If you have been asked to become a workplace first aider—or you are arranging training for your employees—you may be wondering exactly what is covered on a First Aid at Work course.
Is it simply a longer version of Emergency First Aid at Work? Will you need to complete an exam? How practical is the training, and what kinds of injuries and illnesses will you learn to manage?
First Aid at Work, often shortened to FAW, is a comprehensive workplace first aid qualification. It includes the emergency skills taught on an Emergency First Aid at Work course but goes much further, covering a broader range of injuries, medical conditions and workplace situations.
The aim is not to turn learners into medical professionals. It is to give workplace first aiders the knowledge, practical ability and confidence to provide immediate assistance until further medical help becomes available.
Quick answer: what does a First Aid at Work course cover?
A First Aid at Work course covers topics including:
- The role and responsibilities of a workplace first aider
- Assessing an emergency safely
- Carrying out primary and secondary casualty surveys
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation—CPR
- Using an automated external defibrillator—AED
- Managing an unresponsive casualty
- Choking
- Seizures
- Serious and life-threatening bleeding
- Shock
- Minor injuries
- Burns and scalds
- Fractures and dislocations
- Sprains and strains
- Head and spinal injuries
- Chest injuries
- Eye injuries
- Poisoning
- Anaphylaxis
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Asthma attacks
- Diabetic emergencies
The Health and Safety Executive explains that First Aid at Work includes the Emergency First Aid at Work syllabus while also preparing first aiders to respond to a wider range of specific injuries and illnesses.
What is First Aid at Work?
First Aid at Work is a regulated workplace first aid qualification intended for people who may be required to act as a first aider at work.
It is commonly associated with higher-risk workplaces, larger organisations and businesses whose First Aid Needs Assessment identifies the need for more comprehensive first aid provision.
However, the type of business alone does not determine which course is required. Employers should consider their workplace hazards, workforce, accident history, working patterns, location and access to emergency medical help before deciding what level of training is appropriate.
HSE guidance confirms that employers should use the findings of their First Aid Needs Assessment to decide how many first aiders are needed and the appropriate level of training they should receive.
The qualification may be suitable for organisations including:
- Construction and engineering businesses
- Manufacturing environments
- Warehouses and distribution centres
- Schools and colleges
- Leisure facilities
- Hospitality venues
- Large offices
- Agricultural businesses
- Organisations with machinery, chemicals or higher-risk activities
This is not an exhaustive list. A lower-risk business may still require FAW-trained staff, while another organisation may identify different arrangements through its needs assessment.
How long is a First Aid at Work course?
The full First Aid at Work qualification contains at least 18 guided learning hours and is traditionally delivered over a minimum of three days. The current QNUK qualification specification allows the training to be completed within a period of up to ten weeks.
At Emerald First Aid Training, our First Aid at Work course uses a blended-learning format. Learners complete an online element before attending two consecutive classroom days.
This allows some of the supporting knowledge to be completed online while preserving the face-to-face teaching, coaching, practical activities and assessments required for the qualification.
Learners must complete the online component and attend both classroom days in full.
What is the difference between FAW and EFAW?
Emergency First Aid at Work is generally completed over one day and concentrates on immediate, life-saving emergency actions.
First Aid at Work includes those core emergency skills but covers a considerably wider range of injuries and illnesses.
| Emergency First Aid at Work | First Aid at Work |
| Usually one day | Three-day equivalent qualification |
| Emergency first aid skills | Emergency skills plus broader injuries and illnesses |
| CPR, AED, Choking and Bleeding | Includes CPR and AED plus fractures, burns, head injuries, medical emergencies and more |
| Often suitable for lower risk environments | Often selected for larger or higher-risk workplaces |
| Six guided learning hours | Eighteen guided learning hours |
The correct choice should be based on your organisation’s First Aid Needs Assessment rather than simply choosing the shortest course.
You can also read our complete guide to Emergency First Aid at Work versus First Aid at Work.
The role and responsibilities of a first aider
The course begins by establishing what a workplace first aider is responsible for.
Learners consider how to:
- Assess an incident before approaching
- Protect themselves and others from danger
- Reduce the risk of infection
- Use appropriate protective equipment
- Gain consent where possible
- Prioritise casualties
- Summon appropriate assistance
- Record incidents accurately
- Provide a clear handover to emergency services
- Recognise and manage the possible effects of a difficult incident
This provides a structured foundation for the practical skills covered throughout the course.
Assessing an emergency
One of the most important abilities a first aider develops is knowing where to begin.
Learners practise carrying out a scene survey to identify hazards, understand what has happened and establish how many casualties may require help.
They then follow a structured primary survey to identify and manage immediate threats to life.
The First Aid at Work course also introduces the secondary survey. This involves gathering a casualty history and completing a systematic head-to-toe check to identify injuries or symptoms that may not have been immediately obvious.
CPR and using an AED
CPR remains a central part of the First Aid at Work qualification.
Learners practise how to:
- Recognise when someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally
- Contact the emergency services
- Perform effective chest compressions
- Provide rescue breaths where appropriate
- Use an AED safely
- Follow the AED’s spoken and visual instructions
- Continue CPR until professional assistance takes over
AED training units are used, so learners can practise positioning pads, following prompts and combining defibrillator use with CPR.
Training units do not deliver a real electrical shock.
Because FAW provides more time for practice, learners can revisit these skills and apply them within more involved casualty scenarios.
Managing an unresponsive casualty
Not every unresponsive casualty will require CPR.
Learners are taught how to assess breathing, open and maintain the airway, place an appropriate casualty into the recovery position and continually monitor their condition.
The training also covers what to do if an injured casualty is unresponsive and how airway concerns may affect decisions about movement.
Choking and seizures
The course covers how to recognise and respond to both mild and severe choking.
Learners practise the appropriate sequence of actions and discuss what to do if the casualty becomes unresponsive.
Seizure management is also included. This involves protecting the casualty from injury, removing surrounding hazards where possible, timing the seizure, monitoring breathing and recognising when emergency assistance is needed.
Serious and life-threatening bleeding
First aiders may encounter injuries involving significant blood loss, particularly in workplaces that use machinery, cutting equipment or tools.
Learners are taught how to:
- Examine a wound
- Recognise potentially life-threatening bleeding
- Apply direct pressure
- Use appropriate dressings
- Manage embedded objects
- Monitor the casualty
- Recognise and treat shock
- Summon emergency assistance
Where relevant to the qualification and identified workplace risks, training may also address wound packing and the use of manufactured tourniquets for life-threatening bleeding. The QNUK specification includes suitable first aid equipment, with tourniquets and haemostatic training products listed as possible additional resources for delivery.
Shock
Shock is a potentially life-threatening condition in which the body’s tissues are not receiving enough oxygenated blood.
Learners consider how to recognise signs such as pale or clammy skin, rapid breathing, weakness, dizziness and a deteriorating level of response.
The priority is to deal with the underlying cause where possible, call for emergency help, position the casualty appropriately, keep them warm and continue monitoring them.
Minor workplace injuries
Although the course gives considerable attention to serious emergencies, it also covers common minor injuries.
These include:
- Small cuts and grazes
- Bruising
- Splinters
- Nosebleeds
- Minor burns and scalds
Learners discuss suitable wound care, infection control and when an apparently minor injury may require further medical attention.
Fractures, dislocations, sprains and strains
Bone, muscle and joint injuries are an important part of the additional FAW syllabus.
The course explains how to recognise suspected:
- Fractures
- Dislocations
- Sprains
- Strains
Learners consider signs such as pain, swelling, bruising, deformity, tenderness and loss of movement.
Practical training includes supporting injuries and applying both support and elevated slings.
The emphasis is on preventing unnecessary movement, supporting the injury and arranging appropriate medical assistance.
Head injuries
Head injuries can range from relatively minor knocks to life-threatening trauma.
The course covers the recognition and initial management of conditions including suspected concussion, skull injuries and compression within the skull.
Learners consider:
- The mechanism of injury
- Changes in behaviour or responsiveness
- Headache, confusion or memory problems
- Vomiting
- Deterioration in the casualty’s condition
- When to contact the emergency services
Continued monitoring is particularly important because symptoms can develop or worsen after the initial incident.
Suspected spinal injuries
Learners are taught how the mechanism of an accident may indicate a possible spinal injury.
Examples might include:
- Falls from height
- Road traffic collisions
- Diving incidents
- Significant impact
- Crush injuries
- Injury involving the head, neck or back
The course includes practical management of a casualty with a suspected spinal injury, including maintaining alignment and responding appropriately if the airway becomes threatened.
Chest injuries
First Aid at Work also covers the management of suspected chest injuries, including fractured ribs and penetrating injuries.
Learners consider how a chest injury can affect breathing, how to position and reassure the casualty, and when urgent emergency assistance is required.
Burns and scalds
The course covers more than minor burns.
Learners explore how the cause, size, depth and location of a burn can affect its seriousness.
This includes burns caused by:
- Dry heat
- Hot liquids or steam
- Chemicals
- Electricity
The course explains how initial treatment differs depending on the cause, particularly where chemicals or electrical hazards remain present. The first priority must always be ensuring it is safe to approach.
Eye injuries
Workplace first aiders may encounter eye injuries involving:
- Dust or loose particles
- Chemical contamination
- Embedded objects
Learners discuss safe irrigation, protecting the injured eye and recognising situations that require urgent medical assistance.
Poisoning
Poisonous substances can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, absorption or injection.
The course considers how to:
- Make the scene safe
- Identify the possible substance
- Avoid exposing the first aider
- Contact the emergency services
- Follow specialist instructions
- Monitor the casualty’s airway and breathing
First aiders should not make a casualty vomit unless specifically instructed to do so by an appropriate healthcare professional.
Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.
Learners are taught how to recognise signs involving the airway, breathing or circulation, including:
- Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat
- Difficulty breathing
- Wheezing
- Pale or clammy skin
- Dizziness or collapse
- A rapid pulse
- A widespread rash or flushing
The course covers calling 999, positioning and monitoring the casualty, and assisting with an adrenaline auto-injector where appropriate.
Learners also demonstrate the use of a training adrenaline auto-injector.
Major medical emergencies
A First Aid at Work course prepares learners to recognise and respond to several serious medical conditions.
Heart attack
Learners consider symptoms including chest discomfort, breathlessness, sweating, nausea and pain that may spread to other parts of the body.
The course covers calling for emergency assistance, positioning and reassuring the casualty, monitoring their condition and providing further assistance within the first aider’s training.
Stroke
Learners use the FAST approach to recognise possible stroke symptoms:
- Face: Is one side of the face drooping?
- Arms: Can the person raise both arms?
- Speech: Is their speech slurred or confused?
- Time: Call 999 immediately if any of these signs are present.
Asthma attack
The course covers recognising worsening breathing difficulties and helping a casualty use their prescribed reliever inhaler.
Learners also discuss when an asthma attack requires urgent emergency assistance.
Diabetic emergency
First aiders learn to recognise possible hypoglycaemia—low blood glucose—which can cause sweating, confusion, unusual behaviour, weakness and a reduced level of response.
The treatment provided will depend on whether the casualty is alert and able to swallow safely.
Epileptic seizure
In addition to general seizure care, the course explores recognition, recovery and circumstances in which an ambulance should be called.
These major illnesses form part of the current QNUK First Aid at Work syllabus.
Is the course practical?
Yes. First Aid at Work is a highly practical qualification.
You should expect a mixture of:
- Trainer demonstrations
- Paired and group activities
- CPR and AED practice
- Recovery-position practice
- Bandaging and sling application
- Casualty assessments
- Scenario-based exercises
- Questions and group discussion
- Formal assessment
Practical scenarios give learners an opportunity to bring several skills together.
Instead of being told that a casualty has a particular condition, learners may need to assess the situation, gather information, identify the likely problem, decide what help is required and provide suitable first aid.
This is where many learners begin to develop genuine confidence.
Will I have to work on the floor?
Some of the practical training and assessment takes place at floor level.
Learners must demonstrate CPR on a casualty manikin positioned on the floor. The QNUK qualification requirements state that learners must be physically capable of demonstrating the necessary first aid procedures, including floor-based CPR.
Anyone with an injury, disability or concern about participating should contact us before the course. This allows time to discuss their needs and determine whether reasonable adjustments may be available.
Comfortable clothing is strongly recommended.
Is there an exam?
The QNUK First Aid at Work qualification is assessed through:
- An invigilated multiple-choice examination
- Observed practical assessments
The current specification sets a 60-minute multiple-choice paper with 40 questions and a pass mark of 70%. Learners must also successfully complete the required practical observations.
Assessment is not designed to catch learners out.
Our trainers explain and demonstrate the content, provide opportunities to practise and give feedback throughout the course before formal assessment takes place.
Do I need previous first aid experience?
No previous first aid qualification is required for the full First Aid at Work course.
The course is suitable for complete beginners as well as people who have previous experience but do not currently hold a valid qualification.
Learners completing a First Aid at Work requalification course will have separate entry requirements and must normally hold an appropriate existing certificate.
What qualification will I receive?
Successful learners receive the QNUK Level 3 Award in First Aid at Work (RQF).
The QNUK qualification has:
- 18 guided learning hours
- 22 total qualification hours
- Two credits
- A three-year validity period
HSE strongly recommends that workplace first aiders complete annual refresher training to maintain their basic practical skills. First Aid at Work certificates used for workplace first aid purposes are valid for three years, after which an appropriate requalification course is required.
Who should attend a First Aid at Work course?
This qualification may be appropriate for:
- Employees selected to become workplace first aiders
- Supervisors and managers
- Staff working in higher-risk environments
- Members of larger workplace first aid teams
- People working at sites where emergency help may be delayed
- Businesses whose needs assessment identifies a need for FAW-trained personnel
Employers should not rely solely on the job title or industry when choosing the course. The decision should be supported by a suitable assessment of workplace first aid needs.
Emerald Tip 💡
Many people assume the biggest difference between EFAW and FAW is simply the extra number of topics.
In practice, one of the greatest benefits is the additional time available to practise, ask questions and apply several skills within realistic scenarios.
That helps learners move beyond remembering individual steps and start making structured decisions when faced with an unfamiliar situation.
Where can I attend a First Aid at Work course?
Emerald First Aid Training runs scheduled First Aid at Work courses in:
Our blended format combines online learning with two consecutive classroom days.
We can also deliver First Aid at Work training at a suitable workplace venue across Somerset and Dorset.
Open courses are usually convenient when one or two members of staff require training. On-site training can often provide greater flexibility and value when several employees need the same qualification.
Frequently asked questions
Is First Aid at Work difficult?
The FAW qualification contains more content than EFAW, but no previous experience is required.
The course is delivered progressively, with demonstrations, explanations and opportunities to practise. Learners are supported throughout the training rather than being expected to know the answers when they arrive.
Is FAW better than EFAW?
One course is not automatically better than the other.
FAW provides broader training, but the appropriate qualification depends on your workplace’s needs. A suitable First Aid Needs Assessment should identify the level of training required.
Can I complete First Aid at Work online?
The qualification cannot be completed entirely online because learners must receive face-to-face practical training and successfully complete observed assessments.
A blended course can include online learning, but the practical elements and assessments must still be completed appropriately.
Can First Aid at Work be delivered at our premises?
Yes. The course can be delivered at a suitable workplace venue with enough room for classroom teaching and floor-based practical activities.
We provide the trainer, manikins, AED training units, assessment materials and other necessary first aid equipment.
How many people can attend an on-site course?
The QNUK qualification has a maximum assessor-to-learner ratio of 1:12.
The practical venue must also have sufficient space for learners to practise safely.
How long is the certificate valid?
The certificate is valid for three years. Learners must complete an appropriate requalification course before it expires if they are to continue acting as a qualified workplace first aider.
Continue learning
Workplace first aid courses
- What’s Covered on an Emergency First Aid at Work Course?
- Emergency First Aid at Work versus First Aid at Work
- Open Courses or On-Site Training: Which Is Best?
- Can First Aid Training Be Delivered at Your Workplace?
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Whether you need one place on an open course or training for a group at your workplace, Emerald First Aid Training delivers practical, regulated First Aid at Work qualifications designed to help learners respond confidently to workplace emergencies.
View our upcoming course dates or contact us to discuss training for your organisation.