Emergency First Aid at Work +Forestry (EFAW+F)
The first aid qualification specifically required for those working on Forestry England land.
If you work on land managed by Forestry England (formerly the Forestry Commission) and your role is designated as lower risk, meaning you do not undertake core high-risk activities such as tree felling, harvesting, civil engineering or chainsaw work, the Emergency First Aid at Work +F (EFAW+F) is the qualification specified for your first aider requirement.
The “+F” designation indicates that this course meets the additional requirements set by Forestry England for first aid provision on their managed land. It builds on the standard EFAW syllabus with additional content relevant to remote, outdoor and forestry working environments. Specifically, it covers scenarios that reflect the practical reality of providing first aid in conditions where emergency services response times may be significantly longer than in an urban workplace.
Which “+F” course do you need?
Forestry England distinguishes between two tiers of first aid provision on their land:
- Lower-risk activities (supervision, land management, public-facing roles not involving core forestry activities): EFAW+F, which is this course
- Higher-risk core activities (harvesting, civil engineering, mechanised ground preparation, planting, fencing, pesticide application, chainsaw work, or lone working on remote sites): FAW+F, which is the 3-day First Aid at Work +F course
If you are unsure which applies to your role, contact us before booking.
Driver CPC note: this course does not count towards the Forest Haulage Safety for Professional Driver Certificate of Professional Competence. CGT does not deliver Driver CPC training.
What You Will Learn
The EFAW+F course covers the complete standard EFAW syllabus (as set by the HSE, Document L74) with additional content for outdoor and remote working environments:
Core EFAW content:
- Health and safety legislation and first aider responsibilities
- Scene management in outdoor and remote environments
- Unresponsive casualty: recovery position
- Unresponsive casualty: CPR and AED use
- Heart attack versus cardiac arrest
- Choking, bleeding, wounds and catastrophic haemorrhage
- Minor injuries, including burns and scalds and minor wounds
- Seizures and shock
- First aid kit contents for remote environments
Additional +F content:
- Remote and lone working considerations
- Delayed emergency services response and extended scene management
- Environmental hazards specific to forestry and outdoor work
- Managing casualties in challenging terrain and weather conditions
- Improvised casualty management when equipment is limited
Course Details
| Duration | Face to face: 1 day. Blended: 2 hours online plus 1 classroom day |
| Format | Face to face (100% classroom) or blended learning |
| Certificate | Valid for 3 years. CGT-issued (included) or QNUK Ofqual-regulated (an additional £12.50 per delegate) |
| Assessment | Multiple-choice paper (70% pass mark) plus practical observation (100% pass mark) |
| Venue | Knutsford training centre, or at your premises nationwide |
| Age and prerequisites | Physical ability to perform CPR on the floor required. GCSE Level 1 literacy recommended. Recommended age 16+ |
This course is ideal for:
- Land surveyors,
- Estate workers,
- Fencing contractors,
- Farmers
- Rangers,
- Ecologists
- Those undertaking site visits in remote areas of Forestry Commission/Forestry England property
If you work in the following higher risk industries, please book onto the 3 day version of the course:
- Forest workers,
- Tree surgeons,
- Civil engineering contractors,
- Hauliers
We run these first aid + f courses as either fully face to face or blended learning (part online, part face to face). Both routes can lead to an Ofqual accredited certificate (issued by Qualifications Network UK), or certified by ourselves. Both certificates are equally valid in terms of insurance. The main differences are in the exams & cost involved in the Ofqual accredited certificate. Aside from that you wouldn’t notice any difference in the course content or practical assessment.
Certificate:
- Certified by Chris Garland Training:
- PDF format certificates are issued as standard, but paper certificates can be requested as well.
- Your certificate is valid for 3 years.
Course duration:
- Generally we run these courses from 9am until 6pm.
- Typically 8 hours of guided learning time with your instructor/assessor. This includes the time allowed for the assessments and exam, but does not include for lunch/coffee breaks.
- The HSE state that for the course to be a valid emergency first aid at work course, it must be a minimum of 6 hours in duration.
- To expand the course to cover the additional elements required by the Forestry Commission/Forestry England takes another 2 hours.
Test:
- Practical observation:
- You’ll need to demonstrate giving first aid for forestry workers as you would in an emergency situation, such as providing CPR on the floor.
- You need to score 100% to achieve a pass.
- Exam:
- You will also undertake a multiple-choice question paper.
- The pass mark is 70%.
- There are 20 questions (14/20 correct to pass).
- If you require any reasonable adjustments to enable you to undertake your assessments, please discuss these with us before making your booking.
Pre-requisites:
- You’ll need to be able to demonstrate first aid procedures as you would in a real activity environment. This includes providing CPR to a casualty who is on the floor. So you must be physically capable of doing this to pass the course.
- We recommend that you have at least GCSE grade D/Level 1 English & Maths before undertaking this course. This is not mandatory – please contact us to discuss any reasonable adjustments to accommodate your needs.
- The EFAW+F course is suitable for anyone over 16 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 classroom courses have a minimum and maximum number of candidates that we can take on a course.
- Minimum: We need a minimum of 4 candidates 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 to be trained, please contact us to discuss your training needs.
Geographical coverage:
- The emergency first aid at work +F course is available to candidates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- We can deliver it in other countries, but the protocols that we teach meet the current UK practice, protocols & guidance.
Venue:
- Scheduled first aid for forestry workers 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.
Joining instructions:
Private courses:
- To arrange a private EFAW+F course for yourself or your colleagues, please fill in our Quote Request Form.








Daniel Pollard –
very good
ChrisGarland –
Hi Dan,
Lovely to work with you and your colleagues again this year.
Best regards
Chris
Simon P. –
.
ChrisGarland –
Hi Simon,
Thank you for your kind review.
Best regards
Chris
Sonny –
Very well presented, detailed, and happy to answer any questions you may have.
ChrisGarland –
Hi Sonny,
Thank you for your kind review.
Best regards
Chris
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “I learnt so much!. Chris was so knowledgable about so much. He explained everything very well and didn’t rush too much. He made it very engaging. My biggest takeaway from the course is CPR and recovery position. I now know how to do it & have the confident to do it.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Cheers Chris, it was an eye opener! My biggest takeaway from the course is how to save a life and prevent death, plus helping those in need. Great course, could even be run over two days.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “An excellent day. All questioned answered. Great refresher for all topics since my last course.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very helpful. The instructor went through everything in great detail.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very informative. Instructor was very knowledgable”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “My biggest takeaway from the course is that any action is better than none. Life is more important than injury”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “My biggest takeaway from the course is field-based first aid and use of a defib.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Fully extensive. Easy to understand. Very informative. My biggest takeaway from the course is a feeling that I could help in an emergency”
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Good course. Covered important key topics and instructor was very knowledgeable.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Another very good course!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “We’ve used Chris before. This was another very good course.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Excellent course. Excellent knowledge of training & legislation”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “A really good course”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “[no comments left]”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “All good!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Spot on. Much better than previous EFAW+F courses that I’ve attended.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very good and thorough”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Excellent course. Very knowledgable and informative”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Well ran and very informative”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very good”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Excellent course”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Excellent course, well informed instructors”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Would have like the course to have been run over two days, but the training & instructor was excellent”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “[no comments left]”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “[no comments left]”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Good first aid knowledge gained. Very useful.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Interesting course. I really enjoyed it. Chris was great. The course was interesting and should have more frequent refreshers.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Good”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Could have been over 2 days.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very interesting course.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “A very good refresher & I also learnt new things and information.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Great information put over in a very professional manner.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Really interesting & incredibly valuable information.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Great training! Thank you Chris!”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “A Very good course. So informative & Chris really knows his stuff. Would recommend to anyone.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Excellent, informative & personal. Chris was happy to answer all questions no matter how silly they may have felt to ask.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Excellent knowledge, delivery & resources.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Absolutely brilliant. Chris is extremely knowledgable, personable & a fantastic teacher. I learnt so much from him and no question was left unanswered. It felt like he just knew everything! Very calm and great learning atmosphere!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very informative & comprehensive overview of first aid. Chris made it enjoyable and engaging.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Overly detailed for my needs as a volunteer walk leader”
Stan Davies –
The best First Aid course that I’ve attended so far. Chris led the course professionally and covered the syllabus comprehensively. The practical aspects of the training were done in a very realistic way to provide great training in a demonstrable style. Extremely effective training. Highly recommended !
ChrisGarland –
Hi Stan,
Thank you for your lovely review. I look forward to welcoming you on your next course.
Best regards
Chris
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Perfect course”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Well run course within the time available”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Comprehensive, but not too much to take in. The course was informative and fun. Good for new learners and refreshers.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Well presented and thoroughly enjoyed the course.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “[no comments left]”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Covered a lot of important scenarios. I learned a lot on this course. The tutor was great as they were very clear on everything and kept giving pointers to help.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Really informative & good to refresh.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “I enjoyed it but would have preferred if the course was longer.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Well presented and informed.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Loved how practical the course was. I learnt lots and feel much, much more confident now about administering first aid. Thank you!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “The course was good and informative. It covered a lot of ground. I now feel comfortable with work related injuries and others.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Well organised with all the information a practice well mixed together.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Great course content & very well presented. This was the best of the 8 first aid courses that I’ve done over the years.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Good pace, friendly environment.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – [no comments left]
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very informative. Essential first aid that everyone should learn! A good course – better than my last refresher course.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Really great! I have learnt a lot & feel much more equipped should I ever need to administer 1st aid.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “An excellent course.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Loads of information to take in. Very good.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very interesting. Very wide range of subject matter & situations covered.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Comprehensive & informative.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very helpful!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “A very professional course.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “A really informative course! Thanks.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Well worth doing & I’ll be back for the 3 day course!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Good course. Well worth the money.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Great instructor. Helpful & easy to learn. I’d be interested in coming back for the 3 day course.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Found it on Facebook. Very good. Recommended.”
Shane Bailey –
Superb content plus additional info on firstaid alongside the course
ChrisGarland –
Thank you Shane. Thanks for your kind words. I’m glad you all enjoyed the course & I look forwards to working with you again soon.
Best regards
Chris
Joshua McIvor –
Really interesting course, was really easy to focus because of the nature and quality of the teachings. Thanks Chris
Chris Garland –
Hi Josh! Really glad that you enjoyed the course. All the Best. Chris
Rod Wainwright –
Very instructive felt totally engaged throughout the course
Chris Garland –
Thank you Rod! Keep safe out there. 🙂