What is an EFAW course?

An EFAW course is a workplace first aid qualification that trains employees to respond to life-threatening emergencies such as cardiac arrest, heart attack, stroke, choking, serious bleeding and unconsciousness. EFAW stands for Emergency First Aid at Work. It meets the requirements set out in the UK Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 for most small, low-risk workplaces, and the certificate is valid for three years.

What does EFAW stand for?

EFAW stands for Emergency First Aid at Work a workplace first aid qualification focused on life-threatening emergencies.

What are first aid training requirements?

The level of training varies depending on the hazards and risks in your workplace. First-Aid Regulations 1981 state that employers must provide “such number of suitable persons as is adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for rendering first-aid to his employees if they are injured or become ill at work” For some common workplaces Health and Safety Executive detail what they consider ‘adequate and appropriate’ in these case studies.

Is online EFAW acceptable?

Typically to become a ‘qualified’ workplace first aider you should take an 18-hour FAW course or 6-hour EFAW course. Blended learning where online and face to face training are combined is ‘acceptable’, see [Point 62. HSE Guidance on First Aid regulations] Your first aid needs assessment may also determine for a variety of reasons eg, a small business under 25 employees that a qualified first aider is not required. In this situation an online First Aid training may be deemed more suitable than no training.

How long is a EFAW certificate valid for?

The Echo3 EFAW certificate is valid for 3 years. The Echo3 system enables administrators to change the validity period. UK Safety laws require appropriate training. It is the responsibility of employers to determine what training and refresher duration is appropriate. This is done through the risk assessment process.

Can I do EFAW refresher training online?

Yes. Annual online EFAW refresher training is one of the most common uses of this course, helping trained first aiders keep their skills sharp between full recertifications.

Will this course help me get an SIA license?

No. For an SIA Licenses you need to take a 6 hour face-to-face EFAW course.

What is the first step in a primary survey?

The first step in treating a medical emergency in the workplace is to conduct a primary survey. A first aid primary survey involves observing for dangers to you and the victim, checking the level of consciousness, examining airways for obstruction, checking respiratory response and circulation. You cannot help a victim if you become a victim yourself so it is imperative that you evaluate the situation before attempting to administer first aid. Evaluating the situation is the first step in the primary survey. You need to be aware of any dangerous factors which might present themselves to you or the patient such as traffic, gas, petrol or chemical spills, live electrical wires, fire or falling objects. There are also human factors, such as bystanders in the way, an uncooperative patient or an assailant who may have inflicted the injuries on the victim. If any of these factors are present, stay well back until the police are able to control the situation. You should continue to be aware of changes to the situation or environment that could present danger to you or the patient and if there are dangers, which you cannot alleviate, then STAY CLEAR and call the emergency services. Remember to never put yourself in harm’s way.

What is the difference between FAW and EFAW courses?

EFAW covers life-threatening emergencies only. FAW (First Aid at Work) is more comprehensive and covers both life-threatening and non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, making it the usual choice for higher-risk workplaces.

Can employers enrol multiple staff at once?

Yes. The Echo3 dashboard allows bulk enrolment, progress tracking and certificate management across your whole organisation.

Online Emergency First Aid at Work Course

Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) Course Online

The Echo3 online Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course trains your staff to act correctly in life-threatening emergencies such as cardiac arrest, heart attack, stroke, choking and serious bleeding. Echo3’s online EFAW course is CPD-accredited, completed entirely online, and delivers a digital certificate valid for three years.

Why Emergency First Aid Training Matters

Every second counts in a medical emergency. Survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest can jump from around 5% to as high as 70% when CPR is started and an automated external defibrillator (AED) is used within the first few minutes. A trained first aider can keep an injured or ill person alive, stop a condition getting worse, and support recovery until paramedics arrive. First Aid at Work eLearning training

Beyond meeting your legal obligations, EFAW training reduces workplace risk and lost-time incidents, demonstrates a clear duty of care to employees, builds staff confidence, and can be the difference between a minor incident and a fatal outcome.

What You’ll Learn

This online EFAW course covers the core skills every workplace first aider needs:

The role and responsibilities of a workplace first aider
How to assess an incident scene safely using the DRS ABC approach
How to perform CPR on an adult and use an automated external defibrillator (AED)
How to place an unresponsive casualty in the recovery position
How to respond to choking, serious bleeding and shock
How to recognise the signs of a stroke, heart attack and cardiac arrest
How to record and report workplace incidents

UK First Aid Legal Training Requirements

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 don’t set specific training numbers or levels. There are no hard-and-fast rules on how many staff you need to train, or which qualification they require.

What the regulations do require is that every UK employer provides “adequate and appropriate” first aid equipment, facilities and trained personnel.

What counts as “appropriate” for your workplace is determined by your First Aid Needs Assessment, which considers:

The hazards and risks present in the workplace
The number of employees and your site layout
Shift patterns, lone workers and remote locations
The history of incidents on site

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends at least one face-to-face trained first aider for employers with 5 to 50 staff. As best practice, factor in shift patterns so a first aider is always on site.

For workplaces with fewer than five staff, an online EFAW course is often appropriate. Online training also works well when you want all staff to have basic skills for example, customer-facing roles, occasional lone workers, or sports clubs and gyms.

The best approach: start with HSE guidance, then apply common sense based on your specific business circumstances.

Which First Aid Course Is Right for My Workplace?

EFAW vs FAW. The main difference between Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) and First Aid at Work (FAW) is scope. EFAW covers life-threatening emergencies only. First Aid at Work (FAW) also covers non-life-threatening situations where an ambulance isn’t required — such as minor cuts, bruises, sprains and other common workplace injuries. FAW is usually the better fit for higher-risk workplaces or first aiders who need broader cover.

Working with children? If your staff work with babies, children or young people. In nurseries, schools, sports clubs or childcare settings see our Paediatric First Aid Course instead. It covers age-specific CPR, choking and emergency response for infants and children.

Your CPD-Accredited EFAW Certificate

On successful completion, learners receive a CPD-accredited Emergency First Aid at Work certificate, issued digitally and stored securely in their Echo3 account.

The certificate is widely recognised across the UK and accepted for audits, compliance checks and contractor pre-qualification. It is valid for three years in line with HSE guidance, and can be downloaded, printed or shared instantly.

EFAW online course

The Echo3 Online Training Platform

Echo3 delivers online EFAW training built for the way modern workplaces operate. From a single dashboard, you can:

Enrol staff in seconds
Monitor progress and completion in real time
Automate renewal reminders before certificates expire
Export reports for audits and compliance checks

Combine this course with our other workplace first aid training to cover every scenario your team might face:

Online First Aid at Work (FAW) Course — covers both life-threatening and non-life-threatening situations
Workplace First Aid Course — explains UK First Aid Regulations and essential fundamentals
Online Forestry First Aid +F Course — purpose-built for teams working in remote forestry environments

All Echo3 courses can be purchased with Echo3 Training Credits, giving you flexible, pre-paid access across your whole workforce.

Emergency First Aid at Work course Certificate

Written in compliance with the The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981
Accredited by the CPD Group
Final assessment consists of 15 questions, designed to verify understanding and competence.
The online Emergency First Aid at Work certificate is valid for 3 years.

Course Content

UNIT 1

Introduction

This introductory unit explains what first aid is, its purpose, and its importance, supported by recent statistics. It also provides a brief overview of the UK First Aid regulations and the responsibilities of employers.

UNIT 2

Surveys

Essential steps to take when first assessing a patient, starting with the primary survey to quickly identify immediate dangers and assess vital signs you may then proceed to the more detailed secondary survey.

UNIT 3

Life-threatening

How to respond to urgent, life-threatening situations, including cardiac emergencies like cardiac arrest and the chain of survival, CPR, defibrillator (AED) use, respiratory emergencies, stroke, external bleeding, and shock.

UNIT 4

Non-life-threatening

Covers the treatment of non-life-threatening emergencies such as seizures, unconsciousness, and the recovery position. For a more in-depth exploration refer to our First Aid at Work (FAW) course.

UNIT 5

Calling the Emergency Services

In this unit, we outline the best practices for effectively contacting emergency services when urgent medical assistance is needed.

Course Preview

At Echo3 we design our courses around how people actually learn. The content is concise, free from unnecessary repetition, and supported by motion graphics to help explain key concepts. This enables workers to train efficiently, stay engaged, and ultimately stay safe at work.