St Andrew’s First Aid training courses for workplaces, childcare settings and community organisations across Scotland. St Andrew’s First Aid is Scotland’s leading first aid training charity, delivering HSE-compliant first aid, mental health and fire safety courses to thousands of organisations every year.

Courses cover Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW), First Aid at Work (FAW), requalification, paediatric first aid, AED and CPR training, mental health first aid, fire marshal training and moving and handling. Classroom and on-site delivery options are available at venues across Scotland.

HSE compliant All first aid courses meet Health and Safety Executive requirements
Scotland’s leading charity St Andrew’s First Aid — Scotland’s first aid training charity
Certificate valid 3 years FAW and EFAW certificates recognised by UK employers

First aid courses

Legal requirement — 1 day

Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)

Certificate valid 3 years — classroom & on-site

One-day HSE-compliant course for appointed first aiders in lower-risk workplaces. Suitable for offices and organisations with fewer than 50 employees. Equips learners with the essential skills to respond confidently to workplace emergencies.

  • CPR and AED use
  • Choking — adult and child
  • Unresponsive casualty and recovery position
  • Bleeding control and wound management
  • Shock, burns and minor injuries
Legal requirement — 3 days

First Aid at Work (FAW)

Certificate valid 3 years — classroom & on-site

Comprehensive three-day HSE-compliant course required in higher-risk workplaces or organisations with more than 50 employees. Covers the full EFAW syllabus plus a wider range of emergency scenarios and injury management techniques.

  • Everything in EFAW, plus
  • Managing an incident and casualty assessment
  • Fractures, spinal injuries and dislocations
  • Chest injuries and breathing difficulties
  • Anaphylaxis, seizures, stroke and diabetic emergencies
  • Eye injuries and poisoning
Renewal — 2 days

First Aid at Work Requalification (FAWR)

Must be completed before certificate expires

Two-day requalification course for those renewing an existing FAW certificate. Must be completed before the three-year certificate expires — if it lapses, the full three-day FAW course must be retaken. Updates skills and refreshes knowledge of current HSE guidelines.

Specialist

Paediatric First Aid

Meets Ofsted & EYFS requirements — classroom & on-site

Essential training for anyone working with babies and children — childminders, nursery workers, teachers and sports coaches. Provides the knowledge and confidence to handle medical emergencies and meets childcare sector first aid requirements.

  • Infant and child CPR
  • Choking — infant and child
  • Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis
  • Illness and injury management
  • Recovery position for children
AED & CPR — half day

Using an AED Including CPR

Classroom & on-site

Half-day practical course covering the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) alongside CPR techniques. Suitable for workplace first aiders, community responders and anyone wanting to be prepared to respond to a cardiac arrest emergency.

Mental health courses

Mental health — 2 days

Leading First Aid for Mental Health

Scotland — classroom & on-site

A two-day course equipping learners with the skills to recognise mental health challenges, provide initial support and guide individuals towards appropriate professional help. Suitable for those with a lead role in workplace mental health provision.

  • Recognising common mental health conditions
  • How to have a supportive first aid conversation
  • Crisis first aid — suicide, self-harm and panic attacks
  • Signposting to professional support services
  • Developing a mentally healthy workplace
Mental health — 1 day

First Aid for Mental Health

Scotland — classroom & on-site

One-day course teaching participants how to recognise mental health issues, provide initial support and guide individuals to the right professional help. Suitable for all employees as part of a broader workplace wellbeing programme.

Fire safety and additional courses

Fire safety — half day

Fire Marshal Training

Scotland — classroom & on-site

Half-day course for nominated fire marshals and wardens. Covers fire prevention, evacuation procedures, extinguisher use and legal responsibilities under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Helps organisations meet fire safety compliance requirements.

  • Fire safety legislation and responsibilities
  • How fires start, spread and behave
  • Fire prevention and risk reduction
  • Evacuation procedures and assembly points
  • Fire extinguisher types and safe use
Health & safety — 1 day

Moving and Handling Principles

Scotland — classroom & on-site

One-day course providing practical techniques and essential knowledge for safe manual handling in the workplace. Helps prevent musculoskeletal injuries and ensures compliance with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.

  • Legal requirements for manual handling
  • Risk assessment principles
  • Safe lifting and carrying techniques
  • Ergonomic principles and injury prevention

Who should attend

Appointed first aiders
Fire marshals & wardens
Mental health first aiders
Health & safety managers
HR managers
Childcare & education staff
Construction workers
Healthcare & care workers
Manufacturing staff
All workplace employees

Related first aid training

All first aid courses St John Ambulance first aid British Red Cross first aid Fire safety training Mental health & wellbeing All health & safety courses

St Andrew’s First Aid is Scotland’s leading first aid training charity with over a century of lifesaving experience and expertise. As a voluntary aid society recognised by the Health and Safety Executive, St Andrew’s First Aid delivers regulated first aid training to workplaces, childcare settings, sports clubs and community organisations across Scotland.

All courses are designed and delivered entirely by St Andrew’s First Aid instructors, ensuring consistent quality and compliance with current HSE standards. Certificates are recognised by employers across the UK and training can be arranged at classroom venues throughout Scotland or on-site at your premises.

Why choose St Andrew’s First Aid

Over a century of expertise

St Andrew’s First Aid has been training people in Scotland for over 100 years — bringing unmatched depth of experience to every course.

HSE recognised

St Andrew’s First Aid is one of the voluntary aid societies recognised by the HSE to deliver regulated first aid at work qualifications.

Scotland-wide coverage

Training centres and classroom venues across Scotland, with on-site delivery available for organisations wanting training at their own premises.

Full range of courses

From workplace first aid and paediatric first aid to mental health first aid, fire marshal training and moving and handling — all from one trusted provider.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about St Andrew’s First Aid training courses.

Yes. St Andrew’s First Aid is one of the UK’s voluntary aid societies recognised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to deliver regulated first aid at work training. EFAW and FAW certificates issued by St Andrew’s First Aid are HSE-compliant and recognised by employers across the UK.
St Andrew’s First Aid primarily operates in Scotland, where it is the leading first aid training charity. For first aid training elsewhere in the UK, St John Ambulance and British Red Cross offer equivalent HSE-compliant courses at venues nationwide.
FAW and EFAW certificates are valid for three years. A First Aid at Work Requalification (FAWR) course must be completed before the certificate expires. If it lapses, the full three-day FAW course must be retaken rather than the shorter requalification.
Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) is a one-day course for appointed first aiders in lower-risk workplaces such as offices. First Aid at Work (FAW) is a three-day course required in higher-risk workplaces or those with more than 50 employees. FAW covers a wider range of emergency scenarios including fractures, spinal injuries, chest injuries and anaphylaxis.
Yes. EFAW, FAW, paediatric first aid, fire marshal and other St Andrew’s First Aid courses can be delivered on-site at your premises by qualified instructors. On-site delivery is often the most cost-effective option for organisations training multiple staff and allows training to be tailored to your specific workplace.
Yes. St Andrew’s First Aid courses are open to individuals, small teams and large organisations. Whether you are an individual renewing your qualification or an employer training a group of first aiders, you have access to the same recognised qualifications delivered by qualified instructors.
Yes. Paediatric first aid training is required for those working in Ofsted-registered and Care Inspectorate-registered childcare settings in Scotland. The St Andrew’s First Aid Paediatric First Aid course meets these requirements and is suitable for childminders, nursery workers, teachers and anyone who works with children.
Mental health first aid is currently a recommendation rather than a specific legal requirement. However, employers have a general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to assess and manage all risks to employee health, including mental health. The HSE recommends that employers treat mental health on a par with physical health and consider appointing trained mental health first aiders alongside physical first aiders.