EFAW vs FAW: which first aid at work course do you need?
If your needs assessment says you need trained first aiders, the next question is which course. In UK workplaces the two main qualifications are Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) and First Aid at Work (FAW). They sound similar but differ in length, depth and the situations they prepare people for. This guide explains what each covers and how to choose.
The short answer
EFAW is a one-day course covering the essentials of emergency first aid. FAW is a three-day course that includes everything in EFAW and goes considerably further. Both certificates are valid for three years.
As a rule of thumb, lower-hazard workplaces such as small offices often meet their needs with EFAW, while higher-hazard workplaces such as construction sites and factories usually need FAW. But the deciding factor is always your own needs assessment, not a label.
What EFAW covers
Emergency First Aid at Work is one day, a minimum of six hours. It equips a first aider to manage an emergency until professional help arrives, typically:
- ✓the role and responsibilities of a first aider, including safety and hygiene
- ✓assessing an incident and managing an unresponsive casualty
- ✓CPR and using an automated external defibrillator (AED)
- ✓helping someone who is choking
- ✓managing shock, minor injuries, cuts, grazes and minor burns
For a low-hazard environment where the realistic worst cases are a collapse, a choke or a minor injury, it is often enough.
What FAW covers
First Aid at Work is three days, a minimum of eighteen hours. It includes the entire EFAW syllabus and adds the ability to recognise and manage a much broader set of conditions:
- ✓injuries to bones, muscles and joints, including suspected spinal injuries
- ✓head, chest, back and abdominal injuries
- ✓sudden illness such as heart attack, stroke, seizures, asthma, diabetic emergencies and anaphylaxis
- ✓controlling severe bleeding and managing eye injuries
- ✓more detailed casualty assessment and record-keeping
Because it goes deeper, FAW suits workplaces where a wider range of serious injuries could occur, or where help may take longer to arrive.
Certificates, validity and staying qualified
Both certificates are valid for three years. Before expiry, the first aider must requalify:
- ✓FAW: a dedicated two-day FAW requalification course
- ✓EFAW: retake the one-day EFAW course
- ✓Separately, the HSE strongly recommends annual refresher training so skills, particularly CPR, stay sharp
If a certificate lapses, the first aider generally has to complete the full course again rather than the shorter requalification, so tracking expiry dates matters.
How to choose
Start with your needs assessment. Work through: what injuries could realistically happen and how severe; how quickly an ambulance could reach you; how many people are on site, across how many floors and shifts; and whether your industry, client or insurer expects a particular level of cover. Where the answers point to serious or varied injuries, longer response times or a higher-hazard setting, FAW is the safer choice; where risks are low and help is close, EFAW is often adequate. Many organisations mix the two.
Whichever level you choose, since the HSE stopped approving providers in 2013 the due diligence falls to you: competent, insured, awarding-body-checked trainers teaching a regulated qualification, at a sensible group size (awarding bodies typically cap around twelve learners per trainer). AidReady handles this: verified onsite trainers at an instant flat price, an audit-ready evidence pack, and EFAW/FAW renewals tracked.
In short
Choose EFAW for lower-hazard workplaces where the main risks are time-critical emergencies, and FAW where a wider range of serious injuries could occur, always guided by your first-aid needs assessment.
Frequently asked questions
- Is EFAW or FAW better?
- Neither is universally better; they suit different risk levels. EFAW covers time-critical emergencies in one day and fits many low-hazard workplaces, while FAW adds three days of broader training for higher-hazard settings. Your needs assessment decides which is appropriate.
- Can an EFAW holder upgrade to FAW?
- There is no partial 'top-up' from EFAW to FAW; to hold a FAW qualification a first aider completes the full three-day course. EFAW experience is useful preparation, but the qualification itself is separate.
- How long do EFAW and FAW certificates last?
- Both are valid for three years from the course date. To keep the qualification, the first aider requalifies before it expires, and the HSE also strongly recommends an annual refresher in between.
- How many people can be trained at once?
- Awarding bodies typically limit courses to around twelve learners per trainer so everyone gets enough hands-on practice, particularly for CPR and defibrillator use. A reputable provider respects that ratio rather than overloading a session.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and does not replace your own first-aid needs assessment or the current statutory framework. AidReady is not HSE-approved (no provider is since 2013); we book verified, insured, awarding-body-checked trainers.
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