First Aid at Work Course +F (FAW+F) | Face-to-Face

First Aid at Work +F (FAW+F): Face-to-Face

Standard first aid training does not fully prepare you for high-risk core operations. This course does.

If your work on Forestry England (Forestry Commission) land involves what the Commission defines as “core operations”, a standard First Aid at Work certificate is not enough. Core operations include harvesting, civil engineering, mechanised ground preparation, planting, fencing, pesticide application and forest nursery activities, or similar work. The Commission’s first aid policy requires training delivered with a genuine forestry context: remote sites, longer response times, and the specific hazards of working in woodland and upland environments.

This is what “+F” means. The First Aid at Work +F (FAW+F) course provides the full First Aid at Work qualification, meeting the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, plus the additional content the Forestry Commission requires for those undertaking core operations.

This course is ideal for:

• Forest workers and tree surgeons
• Civil engineering contractors working on Forestry England land
• Land surveyors and estate workers
• Fencing contractors and farmers
• Hauliers
• Rangers and ecologists
• Anyone undertaking site visits in remote areas of Forestry England property

Already hold an in-date EFAW or FAW certificate and just need the “+F” element? Our First Aid “+F” Bolt-On course adds the Forestry Commission-specific content to your existing qualification, without repeating the full course. See “Which +F Course Do You Need?” below for details.

Format choice: this course is available fully face to face, or as blended learning (2 hours of online pre-learning plus 18 hours in the classroom). Both routes lead to your choice of CGT certification or an Ofqual-regulated certificate issued by QNUK. Both are equally valid for insurance and compliance purposes. The difference is in the exam format and cost, not the standard of training or assessment.

What You Will Learn

The full First Aid at Work syllabus, as set by the HSE:

• Health and safety legislation relating to first aid
• The role and responsibilities of the first aider, including managing incidents, using equipment, preventing cross-infection, and recording actions
• First aid kits and their contents
• How to assess an emergency situation, so that you act safely, promptly and effectively
• Recognising and treating an unresponsive casualty, including the recovery position, CPR and AED use
• The difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest
• Choking, wounds and bleeding, minor injuries, seizures and medical shock
• Injuries to eyes, bones, muscles, joints and the chest, including suspected head or spinal injuries
• Sudden poisoning, stroke, asthma, diabetes, electric shock, and the effects of extreme heat or cold

Additional Forestry Commission syllabus elements (PPG59):

• Recognising and treating extreme cold (hypothermia) and extreme heat (hyperthermia)
• Catastrophic bleeding, including the use of tourniquets and haemostatic agents
• Adder snake bites
• Anaphylaxis
• Crush injuries
• Lyme disease: recognition, tick removal, and when to seek further treatment

Course Details

Important, arrival times: if you arrive more than 15 minutes after the start time on any day of this course, you will be turned away and will forfeit your place and any monies paid. Each day’s content is practical and skills-based, so it cannot be safely or fairly repeated for late arrivals.

Which +F Course Do You Need?

• Core operations (high risk): harvesting, civil engineering, mechanised ground preparation, planting, fencing, pesticide application, forest nursery work, or lone working and site supervision in these activities. This means you need FAW+F (this course).
• Non-core or lower-risk activities on Forestry England land. This means you need EFAW+F (1 day).
• You already hold an in-date EFAW or FAW certificate and just need the +F element added. This means you need the First Aid “+F” Bolt-On.

If you are unsure which applies to your role, refer to the Forestry England First Aid Policy, or contact us before booking.

Course times & duration

• The HSE state that for the course to be a valid first aid at work course, it must be a minimum of 18 hours in duration.
• To expand the course to cover the additional elements required by the Forestry England takes roughly another 2 hours.
• Note: If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for any day of the course, you will be turned away and will forfeit your place on the course and any monies paid.

Language

• All training and assessment is undertaken in English.
• If you require any reasonable adjustments to enable you to undertake this course, please discuss these with us before making your booking.

Test:

• Your practical assessment is where you demonstrate giving first aid as you would in an emergency situation. This will include providing CPR to a training manikin on the floor.
• You will also undertake a multiple-choice question paper.
• If you require any reasonable adjustments to enable you to undertake your assessments, please discuss these with us before making your booking.

Certificate:

• Certified by Chris Garland Training:
  • PDF format certificates are issued as standard
  • Your certificate is valid for 3 years.

Pre-requisites:

• Age:
  • The Forest School First Aid (blended learning) course is for those over 16 who are looking to become a nominated first aider in an outdoor setting.
  • 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.
• Prior knowledge:
  • No previous knowledge/experience required as all training is covered during the online pre-learning and face-to-face sessions.
• Comprehension:
  • We recommend that you have a minimum of GCSE grade C/Level 2 literacy and numeracy (or equivalent) before undertaking this course. This is not mandatory – please contact us to discuss any reasonable adjustments to accommodate your needs.
• Physical ability:
  • You’ll need 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. Therefore you must be physically capable of doing this before attending the course.

How many people will be on the course?

Geographical coverage:

• While we can deliver this course in other countries, the protocols that we teach meet the current UK practice, protocols & guidance.

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.

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 request form.

Links:

• Forestry England (aka Forestry Commission) website first aid page.