Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW): the one-day workplace first-aid certificate

What is Emergency First Aid at Work?

EFAW is a one-day workplace first-aid course. It qualifies someone to act as an emergency first aider: the person who steps in at the moment of an accident or sudden illness and provides emergency first aid while awaiting professional help. It is one of the two standard levels of workplace first aid in Great Britain, the other being the three-day First Aid at Work (FAW), which goes much further.

What it is, and what it is not

EFAW records that a person was trained and assessed to deliver emergency first aid. It is not a medical qualification, not a licence to give treatment beyond first aid, and not an HSE-issued certificate. Crucially, HSE no longer approves ordinary workplace first-aid training or providers (since 1 October 2013; an offshore specialist exception exists), and awarding organisations approve their own centres. official What the law requires instead is that the employer's first-aid needs assessment decides the right level of cover, and that the training and trainer are competent. EFAW may be the answer for lower-hazard workplaces; some low-hazard workplaces need only an appointed person.

Quick facts

The problem it solves

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require every employer to provide "adequate and appropriate" first-aid equipment, facilities and people so that an employee injured or taken ill at work receives immediate attention. official The regulations apply to all workplaces, including those with fewer than five employees and the self-employed. EFAW exists to give a non-clinician the specific, defensible set of actions that saves lives in the first minutes: open an airway, start CPR, stop serious bleeding, recognise shock.

What "adequate and appropriate" means in practice

The law does not name EFAW or FAW directly. It makes the employer carry out a first-aid needs assessment that weighs the hazards, the number of people and the site, and then provide training that matches. official HSE strongly recommends that non-employees, such as members of the public, are included in that assessment even though the duty does not legally extend to them. The honest reading: EFAW is not "the minimum by law", it is one level a lower-hazard assessment may land on, and some low-hazard workplaces need only an appointed person.

EFAW may suit workplaces the needs assessment rates as lower hazard, for example many offices, shops and light-commercial settings, and anyone who wants to be a nominated workplace first aider at that level. It can be a first step before the fuller FAW. to confirm

Higher-hazard workplaces (for example heavy construction, dangerous machinery, or chemical or confined-space hazards) may need EFAW, FAW or additional specialist training; the employer's first-aid needs assessment decides, and higher hazard does not automatically rule EFAW out. Some low-hazard workplaces need only an appointed person, not EFAW. official EFAW is not the children's qualification either: early-years settings need Paediatric First Aid (PFA), a separate childcare-regulator requirement. to confirm Confirm your exact requirement against your employer's assessment.

On the day

EFAW normally includes face-to-face practical training and assessment; the theory can be delivered through blended learning (e-learning combined with in-person instruction), because practical skills cannot be learned by watching alone. official Formats vary by provider; a typical day is mostly hands-on practice (often on manikins): assessing a scene, checking response and breathing, placing a casualty in the recovery position, performing CPR, dealing with choking, and managing bleeding and shock. to confirm Practical skills are demonstrated to and assessed by the trainer.

The training is intended to build confidence in responding to an emergency. The actions are deliberately simple and repeatable, so that a trained first aider has a practised response to fall back on under pressure. How you are assessed depends on the awarding or delivery route (see Assessment).

EFAW covers the emergency core. HSE publishes guidance on expected EFAW course content (L74, Appendix 6); awarding organisations set the detailed qualification requirements and assessment for their regulated awards. official

Assessment depends on the awarding or delivery route. A regulated award (for example Highfield's Ofqual Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work (RQF), 610/0759/6) requires both a practical demonstration and a multiple-choice assessment official; voluntary-aid-society routes may differ. A candidate who cannot demonstrate the skills does not pass. to confirm Exact pass criteria are set by the awarding body and should be confirmed with the provider.

You receive an EFAW certificate, valid for three years; check the validity dates on the certificate. official It names you as a qualified emergency first aider at that level, and employers verify that holders have appropriate, in-date qualifications.

It is not permanent. EFAW can be delivered as an Ofqual-regulated Level 3 Award (RQF); it is not a long vocational diploma, but it does sit within the regulated qualifications framework. to confirm It also does not, by itself, make you "the workplace first aider" for every situation; your employer still decides how many first aiders and at what level the site needs. HSE recommends annual refresher training to keep skills current between certificates, though annual refresher training does not replace requalification or extend the three-year certificate. official

The natural next step up is First Aid at Work (FAW), the three-day course covering a far wider range of injuries and illnesses, where a first-aid needs assessment calls for it. From there, requalification keeps either certificate live, and topic courses (for example mental health first aid, or activity-specific first aid) sit alongside rather than above it.

Some people take EFAW early and later add other training. to confirm A valid certificate may equip you to serve as a workplace first aider if it meets your employer's needs assessment; it does not, by itself, guarantee a job or a pay rise.

Choosing a provider: competence, not approval

Because HSE no longer approves ordinary workplace first-aid providers, the duty is on the employer to choose a competent trainer. In practice that means a regulated awarding organisation (Ofqual-regulated RQF qualifications), a recognised voluntary aid society (such as St John Ambulance or British Red Cross), or a provider that can show appropriate trainer qualifications, quality assurance and syllabus. official

Terminology

Frequently asked questions

Is EFAW approved by the HSE? No. Since 1 October 2013 the HSE does not approve ordinary workplace first-aid training or providers; awarding organisations approve their own centres. The employer must choose a competent provider and decide the right level through a first-aid needs assessment.

How long does an EFAW certificate last? Three years; check the validity dates on the certificate. HSE recommends an annual refresher in between to keep skills current, but a refresher does not extend the certificate.

Is EFAW enough for a construction site? It depends. Higher-hazard workplaces may need EFAW, FAW or additional specialist training; the employer's first-aid needs assessment decides, and higher hazard does not automatically rule EFAW out. Confirm against your own site's assessment.

What is the difference between EFAW and FAW? EFAW is one day and covers the emergency basics; FAW is three days and covers a far wider range of injuries and illnesses. Both certificates last three years.

Sources

• HSE (regulatory frame), First aid, Legislation (Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981), hse.gov.uk/firstaid/legislation.htm, fetched 2026-10-23
• HSE, First aid, Frequently asked questions (appointed person, AEDs, needs assessment), hse.gov.uk/firstaid/faqs.htm, fetched 2026-10-23
• HSE, First aid at work: Guidance on regulations (L74, third edition), Appendix 6 (EFAW content), certificate validity and the end of HSE approval of training providers, hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l74.htm, fetched 2026-10-27
• Highfield, Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work (RQF), qualification 610/0759/6 (assessment and regulated-award detail), highfieldqualifications.com/products/qualifications/first-aid/level-3-emergency-first-aid-at-work, not yet fetched on live domain: to confirm
• Clinical technique follows current Resuscitation Council UK guidance (not reproduced here)