British Red Cross research has discovered that less than half of businesses surveyed are aware of changes to work-placed First Aid qualifications due to come in next year.

The first amendments to the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations in more than 25 years will come into effect in October 2009.

The revised guidance is likely to still require an assessment of need, to be undertaken by the employer, to determine the required numbers of trained personnel. However, changes are expected to the type of training your employees will need to attend.   

Under the proposed changes, the 'First Aid at Work' course will become an 18-hour course and the 'Appointed Person' course will be replaced with a 6-hour 'Emergency First Aidat Work' course. The requirement to refresh training every three years will remain.

The position of 'Appointed Person' is included in the draft version of the Approved Code of Practice, but there is no training requirement for this position under the proposed guidelines. However, the 'Appointed Person' will be expected to take charge of First Aid provision, which will include looking after equipment and facilities. It is not the intention that this person will give any First Aid treatment and it must be remembered that they will not have received any training.

The suggested minimum requirements for First Aid Provision are likely to be:

•  Low Hazard e.g. shops
  • Less than 50 Employees - At least one Appointed Person
  • 50 - 100 Employees - At least one person trained to Emergency First Aid at Work level
  • More than 100 Employees - At least one person trained to First Aid at Work level per 100 employees or part thereof
• Higher Hazards e.g. light engineering, food processing, warehousing, extended working with dangerous machinery
  • Less than 50 Employees - At least one Appointed Person
  • 50 - 100 Employees - At least one person trained to either First Aid at Work or Emergency First Aid at work level (dependent upon the likely type of injury)
  • More than 100 Employees - One person trained to First Aid at Work level for every 50 employees or part thereof

Note - these are only draft guidelines and the final version of the Approved Code of Practice may differ. Also, you need to ensure that the minimum provision is available at all times so additional trained personnel will be required for holiday cover etc.

We will, of course, inform you when the new guidance is effective and notify you of any other changes.