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Health and safety executive first aid changes
1st October 2009

First aid at work (FAW)
This course will be delivered over a minimum of 18 contact hours (usually 3 days but maximum of 10 weeks with each session a minimum of 2 hours). Recognising that in the move to a shorter course, it is important than an anatomy, physiology and medical aspect are kept to a minimum and more emphasis is put on p[practical work and less theory.
The syllabus of the new course

• Understanding the role of the first aider including reference to the use of available equipment and the need for recording incidents
• Understanding the importance of basic hygiene and first aid procedures.
• Assess the situation and circumstances to act safely, promptly and effectively in an emergency
• Administer first aid to a casualty who is unconscious and/or in a seizure
• Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
• Administer first aid to a casualty who is wounded or bleeding and/or in shock
• Administer first aid to a casualty who is chocking
• Provide appropriate first aid for minor injuries (including small cuts, grazes and bruises, minor burns and scalds, Small splinters)
• Recognising the presence of major illness and applying general first aid principles in it management

In addition candidates should be able to demonstrate the correct first-aid management of:

• Soft tissue injuries
• Injuries to bones including suspected spinal injuries:
• Chest injuries
• Burns and Scalds
• Eye injuries including how to irrigate the eye:
• Sudden poisoning and anaphylactic shock:

The certification of the new course

• Approved by the HSE
• Valid for 3 Years
• Annual refresher (3 Hours) are nor mandatory but are strongly recommended by HSE
• 12 hour re-qualification after 3 years
• Can be attended up to 3 months before and 28 days after the expiry date

Annual Half day refresher

• Assess the situation in an emergency
• Administer first aid to a casualty who is unconscious and/or in a seizure
• Administer CPR
• Administer first aid to a casualty who is bleeding and/or in shock
• the course will include any updates or changes relevant to first aid procedures

I passionately believe that this move from 24 contact hours to only 18 is a mistake.
Candidates require constant practice and the confirmation of these life saving skills. this takes time and to reduce this by 25% in my opinion is opening a door for training organizations to train candidates to pass the practical assessment by not have the confidence to treat them.

To that end i have made some changes of my own and they arte

• Course will be delivered from 09.00 until 17.00 and not the 16.00 hours
• Lunch will be reduced to 40mins from 1 hour
• The practical assessment process will start at 13.00 and not 12.00

This will provide an additional 5 contact hours. So in the big scheme of things I and indeed the candidates have only lost 1 hour from the 4 day course to the new 3 day course and the employers have their candidates back a day early "RESULT"

Emergency first aid at work. (EFAW)
This has replaced the appointed persons course and has HSE approval status. this course is delivered over 6 contact hours.

• Understanding the role of the first aider including the reference to the use of available equipment and the need for recording incidents and actions
• Understanding the importance of basic hygiene and first aid procedures.
• Assess the situation and circumstances to act safely, promptly and effectively in an emergency
• Administer first aid to a casualty who is unconscious and/or in a seizure
• Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
• Administer first aid to a casualty who is wounded or bleeding and/or in shock
• Administer first aid to a casualty who is chocking
• Provide appropriate first aid for minor injuries
• There will be no final practical assessment. The facilitator will continuously assess throughout the course. Successful candidates will be issued a HSE approved Certificate valid for 3 years

Once a course has been delivered within 24hours I will send a letter of confirmation of the results with the following documentation for the employers health and safety records

• Copy of the course register
• Copy of the certificate ( the original has been issued to the candidates )
• Analysis of the end of the course questionnaire

Automated External Defibrillation (AED)
Defibrillation is recognised as the definitive treatment for ventricular fibrillation (VF). Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is one of the most common causes of death in developed countries. VF is an abnormal heart rhythm. The heart needs its normal rhythm restored as quickly as possible to give the casualty the best chance of survival. The use of an AED is easy to learn and is 100% safe
It is important to know the true survival rates or cardiac arrest victims who collapse out of hospital. The current survival rate in the UK is around 6%. that means that 94% of the victims die. These rates can be significantly improved if a defibrillator is used promptly. This should be done within 3 minutes. So the AED should be available in the work place if survival from VF is to be achived.
If the Aed is used within 3 minutes and the victim is indeed in VF then the survival rate can be increased to about 80%. If you would like to discuss the AED in your work place then please do contact our Barnstaple office.

Kind Regards
Kevin Cugg
Managing Director
KC Training Service LTD
Telephone:         01271 346050
Mobil:                   07905797914
Website:              www.kctrainingservicesltd.co.uk

HSE Approval No. 9/03 Company No. 4579162