Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)

Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)

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Emergency First Aid at Work training delivered at your workplace. One focused day. Practical skills. A qualification your organisation can rely on.

QUALIFICATION Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)
Duration: 1 full day 6 learning hours	Delivery: Face-to-face only At your venue	Group size Max 12 learners Per course
Certificate Accredited Award EFAW	Validity 3 years Annual refresher recommended	Awarding bodies Worksafe, FAIB Nuco, Highfield
Meets Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and HSE Approved Code of Practice L74

Course Overview

Several months after completing his Emergency First Aid at Work training with us, one of our delegates got back in touch. He’d used what he’d learned. Someone’s life had been saved. He wanted us to know.

That’s not an unusual story. Over the years, we’ve had a number of those calls. They don’t get less significant.

Emergency First Aid at Work is one of the most widely held workplace first aid qualifications in the UK. In one practical day, it gives learners the skills and the confidence to act when something goes wrong: cardiac arrest, choking, severe bleeding, sudden illness. Not theoretical knowledge. Actual ability to respond.

This course meets the requirements of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and the HSE Approved Code of Practice L74. All content reflects the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines. On completion, learners receive an accredited EFAW qualification at RQF level, recognised by the HSE as meeting workplace first aid legal obligations, where a one-day course is appropriate following a first aid needs assessment.

Not sure whether EFAW or First Aid at Work is right for your organisation? Read our detailed guide: EFAW vs FAW: Which First Aid Qualification Does Your Business Need?

Course Details

• Duration: 1 full day (6 learning hours)
• Delivery: In-person at your venue. Face-to-face only
• Certificate: Accredited Award in Emergency First Aid at Work (RQF)
• Awarding organisations: Worksafe, FAIB, Nuco, Highfield
• Validity: 3 years. Annual refresher strongly recommended
• Group size: Maximum 12 learners per trainer

Who This Course Is For

EFAW is the qualification most UK employers need to meet their legal duty under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. If your first aid needs assessment identifies a one-day qualification as appropriate, this is it.

It’s the right course for:

• Offices, retail, hospitality, leisure, education, charity, and professional services
• Small to medium-sized businesses appointing designated workplace first aiders
• Customer-facing and public-facing staff who may encounter sudden illness or injury
• Remote, hybrid, or lone-working teams where immediate external help may be limited
• Managers, supervisors, and duty holders with health and safety responsibilities
• Individuals wanting a recognised, practical qualification for work or volunteering

Not sure if EFAW is the right level? Higher-risk environments (construction, manufacturing, heavy machinery) may need First Aid at Work (3 Day) instead. Our Workplace First Aid UK Guide covers how to make that call, and we’re happy to advise before you commit.

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, and 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
• Rated 5.0 stars on Google. Read what clients say before you commit to anything
• 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.

What Learners Will Be Able to Do

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

• Carry out a safe primary survey and assess an emergency situation systematically
• Manage an unresponsive casualty, including airway management and the recovery position
• Perform adult CPR to the standard set by the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 guidelines
• Use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) safely and confidently, including correct pad placement
• Recognise the difference between cardiac arrest and heart attack and respond appropriately to each
• Respond to choking in adults, including partial and complete obstruction
• Control severe bleeding and manage shock
• Provide first aid for seizures, burns, scalds, and anaphylaxis
• Know when and how to call emergency services and what information to give
• Understand post-incident responsibilities, including recording and reporting

What the Day Covers

All content reflects the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines and current HSE guidance throughout. Topics covered include:

• Emergency action planning and scene safety
• The role and responsibilities of the workplace first aider
• Primary survey and casualty assessment
• Cardiac arrest versus heart attack: recognition and response
• CPR technique and AED use, including correct pad placement
• Choking: partial and complete obstruction in adults
• Severe bleeding and shock
• Seizures and sudden illness
• Burns and scalds
• Anaphylaxis
• Minor workplace injuries
• Post-incident responsibilities and documentation

Every course is also built to include your industry-specific common injuries and your organisation’s incident reporting systems as standard.

How the Course Is Delivered

This course is delivered face-to-face only. That’s not a preference. It’s a legal requirement.

The HSE is clear that practical first aid competencies must be physically assessed. A certificate produced without hands-on practice and direct observation of skills doesn’t meet the standard set by the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 or the Approved Code of Practice L74. We don’t offer online-only EFAW, and we wouldn’t if we could.

Sessions are delivered at your workplace or chosen venue. Groups are capped at 12 to ensure every learner gets sufficient hands-on practice time. Every session is built around your working environment, your sector’s risks, and your internal reporting procedures.

Delivery includes:

• Hands-on CPR practice on training manikins with direct trainer feedback
• Practical AED training with training defibrillators
• Scenario-based learning built around realistic workplace emergencies
• Individual assessment of practical competencies throughout the day
• Time for questions. First aid generates them, and they deserve proper answers

We also design each course to incorporate your specific workplace hazards, your organisation’s layout, and the findings of your first aid needs assessment. If you haven’t carried out a needs assessment yet, we can guide you through what’s involved during the enquiry process.

The Legal Requirement

Under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, every UK employer has a legal duty to make adequate and appropriate first aid provision for their employees. That duty includes trained personnel, appropriate equipment, and clear procedures. It applies to every workplace, regardless of size or sector.

The HSE Approved Code of Practice L74 sets out how employers meet that duty. It requires a first aid needs assessment to determine the right level of provision, and EFAW meets the L74 standard where a one-day qualification is the appropriate outcome of that assessment.

The practical case is equally clear. Cardiac arrest survival rates fall by approximately ten per cent for every minute without CPR and defibrillation. In the time it takes an ambulance to arrive, a trained bystander is the single most significant factor in whether someone survives.

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

EFAW or First Aid at Work?

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.

EFAW is right for low to medium-risk environments. 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.

The responsibility for that determination sits with you, not us. But we provide guidance throughout the enquiry process, and our Workplace First Aid UK Guide is a detailed, free resource covering needs assessments, qualification levels, and legal obligations.

You can also read how to verify a first aid training provider: what the HSE expects you to check before booking with anyone.

Certification and Validity

On completion, learners receive an accredited Emergency First Aid at Work qualification, valid for 3 years, delivered through one of our awarding organisations: Worksafe, FAIB, Nuco, or Highfield.

Annual refresher training is strongly recommended by the HSE. CPR technique deteriorates faster than most people expect without regular practice. Our Basic Life Support and AED Training is the natural next step: a focused, practical skills update between full requalification cycles.

Where We Deliver

We deliver in-house EFAW training at your workplace or chosen venue. Our primary base is Greater Manchester, and we deliver regularly across the North West, North England, Surrey, London, and nationally across England.

We work with care homes, schools, construction firms, hospitality businesses, and corporate teams across all those areas. If you’re not sure whether we cover your location, just ask.

Every session is led by an experienced Prima Cura instructor. All trainers hold Enhanced DBS certificates. Groups are capped at 12 per trainer to protect the quality of hands-on learning.

FAQs

Further Reading

• Workplace First Aid UK Guide: the complete guide for decision-makers on first aid legal obligations, needs assessments, and qualification levels
• EFAW vs FAW: Which Qualification Does Your Business Need?: a detailed comparison to help you choose the right course
• Why Online-Only First Aid Training Is Not Compliant: what the HSE requires and why cheaper online certificates don’t meet it
• How to Verify a First Aid Training Provider: what to check before you book with anyone

Related Courses

• First Aid at Work (3 Day)
• Basic Life Support & AED Training
• Paediatric First Aid Training
• Emergency First Aid for Schools
• Emergency First Aid with Life-threatening Bleeding
• Basic First Aid

Book or Enquire

To book EFAW training or request a quote, use the enquiry form on this page or contact us directly.

Tell us your team size, your sector, and your preferred dates. We’ll come back with a quote and any advice on qualification level if you need it.

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: April 2026 | Next review: April 2027

This page is for general guidance only and reflects current UK health and safety legislation, HSE guidance, and Resuscitation Council UK 2025 guidelines as of 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 Emergency First Aid at Work qualification is appropriate where a first aid needs assessment determines that a one-day course meets the needs of the workplace. It does not replace First Aid at Work, where that level of qualification is required.

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