First Aid at Work for Construction Workers: FAW or EFAW?

Alex D&D Training · Slade Green, Kent

Construction stayed the UK's deadliest industry last year. That's exactly why first aid at work for construction workers carries such legal weight. HSE's 2025/26 figures record 25 fatal injuries in the sector — more than any other. Falls from height and moving vehicles caused most of them.

It isn't a box to tick. It's a legal duty, and choosing the right course level counts just as much as booking one.

"First aid at work" also isn't a single course. Three options exist: the Appointed Person role, Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW), and First Aid at Work (FAW). Indeed, most guides skip straight to selling the priciest option. This one won't. Instead, it walks through exactly what your site needs, and why.

What UK Law Requires for First Aid at Work in Construction

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 set the baseline. Every employer must provide it, whatever their size, including sole traders. The regulations demand "adequate and appropriate" equipment, facilities and personnel. However, they don't hand you a fixed number.

Instead, HSE's supporting guidance, the L74 Approved Code of Practice, asks you to run a first aid needs assessment. That assessment should weigh your workplace hazards, your workforce size, and how far you sit from emergency help.

Construction sites carry an extra layer, too. The CDM Regulations 2015 place welfare duties on the principal contractor. So provision must cover everyone on site, not just direct employees. That matters on multi-contractor sites, where each firm can assume someone else has it covered.

HSE also classifies construction as a higher-risk workplace. As a result, the thresholds that trigger a trained first aider sit lower here than in a typical office.

Appointed Person, EFAW and FAW Explained

Three levels cover UK workplaces, generally split by training length and depth of cover. Each suits a different site size and risk profile.

Learners on our FAW course sit a 48-question test and complete practical assessment throughout to qualify. Overall, both EFAW and FAW certificates last three years. A two-day requalification course renews FAW before it lapses, and HSE recommends an annual refresher between renewals, since skills like CPR fade faster than three years suggests.

First Aid at Work for Construction Workers: How Many First Aiders Do You Need?

No single legal formula exists here. Indeed, everything comes back to your needs assessment. That said, HSE's guidance for higher-risk sites like construction commonly breaks down like this:

Compare that with a low-risk office. There, for instance, an appointed person alone can cover up to 25 staff — the same headcount that already needs a trained first aider on a construction site.

How many first aiders do you need? That always comes back to the needs assessment above, not the table alone. Treat the table as a starting point, not a ceiling. Your needs assessment should also weigh how remote the site sits from emergency services, whether people work alone, and your shift patterns. A common rule of thumb: train roughly double the number your headcount strictly requires, so holidays and sick days don't leave you exposed.

First Aid at Work for Construction Workers: Which Course Should You Book?

Self-employed with no one working for you? The law still expects "adequate and appropriate" provision. In practice, that usually means a well-stocked first aid kit, not a formal qualification, unless your site asks for more.

Working in a small crew, under five people? An appointed person meets the legal minimum. Even so, many principal contractors still ask for at least Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) before they'll let you start.

Want to be your site's named first aider, or aiming for a supervisory role? Book FAW at Level 3. Given construction's risk profile, this is what most principal contractors expect once a site crosses the thresholds above, and it covers injuries EFAW leaves out, like fractures and crush injuries.

Only need to cover the "one EFAW-trained person" box on a small site? Otherwise, the one-day course costs less and takes less time. Just remember it won't meet the requirement once your workforce grows past the point where FAW becomes necessary.

Does a CSCS Card Cover First Aid at Work?

No — there's no CSCS card first aid requirement as such, and this mix-up comes up often. In fact, it's one of the most common ones we hear. A CSCS card comes from passing the CITB Health, Safety and Environment Test, plus holding the right NVQ for your card type. First aid at work sits under separate regulations entirely.

That said, plenty of principal contractors expect supervisors, and whoever holds the site first aider role, to carry both. So it's common, and sensible, to book them together. Still unsure which CSCS card matches your NVQ level? Our CSCS Cards and Health and Safety Training FAQ covers that in full.

First Aid at Work for Construction Workers: How to Keep Your Certificate Valid

Your First Aid at Work certificate and its EFAW equivalent both last three years from the course date. Book your two-day requalification course before that date passes. No grace period exists, so a lapsed certificate means retaking the full course from scratch.

Between renewals, HSE recommends an annual refresher to keep skills like CPR sharp. Indeed, three years is a long time to go without practice. It isn't a legal requirement, but it's cheap insurance against the skills gap that can build up.

Frequently Asked Questions