Course and certificate
First Aid Awareness
For anyone in the UK who wants to know what to do in the first minutes of a workplace emergency, whatever their job. Nine short lessons in plain English explain how first aid at work is organised under the First-Aid Regulations 1981 and HSE guidance, then the simple steps any worker can take while help comes: calling 999, CPR and defibrillators, the recovery position, choking, bleeding, burns, shock, stroke, seizures and anaphylaxis, followed by a 25-question test. This is awareness only, not a first-aider qualification.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Languages
- English, Български, Español, Italiano, Polski, Português, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 9
- Time needed
- About 50 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 25 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- Recommended after 3 years
- Content updated
- 29 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- £12.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Office, shop and warehouse staff who are not first-aiders
- New starters who want to know what to do in the first minutes of an emergency
- Cleaners, caretakers, drivers and site and maintenance workers
- Hospitality, retail, care and education staff
- Managers and appointed persons who want to know how first aid at work is organised
- Anyone starting a job in the UK
02Syllabus
- 01First aid at work and the law
- 02The needs assessment, appointed persons and first-aiders
- 03First-aid boxes, records and telling staff
- 04In an emergency: danger, response and calling for help
- 05CPR and defibrillator awareness
- 06The unresponsive casualty who is breathing, and choking
- 07Bleeding, burns and shock
- 08Sudden illness: stroke, seizures, anaphylaxis and heart attack
- 09Your role, its limits, and what your employer must still do
03Assessment
25 multiple-choice questions drawn from the whole course. The pass mark is 80%. The test is free and can be retaken as often as needed; wrong answers point to the lesson to read again.
04The certificate
- With your name, your score and the date you passed.
- A unique number, recorded in our register.
- Your employer or an inspector scans it to see that it is genuine.
- Download it, print it or show it on your phone.
05Sources
The course follows the published guidance below. We are not affiliated with the bodies that publish it.
- HSE
- Resuscitation Council UK
- HSE L74 guidance
- NHS
- First aid practice
- First aid practice (choking)
06Questions
Is first-aid training for all staff a legal requirement?
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require the employer to provide adequate and appropriate first-aid equipment, facilities and people, and to tell employees about them. The law does not require every worker to be trained, and it does not name a particular course or certificate.
Is this certificate accredited, and does it make me a first-aider?
No. It is a certificate of completion: it shows you finished this first aid awareness course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification, and it is not First Aid at Work, Emergency First Aid at Work or any other first-aider qualification. Your employer decides whether this training meets their needs.
Does this course replace the first-aid training my employer must arrange?
No. First-aiders need practical, hands-on training from a first-aid training provider, and CPR is learned on a manikin with an instructor. Your employer must still carry out a first-aid needs assessment, provide the equipment and trained people it shows are needed, and tell you who they are and where the equipment is, including any defibrillator.
How long does it take?
Most people finish the lessons and the 25-question test in about an hour. You can stop and come back at any time on the same device.
What if I fail the test?
Nothing is charged. You see which lessons to read again and can retake the test as often as you need.
When do I pay, and how much?
Only after you pass: £12 for the certificate. The course and the test are free.
How does my employer check the certificate?
Every certificate has a number and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the number on our check page, shows your name, the course and the date you passed.
How long is the certificate valid?
The law sets no expiry date. Refresher training about every three years is common practice, so the certificate shows a renewal date three years after you pass.
The certificate confirms that you completed this course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification; your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.