Dear Forum



Firstly may I say what an excellent day was had by all at Kettering on Friday 4 May!



One question rose in my head on the long journey home (M4 closed).



If First Aid at Work Requalification does not currently come under the remit of the H.S.E. does this mean that they do not police this standard?



I have always been led to believe that the 2 day Requalification course has always been recomended but not mandatory. If this is the case what stops a first aider from requalifing outside of the 28 day grace limit?



I appreciate that this question may not be elevant in the very near future.

The requirement in the FA regs requires that where a FAW first aider is required, a 3 day FAW course provided by a HSE approved training provider is required. This qualification lasts 3 years. At the end of this period the FAW needs to be renewed. The HSE recognises that one way of fulfilling this requirement is the 2 day FAW Requal run by an HSE approved training provider. However, if you could prove an equivalence re-qualification, then this could well be acceptable. However, deviating from the recommended route could leave the employer and training provider open to litigation.

I did have a statement from the HSE regarding this which I posted somewhere on the site. But to be honest, it also left me confused! This is my interpretation of the oddity.

PS It is the yearly refresher that is recommended (highly recommended by the HSE) but not mandatory.