If you employ people in Crewe, the law says you must provide adequate first aid arrangements for your workplace. That is not a suggestion or a best practice recommendation. It is a legal duty under the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, and it applies to every employer regardless of the size of your business or the industry you work in.
But what does "adequate" actually look like? And what happens if you get it wrong? These are the questions we hear most often from Crewe business owners, and the answers are more straightforward than you might think.
We are PCT Services, and we deliver accredited first aid training from our training centre at First Floor, 2 Queen Street in Northwich, about a 25 minute drive from Crewe. We work with businesses of all types across the area, from care homes and dental practices to garages, pubs, nurseries, schools, salons, and shops. Whatever your business does, the legal requirements apply to you, and we can help you meet them.
Your legal duties as an employer
Every employer must carry out a first aid needs assessment. This is a simple process where you look at the nature of your work, the hazards in your workplace, the number of people you employ, and the layout of your premises, and then decide what first aid provision you need. The HSE provides guidance on how to do this, and it does not need to be complicated.
Based on your assessment, you need to provide the right number of trained first aiders, appropriate first aid equipment including a properly stocked first aid kit, and clear information for your staff about where to find first aid help. You also need to make sure your arrangements cover all working hours, including shift patterns, weekends, and any time when your usual first aider might be absent.
The key point is that every workplace needs someone who can take charge in a first aid emergency. For most businesses in Crewe, that means having at least one person trained in Emergency First Aid at Work. For higher risk settings, you may need people with the full First Aid at Work qualification.
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
The HSE can inspect any workplace, and if they find your first aid provision is not adequate, you could face enforcement action. That could mean an improvement notice requiring you to fix the problem within a set timeframe, or in more serious cases, a prohibition notice that stops you from carrying on the activity until the issue is resolved. Fines for health and safety breaches can be significant, and in the worst case, if someone is injured because you did not have proper first aid arrangements, you could face prosecution.
Beyond the legal consequences, there is also your duty of care to your staff and anyone who visits your premises. If a customer collapses in your pub, a child is injured in your nursery, or a member of staff has a serious accident in your garage, having a trained first aider on site could make the difference between a good outcome and a tragic one.
The two main courses explained
Emergency First Aid at Work (1 Day)
This is the standard course for most lower risk workplaces in Crewe. It is a one day course lasting seven hours that covers the essential skills, including CPR, managing an unconscious casualty, choking, wound care, and recognising serious conditions like heart attacks and strokes. It costs £75 plus VAT per person, the certificate is valid for three years, and groups can be up to 12.
This course is suitable for most businesses including offices, shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs, salons, dental practices, small care homes, and any workplace where the risk of serious injury is relatively low.
Emergency First Aid at Work
This 1 day Qualsafe accredited course provides comprehensive training designed to equip employees with essential first aid skills tailored for low risk working environments, ensuring employer compliance with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. Your trainer is a Registered Nurse with many years of clinical experience within Emergency Departments who trains Advanced Life Support to medical and nursing staff in acute hospital environments.
Northwich Training Centre, Northwich
12 spots left · 8 dates available
First Aid at Work (3 Day)
This is the more comprehensive course for higher risk workplaces or larger employers. It covers everything in the one day course plus managing major bleeding, spinal injuries, fractures, burns, eye injuries, poisoning, and anaphylaxis. It costs £195 plus VAT per person, the certificate is valid for three years, and groups can be up to 12.
This course is required for workplaces with higher risks, including garages and workshops, larger care homes, manufacturing environments, schools with large numbers of children, and any workplace where the HSE would classify the work as medium or high risk.
Both courses are accredited through Qualsafe Awards and delivered by our experienced healthcare instructors.
First Aid at Work (FAW)
This 3 day Qualsafe accredited course provides comprehensive training designed to equip employees with essential first aid skills tailored for high risk working environments, ensuring employer compliance with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. Your trainer is a Registered Nurse with many years of clinical experience within Emergency Departments.
Northwich Training Centre, Northwich
6 spots left · 2 dates available
How many first aiders do you need?
This depends on the size of your workforce and the level of risk in your workplace.
For lower risk workplaces with fewer than 25 employees, you need at least one person trained in Emergency First Aid at Work. For 25 to 50 employees, you still need at least one, but the HSE recommends considering additional cover. For higher risk workplaces with 5 to 50 employees, you need at least one person with the full First Aid at Work qualification.
The numbers only work if your trained people are actually there when something happens. If your first aider is on holiday, off sick, or working at a different location, you have a problem. That is why many Crewe businesses we work with train more staff than the minimum. It gives them cover and means they are never left without a trained first aider on site.
Certificates expire after three years
One thing that catches a lot of businesses out is certificate expiry. Both qualifications are valid for three years, and once they expire, your first aider is no longer legally qualified. You cannot wait until someone's certificate has lapsed and then scramble to find a course. Put a system in place to track expiry dates and book refresher training well in advance.
We see this happen all the time. A business calls us in a panic because their only first aider's certificate expired last month and they have just realised. Do not let that be you. Set a reminder, keep a spreadsheet, or just ask us to help you set up a rolling training schedule.
Easy to get to from Crewe
Our training centre at First Floor, 2 Queen Street in Northwich is about a 25 minute drive from Crewe. We run scheduled courses throughout the year with live dates you can book directly on our Emergency First Aid at Work page or our First Aid at Work page.
We can also deliver training on site at your Crewe workplace. We bring all the equipment and set up wherever works best for you. This is a good option if you want to train a group of staff together without anyone needing to travel.
Get compliant
If you are a Crewe employer and you are not sure whether your first aid arrangements meet the legal requirements, check your first aid needs assessment and make sure your trained first aiders' certificates are current. If you need training, check the upcoming dates on our course pages and book your places, or give us a call on 07958 915146 and we will help you work out exactly what you need. It is easier than you think, and it is a lot better than finding out the hard way that you were not covered.
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