From 1 October, the mandatory four-day First Aid at Work training courses was reduced to three days, while small businesses will have the option of a one-day course. All qualified workplace first-aiders will still have to undergo a two-day requalification course every three years.
The aim of the change is to save businesses time and money without compromising health and safety. The new guidelines were produced on the back of extensive consultation with and feedback from employers across the UK, who recognised the need for first-aid training but often found it difficult to release employees for the necessary four days.
The new guidance also suggests that refresher training taken annually would be beneficial to first-aiders and their employers, with staff feeling better placed to deal with an incident in their workplace.
Dr Dil Sen, HSE Principal Medical Inspector, said: "First aid can help save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming major ones. The revised guidance will help employers get first-aid training that suits their business needs and saves them both time and money."
Training provider St John Ambulance welcomed the changes, particularly in light of research it recently carried out, which revealed that compliance with the first-aid regulations is low. Of the 2800 businesses it questioned, 79 per cent said they had times when no first-aider was present, and 18 per cent felt they did not have appropriate firstaid equipment on their premises. Interestingly, the research also found that first-aiders in seemingly safer work environments like offices are more likely to have had to administer treatment for a serious injury than those in workplaces traditionally thought of as higher risk, such as construction sites.
Saint John Ambulance commercial marketing director, Richard Evans said: "The message to businesses is simple: carry out a risk assessment based on your actual needs, which covers things like the common injuries that happen in your workplace, then arrange the training. It has never been easier to comply and protect both your workforce and your back pocket."