Surrey First Aid Training are experts in offering bespoke courses to a broad range of clients from large corporations to small businesses, construction companies, community groups, outdoor education practitioners, sports & leisure centres, schools, play-schemes, nursery schools, and childminders.

Established in the year 2000, we are one of the most experienced providers of First Aid training in the UK, and have a reputation for outstanding quality training.

We believe that training should be tailored to meet our customer’s First Aid risk assessment and the content should be vary accordingly HSE. We are able to do this because we work independently of a regulatory body such as OFQUAL.

We also believe that Confidence comes from Competence, and Competence comes from Training. Our courses are enjoyable, interactive and revolve around the real life scenarios you may come across in your workplace making you better prepared for any emergency.

Yes, we deliver training in Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Berkshire, Hampshire and London.

Absolutely. We feel it is really important that the First Aid that you learn will meet the needs of your workplace, so we ensure that the trainer has the right experience and understanding of the incidents and accidents which you may have to deal with.

We have 35 trainers who deliver courses for us across Surrey, Hampshire and the surrounding Counties. All trainers are professionally qualified and include highly experienced trainers from emergency services, NHS and the armed forces. We also have specialists in various fields including paediatric first aid, remote outdoor first aid and specialist medicine administration.

For more information about some of the trainers please visit our 'Meet Our Trainers' page.

First aid at work: The Health and Safety First Aid Regulations 1981 - Guidance on Regulation

The Health and Safety First Aid Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with less than five employees and to the self-employed.

What is 'adequate and appropriate' will depend on the circumstances in your workplace. This includes whether trained First Aiders are needed, what should be included in a First Aid box and if a First Aid room is required. Employers should carry out an assessment of First Aid needs to determine what to provide.

People at work can suffer injuries or be taken ill. It doesn’t matter whether the injury or illness is caused by the work they do or not, it is important to give them immediate attention and call an ambulance in serious cases. First Aid at Work (FAW) covers the arrangements you should make to ensure this happens. It can save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming major ones.

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with less than five employees and to the self-employed.

What is 'adequate and appropriate' will depend on the circumstances in the workplace. This includes whether trained First Aiders are needed, what should be included in a First Aid box and if a first-aid room is required. Employers should carry out an assessment of First Aid needs to determine what to provide.

The Regulations do not place a legal duty on employers to make First Aid provision for non-employees such as the public or children in schools. However, HSE strongly recommends that non-employees are included in an assessment of First Aid needs and that provision is made for them.

Further guidance can be found making adequate and appropriate provision for first aid in First aid at work: The Health and Safety First Aid Regulations 1981 - Guidance on Regulation.

Read this handy guide from the Health and Safety Executive.

Some small workplaces may only need the minimum provision. But there are factors that might mean you need greater provision. The checklist in HSE’s First Aid at Work Table 1 covers the points you should consider.

There is no mandatory list of items to be included in a First Aid container. The decision on what to provide will be influenced by the findings of the First Aid needs assessment.

As a guide, where work activities involve low hazards, a minimum stock of First Aid items might be:

• a leaflet giving general guidance on First Aid
• 20 individually wrapped sterile plasters (assorted sizes), appropriate to the type of work (hypoallergenic plasters can be provided if necessary);
• two sterile eye pads;
• two individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile;
• six safety pins;
• two large sterile individually wrapped unmedicated wound dressings;
• six medium-sized sterile individually wrapped unmedicated wound dressings;
• at least three pairs of disposable gloves

Employers may wish to refer to British Standard BS 8599 which provides further information on the contents of workplace first-aid kits. Whether using a First Aid kit complying with BS 8599 or an alternative kit, the contents should reflect the outcome of the First Aid needs assessment.

There is no mandatory list of items to be included in First Aid kits for travelling workers.

Travelling First Aid kits might typically contain:

• a leaflet giving general guidance on First Aid
• six individually wrapped sterile plasters (hypoallergenic plasters can be provided, if necessary);
• two individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile;
• two safety pins;
• one large sterile un-medicated dressing;
• individually wrapped moist cleansing wipes;
• two pairs of disposable gloves

Either of the above should be considered as suggested contents lists only.

If you decide you don’t need a First Aider in your workplace, you should appoint someone to take charge of First Aid arrangements. The role of this appointed person includes looking after First Aid equipment and facilities and calling the emergency services when required. They can also provide emergency cover where a First Aider is absent due to unforeseen circumstances (annual leave does not count). Appointed persons do not need First Aid training, though emergency First Aid courses are available. Even if you decide First Aiders are unnecessary, there is still the possibility of an accident or illness, so you may wish to consider providing qualified First Aiders. Appointed persons are not necessary where there is an adequate number of First Aiders.

A First Aider is someone who has undertaken training in accordance with the Health & Safety First Aid Regulations 1981. This means that they must hold a valid certificate of competence in either:

• First aid at work (FAW), or
• Emergency first aid at work (EFAW)

There are no hard and fast rules on exact numbers. It will depend on the circumstances of your workplace. After working through the checklist in Table 1, refer to Table 2 which provides a general guide on how many appointed persons or First Aiders you might need. The numbers given in Table 2 are suggestions only. You should assess your First Aid needs in the light of your particular circumstances. Where there are special circumstances, such as shift work or sites with several buildings, there may need to be more first-aid personnel than set out in Table 2. You will need increased provision to cover for absences.

You have to inform your employees of the First Aid arrangements. Putting up notices telling staff who and where the First Aiders or appointed persons are and where the First Aid box is will usually be enough. You will need to make special arrangements to give first-aid information to employees with reading or language difficulties.

Information on First Aid at Work is available on the first aid web pages of HSE’s website at www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/index.htm.

• www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg320.pdf.

The HSE’s guidance for workplace First Aid provision asks employers to consider the following when assessing First Aid needs:

• The nature of the work and hazards and/or risks
• The number of people employed at the site
• The number of inexperienced workers
• Employees with disabilities or particular health problems
• Employees with the characteristics of groups at higher risk from health conditions
• Previous accidents or records of ill health
• Recurring injuries or illnesses
• Employees who travel a lot, work remotely or alone
• Employee shift patterns or out of hours work
• The layout of the workplace (e.g. are the premises spread over a large area or split over several floors?)
• The proximity of the workplace to emergency services
• First Aider absences (e.g. through sickness or annual leave) and provision of cover
• Access to your site by non-employees (e.g. visiting members of the public).

There are many evidence sources that can help you to carry out a thorough First Aid needs assessment. Some useful sources are as follows:

• Accident report book
• Work manuals and standard operating procedures
• Control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) notices
• Crude indicators (such as age profile of your employees)
• Work or shift patterns
• Absence records
• Ambulance response times
• Distance to nearest medical help
• Holiday patterns.

It is important that a regular review of your First Aid needs is an integral part of your main risk assessment under The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. A First Aid assessment every 12 months is an essential part of your duty of care for staff in the workplace. In addition, you should also review your First Aid needs assessment if any of the following occurs:

• An accident at work or an illness caused by work
• Changes in work patterns or processes
• Changes in personnel
• Changes to the workplace (e.g. a move to a different site or changes to equipment).

Once you have identified your training needs, you should choose the appropriate training to satisfy all your requirements. You should consider what activities your staff undertakes as part of their job roles and consider additional training to meet their specific needs. The nature of your business, the work your employees undertake and the make-up of your workforce all bring specific first aid needs and may require additional training.

We will be delighted to assist you in deciding upon the content of your course.

HSE have produced a leaflet “Selecting a first-aid training provider: A guide for employers” GEIS3 (hse.gov.uk) to assist employers when choosing a training company.

In the guidance HSE state that training providers have to show an employer that they are competent to deliver First Aid training and have the relevant quality assurance systems in place. First Aid training is available from a wide range of providers to choose from:

• operate independently of any such accreditation scheme.
• offer regulated qualifications; or
• operate under voluntary accreditation schemes (including trade/industry bodies).

Surrey First Aid Training is included in the first category; we operate independently of an accreditation scheme.

Surrey First Aid Training was an HSE approved from 2000 to 2013 when they deregulated the industry. Our licence number was 00-77. After the deregulation we chose to maintain our own exceptional quality standards which we consider to be higher than those of the regulated bodies.

As we are specialist training provider working independently, this allows us to deliver tailored made bespoke courses for our customers.

The HSE guidance allows for selection of specialist First Aid training for the purposes of work, for example, in the outdoor education industry. We are able to run the 16 hour Remote Outdoor course accepted by the lead bodies such as the Scouts Association, Mountain Leaders Training Executive.

All our trainers are highly qualified and experience in teaching First Aid and working in the emergency services or health and safety occupations.

Regardless of where you choose an accredited or non-accredited course you should comply with HSE’s Guidance.

The guidance advises on the levels of due diligence that you may be required to follow. When selecting a training provider you should check:

• the qualifications expected of trainers and assessors;
• monitoring and quality assurance system teaching and standards of first-aid practice;
• syllabus content; and
• certification

For Workplaces

For Schools

For Early Years Settings 

Yes, we always teach the basics of First Aid such as dealing with an unconscious casualty and CPR in line with HSE’s requirements, but there may be other topics which are of importance to you such as anaphylactic shock or drowning, and we will be ensure that these are covered as well. A member of our administration will be able to assist you in putting your course together prior to making your booking.

Emergency First Aid for Dance courses run on a Sunday starting at 10am and finishing at 4pm.

Emergency First Aid for Sport courses run on a Friday starting at 9:30am and finishing at 4:30pm.

Remote Outdoor First Aid course run at our public venue near Guildford on a Saturday and Sunday from 9.00am to 5.00pm.

All other public courses run throughout the week starting at 9:15am and finishing at 4:15pm.

In-house Courses

Courses run at your own venue for a group of delegates can start and finish to suit your needs, as long as there is enough time allocated for the requirements of the course type. 

All of our public courses allow for a morning and afternoon tea and coffee break and a 30 minute lunch break.

Breaks at courses held at your own venue for a group of delegates can be agreed in advance with the trainer to suit your needs.

We advise that you wear comfortable clothing and bring lunch with you.

At Surrey First Training we believe that learning should be fun and interactive, and we encourage delegates to take an active role and participate in the assessment process. We would much prefer you to ask your trainer to clarify any point which you are unsure about and to self-assess your own progress.

If you attend one of our 12-Hour Paediatric First Aid or First Aid at Work Blended Learning courses you will be required to take an online assessment to complete the course. This is in the form of a multiple choice quiz. You will have the opportunity to review any question to which you do not give the correct answer, and revisit the topic if necessary. Our aim is that you should be both confident and competent at the end of your course.

Unfortunately, children can be distracting and we believe you will be unable to devote your attention to learning if your child is present. The exception to this is our informal Parent’s First Aid course where children and babies are welcome.

The course is a combination of practical in the classroom with our expert trainers learning key practical skills and scenarios and then the rest of the course is taught online through our unique online training programme, which you can log in and access anytime, in any place.

Because the online part of the course can be completed at a time when which suits your member of staff it is a more flexible and cost effective way of completing your training.

Yes both HSE and Ofsted recognise Blended Learning training.

Yes, our Paediatric First Aid courses are OFSTED accepted and follows OFSTED and EYFS guidelines.

Yes, our 12 hour Pediatric First Aid course covers anaphylaxis and auto injector awareness training as standard.

If you attended a Blended Learning course, you can download your certificate immediately after passing the online assessment. On completion of the assessment, you will see an option to 'Save Certificate'. Click this and it will download the certificate to your computer.

For all other courses, certificates will be emailed, in PDF format, to the person who booked the course. This should take no more than two weeks.

Certificates for blended learning courses will be found on your account if you login:   https://www.surreyfirstaid.com/log-in-out.html

If we are replacing the certificate for you an administration charge of £20 + VAT is applicable for the issue of a replacement certificate.

Delegates on public courses who cannot attend are welcome to send someone else in their place as long as they notify the office prior to the course. Places on public courses are non-refundable.

If you are ill on the day of the course or self isolating and cannot attend, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Course transfers will only be permitted after full discussion with our office team.

No, we offer this free of charge. Please call us for more details.

We would be delighted to provide First Aiders for your event but before we can arrange this we will need to know more about your event. We will ask you for the following information:

1. Have you consulted your local Safety Advisory Group?

Information can be found on HSE’s website: Event safety - Local authority Safety Advisory Group (hse.gov.uk)

2. Have you read, and will you be complying with, “The Purple Guide” which has been written by The Events Industry Forum in consultation with the events industry.

3. Have you run this event before? If so, when?

4. Have you carried out a First Aid Risk Assessment? If so, we will require a copy of this if the booking is agreed. (To know what equipment to bring and to provide a suitable and competent person).

5. Will you be supplying, or is there easy access to an AED, (automated external defibrillator)?

6. Do you require First Aiders (18 hour First Aid At Work qualification) or First Responders (First Response in Emergency Care FREC Level 3 qualification -subject to additional charge)?

7. Is there an emergency action plan in place? (We will require a copy of this if the booking is agreed)

8. Do you have a site plan? (We will require a copy of this if the booking is agreed)

9. What level of insurance cover do you have? (We will require a copy of your certificate if the booking is agreed)

10. Are there any high-risk activities taking place during your event? If so, what?

11. Is there easy access for an ambulance in the case of an emergency?

12. Who will meet our event cover staff and at what time?

13. Will there be a pre-event briefing?

14. Will you be supplying radios so the event cover staff can easily communicate with each other if placed in different areas, or with the person(s) in charge?

15. Please advise the type of First Aid treatment area – e.g. room with running water / gazebo /tent. Where will this be located?

16. Do you have a COSHH File? (To be aware of how to dispose of soiled dressings etc) We will require a copy of this if the booking is agreed.

17. Who are we providing the cover for e.g., your staff, the general public, race competitors?

18. Do you know the medical history of any person attending the event? If so, we will need to know of anything relevant.

Surrey First Aid Training currently only covers events considered low risk. However all our First Aiders are fully kitted, and fully insured.