First Aid At Work (3-Day)

First Aid at Work training delivered at your workplace. Three focused, practical days. The full workplace first aid qualification for higher-risk environments, larger workforces, and anywhere a first aid needs assessment identifies the need for a fully qualified first aider.

QUALIFICATION: First Aid at Work (FAW)
DURATION 3 days / 18 guided learning hours	DELIVERY Face-to-face only	GROUP SIZE Max 12 learners
CERTIFICATE Accredited First Aid at Work	VALIDITY 3 years / Annual refresher recommended	AWARDING BODIES Worksafe / FAIB (Nuco and Highfield on request)
Meets Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and HSE Approved Code of Practice L74. All content reflects the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines

Course Overview

First Aid at Work is the qualification that takes a designated first aider from aware to genuinely ready. Over three focused, practical days, learners develop the knowledge, clinical understanding, and hands-on competence to respond to the full range of workplace emergencies, not just the common ones but the serious ones too. The ones that escalate quickly require clear thinking under pressure, and the outcome depends on whether the right person was in the right place with the right training.

The difference between a one-day emergency first aid course and a three-day First Aid at Work qualification is not just time. It is depth. The full FAW covers a significantly wider range of conditions, requires demonstrated competency across every element, and builds the kind of confident, structured decision-making that only comes from sustained practical learning over multiple days.

One of our learners used their training to recognise the signs of hypoglycaemia in a colleague at work. They understood what was happening, knew what to do, and acted immediately. Their colleague survived because of it. That is not what happened because someone passed a one-day awareness course. That is what happened because their trainer made sure they genuinely understood the content, and because the qualification gave them the breadth of knowledge to recognise a medical emergency that many people mistake for something else entirely.

This course meets the requirements of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and the HSE Approved Code of Practice L74 for higher-risk workplaces where a full first aid at work qualification is the appropriate outcome of a first aid needs assessment. All content reflects the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines.

Course Details

Duration: 3 days (18 guided learning hours)
Delivery: Face-to-face only, at your venue
Certificate: Accredited First Aid at Work
Awarding organisations: Worksafe, FAIB. Nuco and Highfield available on request.
Validity: 3 years. Annual refresher strongly recommended.
Group size: Maximum 12 learners per trainer

Who This Course Is For

This course is right for any organisation where a first aid needs assessment has identified that a full First Aid at Work qualification is required.

Construction, manufacturing, engineering, and logistics environments where the risk profile and injury potential demand a higher level of first aid competence
Schools, colleges, and nurseries
Care providers and healthcare settings
Warehousing and distribution centres
Hospitality, leisure, and large event environments
Any organisation where risk assessment identifies the need for fully qualified first aiders rather than appointed persons or emergency first aiders

If you are unsure whether your workplace needs EFAW or FAW, our EFAW vs FAW guide and Workplace First Aid UK Guide cover the decision in detail. Not sure which level is right? Get in touch, and we’ll help you work it out before you commit.

The Legal Requirement

Under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, every employer has a legal duty to make adequate and appropriate first aid provision for their employees. The HSE Approved Code of Practice L74 sets out how that duty is met, beginning with a first aid needs assessment that determines the level of provision appropriate for each workplace. For higher-risk environments, larger workforces, or settings with significant physical hazards, that assessment will in most cases identify the need for fully qualified first aiders holding the FAW qualification.

Cardiac arrest survival rates fall by approximately 10% for every minute without CPR and defibrillation. In a higher-risk workplace where serious incidents can happen quickly, a trained first aider who acts immediately is the single most significant factor in the outcome. But cardiac arrest is one scenario among many. A colleague is showing signs of hypoglycaemia. A worker with a crush injury is developing shock. A person having a seizure for the first time. The First Aid at Work qualification prepares first aiders for all of these, not just the most visible emergencies.

Online-only first aid training does not meet the legal requirement. Practical competencies must be physically assessed. We’ve covered this in detail: Why Online-Only First Aid Training Is Not Compliant for Workplaces.

What the Three Days Cover

All content reflects the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines and HSE L74 throughout. Every course is built to include industry-specific scenarios and your organisation’s reporting systems as standard. Topics covered across the three days include:

The role, responsibilities, and legal duties of a workplace first aider
Incident management, scene safety, and dynamic risk assessment
Primary survey and recovery position
Adult CPR and AED use, including correct pad placement
Choking: partial and complete obstruction
Wounds, bleeding, and wound management, including severe haemorrhage
Shock: recognition and first aid management
Burns, scalds, and eye injuries
Minor injuries, including cuts, grazes, and splinters
Fractures, dislocations, and soft tissue injuries
Head and spinal injuries
Chest injuries
Seizures
Asthma attacks
Diabetic emergencies, including hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia
Heart attack and stroke
Anaphylaxis awareness
Poisoning
Accident reporting and RIDDOR awareness
Continuous practical assessment throughout all three days
Written multiple-choice assessment on day three

How the Course Is Delivered

The standard First Aid at Work course is delivered face-to-face over three consecutive days. The practical elements, including continuous assessment of CPR, AED use, casualty management, and clinical decision-making under scenario conditions, cannot be replicated online and are not attempted remotely.

Groups are capped at 12 to ensure every learner receives sufficient hands-on time, individual feedback, and meaningful practice across the full range of content. Every scenario and discussion is built around your working environment, your industry risks, and your internal reporting procedures. We also design each course to incorporate your specific workplace hazards, your organisation’s layout, and the findings of your first aid needs assessment.

Delivery includes:

Practical demonstrations and supervised hands-on practice across all three days
Scenario-based learning covering the full range of serious workplace emergencies
Realistic casualty simulations build decision-making under pressure
Written multiple-choice assessment on day three
Continuous competency-based practical assessment throughout

The Blended Learning Option

For organisations that need the full First Aid at Work qualification but want greater flexibility in how it is delivered, we offer a blended learning route. The blended course combines one day of guided online theory, completed at the learner’s own pace before attending, with two days of face-to-face practical training and assessment.

The qualification and certification are identical to the standard three-day course. The practical competency requirements are the same: theory has been covered in advance, so the face-to-face time is not shortened in substance, only in classroom hours. This option suits organisations with staff who find it difficult to commit to three consecutive days, or where flexible scheduling makes a combined format more practical. For full details, see our First Aid at Work (Blended) course page.

FAW or EFAW?

Before booking, employers must carry out a first aid needs assessment. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require it, and the outcome determines which qualification is appropriate.

First Aid at Work (3 days) is right for higher-risk workplaces, larger organisations, or where the hazard profile demands a higher level of competence and a wider clinical range: construction, manufacturing, engineering, warehousing, schools, and care settings.

Emergency First Aid at Work (1 day) is right for lower to medium-risk environments with smaller workforces: offices, retail, hospitality, and professional services.

We don’t make that determination for employers; the responsibility sits with you. But we do provide guidance throughout the enquiry process, and our EFAW vs FAW guide and Workplace First Aid UK Guide cover the decision in full.

Certification and Validity

On successful completion of both the written and practical assessments, learners receive an accredited First Aid at Work certificate valid for 3 years, delivered through Worksafe or FAIB. Nuco and Highfield are available on request.

Annual refresher training is strongly recommended by the HSE. Our Basic Life Support and AED Training provides a focused annual skills update between full qualification cycles. Requalification before the certificate expires is required to maintain FAW status via the two-day route. Once a certificate has lapsed, learners may need to return to this full three-day course. See our First Aid at Work Requalification (2-Day) course for details.

Why Organisations Book With Prima Cura

Most training providers arrive with a course. We arrive with yours.

Before the day, we gather information about your workplace: your incident reporting forms, your internal procedures, the specific hazards your team actually faces. On the day, your trainer works that into every scenario, every discussion, every practical exercise. If your staff work in a care home, they’re not practising on hypothetical office workers. If your team are lone workers, that context shapes how the session runs.

It means the training lands. Not because it was well-delivered in a generic sense, but because it was relevant to the people in the room and the situations they’ll actually encounter.

A few other things that matter to the organisations that book with us:

98.9% learner satisfaction across all Prima Cura courses
All trainers hold Enhanced DBS certificates and maintain ongoing CPD
We advise honestly on the qualification level at the enquiry stage. If a different course is a better fit for your workforce, we’ll say so before you book, not after

We respond to all enquiries within one working day.

Where We Deliver

We deliver in-house training at your workplace or chosen venue across Manchester, Greater Manchester, and the wider North West. We also deliver nationally across England, including North England, South England, London, and Surrey.

All sessions are led by experienced Prima Cura Training instructors. Groups are capped at 12 per trainer to protect the quality of hands-on learning.

Our associate network means we can deliver across England. You can meet the team on our Associates page.

FAQs

Is this qualification HSE compliant?

Yes. The First Aid at Work course meets the requirements of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and the HSE Approved Code of Practice L74 for workplaces where a full FAW qualification is the appropriate outcome of a first aid needs assessment. It is delivered through HSE-recognised awarding organisations: Worksafe and FAIB, with Nuco and Highfield available on request.

How do I know whether my workplace needs FAW or EFAW?

That depends on the outcome of your first aid needs assessment, which is a legal requirement before appointing workplace first aiders. FAW is appropriate for higher-risk environments, larger workforces, and settings where the hazard profile demands greater competence and a wider clinical range. EFAW is appropriate for lower to medium-risk environments. Our EFAW vs FAW guide covers this in detail, and we are happy to advise during the enquiry process.

Is there a written exam?

Yes. Assessment combines a written multiple-choice exam on day three with continuous competency-based practical assessment across all three days. The written element tests knowledge and understanding of first aid principles and current guidelines. The practical assessment evaluates technique, decision-making, and response to scenarios. Both elements must be passed for the certificate to be awarded. We deliver this training across Greater Manchester, the wider North West, and nationally.

Can FAW be completed online?

No. The HSE is clear that practical first aid competencies must be physically assessed. Online-only training does not meet the legal requirement under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 or HSE L74. Our blended learning option allows theory to be completed online in advance, but the practical and assessment elements must always be delivered face-to-face.

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Book or Enquire

Book your training or request a quote

Tell us your team size and your sector. We’ll come back with a quote, the right advice on qualification level, and a straight answer on whether this is the best course for your team.

We respond to all enquiries within one working day.

Our Commitment to Quality and Compliance

At Prima Cura Training, all courses reflect current UK guidance and best practice. All trainers are experienced professionals with relevant qualifications and ongoing CPD. Because many of the organisations we support work with vulnerable individuals, all trainers hold Enhanced DBS checks.

This course is reviewed against updates from the Resuscitation Council UK, the Health and Safety Executive, and current UK health and safety legislation, including the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. All content reflects the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines.

You can read more on our Quality Assurance and Compliance page.

Reviewed by Stephanie Austin, Owner and Lead Trainer, Prima Cura Training | 25+ years in health and social care | 15+ years as a trainer | Last reviewed: June 2026 | Next review: June 2027

This page is for general guidance only and reflects current UK health and safety legislation, HSE guidance, and Resuscitation Council UK 2025 guidelines at the date of review. It does not constitute legal advice. Employers remain legally responsible for carrying out a first aid needs assessment, determining the appropriate level of first aid provision for their workplace, and ensuring their arrangements comply with the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and the Approved Code of Practice L74. The First Aid at Work qualification is appropriate where a first aid needs assessment determines that a full three-day course meets the needs of the workplace.

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First Aid at Work (3-Day)