Dr Roger Rawbone, Head of HSE’s Corporate Medical Unit which incorporates the First Aid Approval and Monitoring Section (FAAMS), has approved publication of the following note.

In recent weeks HSE has met with members of the First Aid at Work Council (FWC) and separately with several individuals from small independent first aid at work (FAW) training organisations (these individuals also acted as Regional Coordinators in a recent HSE consultation exercise). This note provides a brief overview of these meetings which have been valuable in helping HSE understand the views of all sections of the FAW training industry – the Voluntary Aid Societies, large independent training providers and smaller independent training providers.

Most of the discussion at these meetings centred around the establishment of an industry body to represent the FAW training industry. HSE is keen to explore this further in relation to the review of the first aid regulations. In particular, an independent body appointed from within the industry itself may in time be able to take over the current role of HSE’s First Aid Approval and Monitoring Section (FAAMS), in ensuring appropriate standards of FAW training are maintained.

It was encouraging that all sections of the training industry agreed that fragmentation of the industry was undesirable and potentially damaging in the context of training standards, and that any industry body would need to be all inclusive and fully representative of the FAW training industry as a whole.

While there may be a number of difficult issues to resolve, HSE believes that by fostering a spirit of openness, impartiality, flexibility and compromise across the industry, the FWC offers a foundation from which a fully inclusive industry body could be established. Current founding members of the FWC have made provision within a draft constitution for representatives of smaller independent training providers to be elected on to the Council’s Management Committee. To help facilitate this process, HSE intends to utilise the system of Regional Coordinators initially set up to provide feedback from training providers on the HSE review of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. At the earliest opportunity, HSE will set up meetings designed to bring all the Regional Coordinators together. This network will ultimately be used to facilitate democratic election of representatives on to the FWC Management Committee. HSE will not be involved in any decisions in relation to which individuals are subsequently elected.

It is hoped that the FWC Management Committee will subsequently comprise a group of voting members from across all sections of the industry as well as a small number of non-voting members. The ultimate aim is to establish a representative body that has a large majority support of FAW training providers. HSE would expect to have close involvement with such an industry body and before handing over the current role of FAAMS, HSE would need to be certain that the body has demonstrated its independence and competence to take on such a function.