First Aid at Work course in Manchester

If your workplace needs a fully qualified first aider, the Qualsafe Level 3 Award in First Aid at Work (RQF) is the qualification most employers look for. Our First Aid at Work course in Manchester runs at PLAB Guide Training Centre in Levenshulme, South Manchester. It is designed for people who will be formally appointed as first aiders under their employer's first-aid needs assessment.

FAW builds on the life-saving skills taught on the one-day Emergency First Aid at Work course and goes much further. It covers the injuries and medical conditions you are most likely to meet at work, from fractures and suspected spinal injuries to burns, eye injuries, seizures, strokes, diabetic emergencies and anaphylaxis. The course is blended: one day of online learning followed by two practical days in our training room. That way your face-to-face time is spent practising skills rather than sitting through theory.

What you'll learn on the FAW course

Emergency response and life support

• Your role, responsibilities and limits as a workplace first aider, including consent, infection prevention and record keeping
• Assessing a scene safely and carrying out a structured casualty assessment
• High-quality adult CPR with minimal interruptions, and safe use of an automated external defibrillator (AED)
• Caring for an unresponsive breathing casualty in the recovery position, including vomiting and signs of deterioration
• Recognising and treating mild and severe choking

Injuries

• Controlling minor and life-threatening bleeding, managing embedded objects and recognising shock
• Fractures, dislocations, sprains and strains
• Suspected spinal, head, chest and abdominal injuries, avoiding unnecessary movement
• Thermal, chemical and electrical burns, and scalds
• Eye contamination, foreign objects in the eye and serious eye injuries

Medical emergencies

• Heart attack and stroke
• Seizures and fainting
• Asthma attacks, anaphylaxis and severe allergic reactions
• Diabetic emergencies and poisoning
• Hypothermia, heat exhaustion and heatstroke

Throughout the course you will also practise monitoring a casualty, handing over clearly to the ambulance service and completing a workplace incident record.

Who should attend

This course is for anyone who has been, or will be, appointed as a first aider at work. It is especially relevant to larger and higher-risk workplaces, including:

• construction, engineering, manufacturing and warehousing
• care homes and healthcare support services
• schools and education
• hospitality, retail, security, and sports and leisure
• transport and logistics

Supervisors, managers, self-employed professionals and volunteers with first-aid duties also attend.

Unsure whether you need the three-day FAW or the one-day EFAW? The decision belongs to your employer's first-aid needs assessment, which considers workplace hazards, staff numbers, accident history, shift patterns, lone working, members of the public on site and distance from emergency services. The HSE's first aid at work guidance explains how employers should make this choice.

Course format, assessment and certification

You start with one day of online learning covering the underpinning theory. [CONFIRM: self-paced e-learning or a live virtual session, and whether it must be completed before the first classroom day.] You then attend two face-to-face days at our Manchester centre, from 9am to 5pm. The classroom days are hands-on:

• CPR and AED practice on training manikins
• recovery position, choking and bleeding-control exercises
• realistic injury and medical-emergency scenarios

You must complete every part of the course to qualify.

Assessment is continuous. Your instructor observes your practical skills throughout, and there are theory assessments as well. Booking and attendance alone do not guarantee the qualification: you need to show you can assess incidents safely, prioritise care, perform effective CPR, use an AED, and manage choking, bleeding, shock, injuries and common medical emergencies.

Successful candidates receive the Qualsafe Level 3 Award in First Aid at Work (RQF), valid for three years. The course carries 18 CPD hours. To stay qualified, you need to requalify before your certificate expires, and refresher training between qualifications is recommended to keep your skills sharp.

Before the course: what to bring

• Photo ID for the first classroom day. This is required for the qualification.
• Your completed online learning, finished before you arrive. [CONFIRM]
• Comfortable clothing. You will kneel on the floor to practise and be assessed on CPR.

If you have an injury, disability or health condition that could affect the practical work, let us know before the course so we can discuss it with you.

Venue: Levenshulme, South Manchester

Training takes place at PLAB Guide Training Centre, Second Floor, 308 Moseley Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 2LH. We have free dedicated car parking and free on-road parking nearby, and the centre is easy to reach by road and public transport. It is well placed for learners from Longsight, Gorton, Burnage, Heaton Chapel, Stockport and the rest of Greater Manchester. [CONFIRM: lift or step-free access to the second floor.]

Group and on-site First Aid at Work training

Training several members of staff? You can book group places on any of our scheduled dates. Alternatively, we can deliver the full First Aid at Work course at your own premises for groups of up to 12. If your employer is paying, choose that option at checkout and we will send the payment link to the person who authorises it. Purchase orders and invoices are also available. For on-site enquiries, email firstaid@plabguide.co.uk.

Why train with PLAB Guide Training Centre

• Qualsafe Awards Approved Centre (No. 908553), delivering a regulated RQF qualification
• Qualified, experienced instructors [CONFIRM: add instructor names and backgrounds]
• Practical, scenario-based learning built around real workplace incidents
• Modern CPR manikins and AED training equipment
• Structured individual feedback throughout the course
• A professional, inclusive learning environment

Book your First Aid at Work course in Manchester

Choose a date below to reserve your place on our next Qualsafe Level 3 First Aid at Work course in Levenshulme. Questions before you book? Email firstaid@plabguide.co.uk or call 0161 564 6162.