Voluntary Aid Societies (St John Ambulance, the British Red Cross and St Andrew’s First Aid who together are acknowledged by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as one of the standard-setters for currently accepted first aid practice for first aid at work training courses); or those who operate under voluntary accreditation schemes; or one that is a member of a trade body with an approval and monitoring scheme; or those who operate independently of any such accreditation scheme. The Register of Regulated Qualifications may help providers identify PFA providers, which can be found at: http://register.ofqual.gov.uk/qualification . It may also be helpful to read HSE’s guidance about choosing a first aid training provider, which can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/geis3.htm
Our Paediatric First Aid courses are fully EYFS compliant and can be attended through our open course programme or group courses can be arranged on request.