A first aider is someone who has undergone an HSE-approved training course and holds a current first aid certificate. The HSE provides lists of training organisations.
New first aid training and approval arrangements came into force on 1 October 2009. The mandatory four day training course was reduced to three days and there is also now a one day option for small businesses. All qualified first aiders must attend a two day requalification course every three years. The guidance also suggests that refresher training taken annually would be beneficial to first aiders and their employers. It can be downloaded for free by clicking here.
First aider training should be undertaken during work time. Employers are not required to make a separate annual payment to trained first aiders, and a survey by the Labour Research Department in December 2002 found that in 39% of workplaces there was no payment to first aiders at all. Where payments were made, the average was £160 a year.
