Government Proposed Changes for First Aid Regulations Trg

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Letter to Branches




No. 643 /12
Ref EX7
Date: 28 August 2012

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Government Proposed Changes for First Aid Regulations Training - (Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981)

As part of the Government’s plans to reform Britain’s health and safety system, the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Minister for Employment, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, commissioned an independent review of health and safety legislation. In accordance with a recommendation in Professor Lofstedt’s “Reclaiming health and safety for all”, steps are being taken to remove the requirement for HSE to approve the training and qualifications of first-aid personnel.

The Government have accepted the recommendations within the report, and HSE is working towards implementing them. HSE will, however, be making a ‘pop-up’ questionnaire available on its first-aid web pages for those who are impacted by the changes, and this will be used to inform an impact assessment.

The necessary changes will require amendments to the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, and it is understood that this work is now under way. The HSE is currently considering the most appropriate date to initiate the change, and will provide more information in due course (although changes to health and safety legislation follow common commencement dates in April and October).

Following the changes, the HSE will no longer approve training providers and qualifications, although it will continue to manage the standard for first aid by which all courses should be set.

As a result, training providers will no longer have to seek HSE approval, and employers should have greater flexibility in choosing first aid training.

It will be a decision for training providers as to whether they wish to gain approval from other awarding bodies, and there will be no legal obligation to seek approval elsewhere once the regulations are amended. It is likely that courses will still be authorised or approved by St Johns, Red Cross and St Andrews rather than HSE authorising or accrediting the Training.

Also, for those who are self employed, there will no longer be a statutory requirement to
provide equipment to render first aid to themselves if injured at work.

The decision to remove HSE approval has been accepted by Government and HSE must
therefore make the changes necessary to the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations
1981 to implement the recommendation.




The recommendation within the Löfstedt Review was to remove HSE approval. HSE will therefore continue to maintain the standard for first aid training, both FAW and EFAW and provide guidance on first aid within the workplace as it does now. HSE is also amending guidance for employers to reflect the changes due to amending the first aid regulations.

Current standard First Aid Training Courses:
First aid at work (FAW) - The most comprehensive course, suitable for all workplaces
Emergency first aid at work (EFAW) - Short course for smaller low-risk workplaces
First aid at work (requalification) - Course to requalify existing first aiders


Yours Sincerely



Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

[Lounge Lizard]

"As a result, training providers will no longer have to seek HSE approval, and employers should have greater flexibility in choosing first aid training." - so we'll soon see loads of fly-by-night cowboy first aid 'training specialists' making a quick buck, but that's only what we could expect from the tories and their 'big society' nonsense.
And what's Billy and his side kick Dave Joyce doing about it ? Just notifying us of it. Pathetic.

[pinstripe]

We won't need first aiders anyway. Not with the extensive medical experience and knowledge that our managers have achieved after watching the last 20 minutes of Casualty.