First Aid at Work Certificates in the UK: FAW, EFAW and Renewals
Every employer in the UK has to make first aid arrangements, and most need at least one trained first aider. The training lasts three years. Keeping track of whose certificate runs out when, across shifts, sites and staff turnover, is where it slips.
This post covers what the law asks for, how to work out how many first aiders you need, the difference between FAW and EFAW, how long a certificate lasts, choosing a training provider, paediatric first aid in early years settings, and how to track it all in WorkZerk. It covers Great Britain, with a short section on Northern Ireland.
The law and the guidance
The duty comes from the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. Regulation 3 says an employer must provide adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities, and an adequate and appropriate number of suitable people, so first aid can be given to employees who are injured or become ill at work. A person is only suitable if they have the training and qualifications appropriate to the circumstances.
HSE explains how to meet the duty in L74, First aid at work. The current third edition was published in 2013 and reissued with amendments in 2015, 2018 and 2024. A shorter summary is HSE's leaflet INDG214, First aid at work: your questions answered.
The Regulations cover your employees. They do not require first aid for members of the public, but HSE "strongly recommends" that you include them in your first aid provision.
The needs assessment
There is no fixed ratio. HSE says "there are no hard and fast rules on exact numbers" (HSE: what employers need to do). You carry out a first aid needs assessment, looking at your hazards, how many people work on site, shift patterns, how spread out the premises are, how far you are from emergency services, and cover for holidays and absence.
INDG214 gives suggested numbers as a starting point. They are suggestions only:
| Hazard level | Employees | Suggested first aid personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Low hazard (offices, shops, libraries) | Fewer than 25 | At least one appointed person |
| Low hazard | 25 to 50 | At least one first aider trained in EFAW |
| Low hazard | More than 50 | At least one first aider trained in FAW for every 100 employed (or part thereof) |
| Higher hazard (light engineering, food processing, warehousing, construction) | Fewer than 5 | At least one appointed person |
| Higher hazard | 5 to 50 | At least one first aider trained in EFAW or FAW, depending on the type of injuries that might occur |
| Higher hazard | More than 50 | At least one first aider trained in FAW for every 50 employed (or part thereof) |
A first aider on another shift, or on annual leave, does not cover the people working now. L74 says that if your assessment calls for first aiders, there should be one on duty at all times during the working day.
FAW, EFAW and appointed persons
L74 describes an optional framework of levels. You can use another level of training if your needs assessment supports it.
| Level | Course | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Appointed person | No training required | Takes charge of first aid arrangements, looks after the equipment and calls the emergency services |
| Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) | At least 6 contact hours over one day | Emergency first aid: unconscious casualties, CPR and defibrillators, choking, bleeding, shock, minor injuries |
| First Aid at Work (FAW) | At least 18 contact hours over three days | Everything in EFAW, plus injuries to bones, muscles and joints, chest injuries, burns, eye injuries, poisoning, anaphylaxis and major illness |
Course hours are from HSE's GEIS3, Selecting a first aid training provider. An appointed person is the minimum for a small, low hazard workplace. Under regulation 3(3), an appointed person can also stand in for an absent first aider, but only in temporary and exceptional circumstances. L74 is clear that annual leave does not count.
L74 also lists situations where extra training may be needed, such as confined spaces, remote outdoor work, hydrofluoric acid, and life-threatening bleeding.
How long a certificate lasts
L74 (paragraph 74) says all first aid certificates, whether FAW, EFAW or another appropriate course, are valid for three years. The certificate should show a validity period of three years from the date the course was completed.
- Requalifying: you need to arrange retraining before the certificate expires. The FAW requalification course is at least 12 hours over two days. EFAW requalification is the same length and content as the original course.
- After expiry: a first aider whose certificate has expired is no longer considered competent to act as a first aider at work. They can still take the two-day FAW requalification course, but L74 says the full three-day course may be prudent if more than a month has passed.
- Annual refresher: HSE "strongly recommends" a refresher course every year during the three years. It is not mandatory.
L74 (paragraph 77) also says employers should keep a record of first aiders and certification dates, so further training can be arranged in time.
Choosing a training provider
HSE no longer approves first aid training providers. A 2013 amendment to regulation 3(2) removed the requirement, so checking that a provider is competent is your job (HSE: what employers need to do).
Providers include those offering regulated qualifications through an awarding organisation (regulated by Ofqual, SQA or Qualifications Wales), the voluntary aid societies (St John Ambulance, British Red Cross and St Andrew's First Aid), providers in voluntary accreditation schemes, and independent providers. GEIS3 has a checklist covering trainer qualifications, quality assurance, course content and hours, and what the certificate must show: the training organisation, the qualification, a reference to the 1981 Regulations, the date of issue, and that it is valid for three years.
You don't have to write your checks down, but L74 says a record helps you show an inspector how you chose the provider.
Mental health first aid
Mental health first aid is optional. Since 2024, L74 asks employers to take mental health into account in the needs assessment. You might decide on mental health awareness training or "appointing mental health trained first aiders" (HSE). If your FAW or EFAW first aiders cover this, make sure they know how to get professional help, and consider whether they need more training. HSE's mental health pages have more.
Paediatric first aid in early years settings
Early years providers in England follow the EYFS statutory framework. The current versions took effect on 1 September 2026. For group and school-based providers:
- At least one person with a current paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate must be on the premises and available at all times when children are present, and must go on outings (paragraph 3.37).
- The certificate must be for a full course, at least 12 hours, and PFA training must be renewed every three years.
- Staff who got a level 2 or level 3 qualification since 30 June 2016 must get a PFA qualification within three months of starting, to count in the staff to child ratios (paragraph 3.39).
- While children are eating, a member of staff with a valid full PFA certificate should be in the room (paragraph 3.64).
- Providers should display staff PFA certificates, or a list of staff with a current certificate, or make it available to parents and carers (paragraph 3.40).
Childminders have their own version of the framework with similar rules. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own childcare standards.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has its own regulations, the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982. HSENI stopped approving training providers on 31 October 2017, under the 2017 amendment, and has adopted HSE's L74 guidance in place of its old Approved Code of Practice (HSENI: first aid at work). In practice the rules above apply in Northern Ireland too.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check HSE's first aid pages, HSENI in Northern Ireland, or a health and safety adviser for your situation. For the rest of a new employee's paperwork, see the UK new starter checklist.
What WorkZerk does and doesn't do
WorkZerk keeps the certificate side of first aid in one place:
- Each person uploads their certificate from a private link on their phone, with no account or password.
- Each certificate carries its expiry date, three years from the course.
- You approve each certificate, and WorkZerk records who approved it and when.
- The certificate is saved to the person's contact record, so it counts on every portal they are on.
- WorkZerk emails the person before the certificate expires and asks for the new one.
- The Document compliance report shows whose first aid is current, expiring, expired or missing, and downloads as a CSV.
What it doesn't do: WorkZerk does not carry out your needs assessment, decide how many first aiders you need, book training, or check a provider's competence or a certificate's authenticity. It tracks certificates, not who is on shift, so making sure a first aider is on duty at all times stays with you.
Setting it up in WorkZerk
1. Turn on two-factor authentication
Asking people to upload documents needs two-factor authentication on your account. Set it up under Account, then Two-factor authentication (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab).
2. Create a first aid field
The Staff onboarding (United Kingdom) starter pack does not include first aid, so add it yourself. Open Fields (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) and add a field called First aid certificate, with the Upload type and Require an expiry date ticked. See custom contact fields.
If your provider prints the expiry date on the certificate, leave the AI check on: WorkZerk reads the date on each file and flags it when it differs from the date entered. If the certificate only shows the course date, tick Don't use AI to check expiry date.
For early years staff, add a second field called Paediatric first aid with the same settings.
3. Ask for it on a portal
Open Portals (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) and pick or create one. On its Requests panel, click + Insert, choose Upload and name it "First aid certificate". Under Document type, pick your First aid certificate field, and make sure Require expiry is on. See asking for documents and info.
Spell out the date in the description, for example: "Upload your FAW or EFAW certificate. In the expiry date box, enter the date three years after the course finished, as shown on the certificate." If only some roles are first aiders, leave the upload optional, or limit it to those people.
4. Review and approve
Uploads wait under Needs review on Requests (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab). Check the name, the qualification, the training organisation and the dates. If the expiry date is wrong, click Change date and correct it, then approve. See reviewing uploads.
5. Switch on the reminders
Open Automations (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) and switch on Document expiring reminder and Document expired reminder. Both start switched off. The expiring reminder goes 30 days before the date by default. Courses book up, and requalifying has to happen before expiry, so consider 60 or 90 days. The reminders stop once the person sends a new certificate. See automations.
6. See who is covered
Tag your first aiders on their contact records, for example "First aider". Open Requests (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab), click Document compliance, and pick that tag. Each person shows as current, expiring, needs review, rejected, expired or missing.
Set Expiring within to 90 days to see whose course needs booking, and use Download CSV for the record of first aiders and certification dates L74 suggests you keep. See document compliance.
Getting started
Start a free WorkZerk trial at workzerk.com, then work through the steps above. If you get stuck, the getting started guide walks through a first portal end to end, or email us at [email protected].