16 Hour Outdoor First Aid Course | Face-to-Face

16-Hour Outdoor First Aid Course

Standard first aid training assumes help is minutes away. This course assumes it is up to two hours away.

Outdoor environments present first aid challenges that a standard workplace qualification does not address. Response times are longer. Equipment is limited. Environmental conditions create additional hazards. Casualties may need to be managed for extended periods before professional help arrives. And the range of injuries associated with outdoor and wilderness activities, including falls from height, immersion, hypothermia, crush injuries and environmental hazards, requires specific knowledge that the HSE’s EFAW and FAW syllabuses were not designed to cover.

This 16-hour Outdoor First Aid course provides the knowledge and skills for first aiders in outdoor environments where help may be up to two hours away. It is designed for adults 18 and over and is ideal for anyone spending extended time in the outdoors or wilderness environments, whether through recreational, voluntary or work-related activities.

An important note for Forest School leaders and those working with infants or children: we strongly recommend our dedicated Forest School First Aid course (3-day face to face) or Forest School First Aid: Blended Learning (online plus 2 days) instead. Chris developed those courses hand-in-hand with our Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation, and they specifically include infant and child CPR, paediatric assessment, and scenarios relevant to working with young people outdoors. The 16-hour Outdoor First Aid course covers adults only.

What You Will Learn

Core first aider role in an outdoor context

• Health and safety legislation relating to first aid and outdoor activity
• The role of the outdoor first aider: differences from a standard workplace first aider
• Environmental factors specific to outdoor first aid: weather, terrain, altitude, isolation and access
• First aid kits for outdoor environments: contents, selection and maintenance
• When and how to move a casualty in an outdoor environment
• Managing an unresponsive casualty when assistance may be up to two hours away

Assessment and immediate response

• Primary and secondary survey for adult casualties
• Scene safety and dynamic risk assessment in outdoor settings
• Calling for help: mobile coverage, emergency numbers and communication in remote areas

Life-threatening emergencies

• CPR and AED use in outdoor environments, including modifications for cold and wet conditions
• Recovery position
• Managing a drowning casualty, including modified CPR
• Catastrophic haemorrhage control, including tourniquet application and wound packing
• Anaphylaxis: recognition and use of an adrenaline auto-injector

Environmental and outdoor-specific conditions

• Hypothermia: recognition, field management and prevention
• Heat exhaustion and heatstroke: recognition and management
• Immersion and near-drowning
• Lightning strike: recognition and modified CPR for this specific casualty type
• Bites and stings in the UK, including adder bites and anaphylaxis risk

Injuries and medical conditions

• Wounds and bleeding, including infected wounds in remote settings
• Burns and scalds from fires, stoves and chemical sources
• Fractures, dislocations, sprains and strains: field management and improvised splinting
• Chest injuries, including pneumothorax
• Head and spinal injuries: safe management and considerations when evacuation is delayed
• Eye and ear injuries
• Choking in adults
• Seizures

Course Details

Certificate:

There are two options available for this outdoor first aid course. Ultimately there is no difference in the validity of either, but some people prefer to choose one other the other. You will see the same presentation, be assessed on the same practical skills & to the same degree, but sit different multiple choice exam papers at the end of the course.

• Certified by Chris Garland Training:
  • This is the default option.
  • PDF format certificates are issued as standard, but paper certificates can be requested as well.
  • Your certificate is valid for 3 years.
• Certified by the Ofqual Regulated Awarding Organisation:
  • If you’d prefer this option, please select this option when making your booking above.
  • Paper certificate & credit card sized plastic certificates are issued.
  • Your certificate is valid for 3 years.

Course duration:

• 16 guided learning hours with a further 4 hours self study.

Time:

• As a guide, 09:00-18:30hrs when run over two days or 09:30-16:00hrs when run over 3 days. Please note the exact times for your course booking.

Test:

• Whether certified by Chris Garland Training or the Ofqual Regulated Awarding Organisation that we use, the assessments on the outdoor first aid course are the basically the same. Each candidate undertakes a multiple-choice question paper & practical assessment.
• Multiple-Choice Question paper:
  • You need to score a minimum of 70% correct answers to achieve a pass.
• Practical observation:
  • You’ll need to demonstrate giving first aid as you would in an emergency situation, such as providing CPR on the floor. You need to score 100% to achieve a pass.

Pre-requisites:

• Attendees will be required to demonstrate first aid procedures as they would in a real activity environment. This includes providing CPR to a casualty who is on the floor, therefore you must be physically capable of doing so.
• It is recommended that candidates have a minimum of Level 2 literacy and numeracy or equivalent.
• The course is aimed at those over 16 who are looking to undertake the responsibilities associated with being a nominated first aider. The course can also be undertaken by candidates between 14 & 16 years old, but they shouldn’t be relied upon by employers to be a sole, nominated first aider.

Candidates:

• All courses have a minimum and maximum number of candidates that we can take on a course.
  • Minimum: We need a minimum of 4 candidates booked on an open/scheduled course for the course to run. Click here for more details.
  • Maximum: We are limited by the Health & Safety Executive, and where applicable by the Awarding Organisation, to a maximum of 12 candidates per instructor. Should you have more than 12 candidates that need to be trained, please contact us to arrange a private course, where by negotiation, we can arrange for a second instructor/assessor to be present to comply with this restriction.

Geographical coverage:

• This Outdoor First Aid course is available to candidates throughout the UK.
• The course can be delivered in other countries however the course content has been developed in accordance with current UK practice.

Venue:

• Scheduled courses run at our training centre in Knutsford, Cheshire. Visit our Joining Instructions page to read about what you will need to bring/wear, etc.
• Why not arrange to have a private face to face course run at your workplace? Simply fill in our quote builder tool to request a quotation.

Joining instructions:

• Visit this page to read the course joining instructions.

Private courses:

• To arrange a private course for yourself or your colleagues, please fill in our Quote Builder tool.

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