Emergency First Aid vs First Aid at Work
Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) and First Aid at Work (FAW) are the two main training courses for individuals and organisations looking to improve their knowledge or meet their legal safety obligations. The difference between these qualifications could impact how your team responds during a workplace emergency.
Choosing between basic emergency first aid and more comprehensive first aid training depends largely on your specific workplace risks. First aid courses vary in depth, First Aid at Work offers more advanced first aid training and covers a much broader range of scenarios than Emergency First Aid at Work training. While EFAW takes just one day to complete, first aid at work is three full days of training. Both courses provide essential skills, but where you work and your risk assessment will determine which one is the most appropriate for your needs.
First Aid Needs in the Workplace
Here in the UK, the law places specific obligations on employers to provide appropriate first aid arrangements.
Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981
Every employer in the UK must comply with the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, regardless of company size, including those with fewer than five employees and the self-employed.
Employers have a number of responsibilities under these regulations:
- Ensure injured or ill employees receive immediate medical attention
- Conduct a first aid needs assessment of the workplace
- Provide first aid training to employees
- Supply adequate first aid facilities, equipment and personnel
While it’s not legally required, the Health and Safety Executive do strongly recommend making sure you have first aid provision for non-employees such as members of the public or visitors.
What is a First Aid Needs Assessment?
A first aid needs assessment is an evaluation that helps employers determine what qualifies as “adequate and appropriate” first aid provision for their specific workplace. The assessment examines the circumstances of your workplace and identifies potential health and safety risks.
When you’re carrying out a first aid needs assessment, you need to think about:
- The type of work, hazards and risks, size of the workforce, work patterns, distribution of the workplace
- Previous accidents and incidents
- Holiday and other absences of first aiders, needs of remote/travelling/lone workers
- Employees on shared sites, distance from emergency medical services
Your needs assessment needs to examine hazard levels—from low-level risks like those in offices to higher-level hazards involving chemicals, electricity or dangerous machinery – examining accident history can give you an insight into likely future first aid needs.
When is a First Aider Legally Required?
The minimum requirement for all workplaces is to appoint a person to take responsibility for the first aid needs of the workplace. The “appointed person” is responsible for managing first aid equipment and facilities and calling emergency services when needed. However, a lot of workplaces need trained first aiders and the number of first aiders depends on workplace risk levels:
For low-hazard workplaces (offices, shops, libraries):
- Fewer than 25 employees: At least one appointed person
- 25-50 employees: At least one first-aider trained in EFAW
- More than 50 employees: At least one first-aider trained in FAW for every 100 employees
For higher-hazard workplaces (engineering, food processing, warehousing, construction):
- Fewer than 5 employees: At least one appointed person
- 5-50 employees: At least one first-aider trained in EFAW or FAW, depending on potential injuries
- More than 50 employees: At least one first-aider trained in FAW for every 50 employees
Workplaces with more significant health and safety risks are more likely to require staff with advanced first aid training. First aiders must always have valid in-date first aid training certificates, and it’s your responsibility to make sure someone is available to provide or arrange first aid when the designated first aider is not around..
So, Emergency First Aid or First Aid at Work?
The level of first aid training has a direct impact on which emergencies your workplace can effectively handle.
The Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) is a one-day training programme that provides essential first aid skills. This 6-hour course is structured for low-risk workplaces including offices, retail environments, and hospitality venues. The course provides a solid foundation in essential first aid skills, ensures compliance with HSE requirements for lower-risk environments and is valid for three years.
EFAW training tends to be more suitable for smaller retail stores and office environments, where the likelihood of serious incidents is usually lower, but is still comprehensive enough to equip employees with the skills necessary to respond correctly in emergency situations.
In contrast, the First Aid at Work (FAW) qualification delivers a more thorough curriculum through a 3-day training programme. This qualification is more advanced than the EFAW option and has been designed for employees working in medium to high-risk environments, ranging from construction sites and warehouses to manufacturing facilities.
This course covers all the elements from the EFAW training course plus more complex medical emergencies and conditions, practical skills training through hands-on scenarios, and generally a deeper understanding of first aid principles and practices.
Similar to EFAW, the FAW qualification remains valid for three years.
What Each Training Course Covers
The EFAW course focuses on essential emergency skills required to handle life-threatening situations until professional help arrives. This one-day training covers six core areas:
- CPR techniques for adults and the safe use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
- Managing an unconscious casualty
- Recognising the signs of choking and appropriate procedures
- Wound management and bleeding control
- Identifying the signs of shock and providing appropriate care
- Minor injuries such as small cuts, grazes, burns, scalds and splinters
- Preventing cross-infection, recording incidents, and using available equipment
First Aid at Work builds upon EFAW foundations with more comprehensive coverage of workplace injuries and medical conditions.
- Assessing and treating of fractures, sprains, strains and dislocations
- The severity and treatment of burns and scalds
- Specific medical conditions including heart attacks, strokes, epilepsy, asthma and diabetes
- Recognising and responding to anaphylaxis, including use of adrenaline auto-injectors
- Head, eye and spinal injuries
- Chest injuries
- Poisoning and chemical exposure
Practical Training and Real-Life Scenarios
Both first aid qualifications prioritise hands-on practical training components allowing participants to engage in:
- Practical demonstrations of techniques
- Role-playing emergency scenarios
- Hands-on practise with first aid equipment
- Continuous assessment by qualified instructors
These practical elements make sure first aiders can apply their knowledge in real-world situations.
Certification Validity and Requalification
Both Emergency First Aid at Work and First Aid at Work certifications remain valid for three years from the date of completion. When it expires, first aiders are no longer considered competent to act as workplace first aiders. This means you need to keep track of certification dates and arrange retraining before certificates expire.
FAW Requalification: 2-Day Course
For experienced first aiders holding an existing FAW qualification, a shorter 2-day First Aid at Work Requalification Course is available instead of repeating the full 3-day training. This streamlined option covers the same content as the initial FAW course but in a condensed timeframe. However this is only a valid option if you re-qualify before your current certificate expires (or less than a month has passed). After a month, HSE recommends completing the full 3-day course instead. EFAW holders, on the other hand, must retake the complete 1-day course to requalify.
Annual Refresher Training
The HSE also recommends that all qualified first aiders undertake annual first aid refresher training. This half-day session helps maintain skills and confidence between formal certifications and keeps first aiders updated on any procedural changes.
Choosing between EFAW and FAW
Making the decision to attend the Emergency First Aid at Work or the First Aid at Work training course ultimately depends on your specific workplace risk assessment. Low-risk environments such as offices and retail shops generally benefit from the one-day EFAW qualification, which equips staff with essential life-saving skills at a lower cost. Higher-risk workplaces like construction sites and manufacturing facilities need people to attend (and successfully complete) the comprehensive three-day FAW training. Both qualifications remain valid for three years.
First aid training is about more than compliance. Having properly trained First Aiders delivers genuine workplace benefits. Responding confidently during emergencies can potentially reduce injury severity and even save lives. Whichever training course you choose, you need to make sure that your workplace maintains sufficient first aid coverage. The right training equips your team to handle emergencies effectively until professional medical help arrives—a capability that proves invaluable during those critical first minutes following an accident or sudden illness.
STS First Aid have courses that will equip you staff with the first aid skills to respond when faced with an emergency. Courses are designed to be both enjoyable and educational. Get in touch to learn more and download of training schedule for 2025 at the top of this page.
