LTB 013/17 - Royal Mail Group First Aiders – Annual Refresher First Aid Training - Communication From RMG HR Services Training Delivery Team

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LTB 013/17 - Royal Mail Group First Aiders – Annual Refresher First Aid Training - Communication From RMG HR Services Training Delivery Team

No. 013/2018

9 January 2018

Our Ref: EX7/18

Royal Mail Group First Aiders – Annual Refresher First Aid Training – Communication From RMG HR Services Training Delivery Team

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with less than five employees and to the self-employed.

Employers are legally required to ensure their First Aiders are competent and maintain their skills throughout the three years in which their FAW certificates are valid.

This refresher course provides First Aiders with an opportunity to practice and update their skills as a qualified First Aider, at any time while their First Aid certificate is valid.

The HSE strongly recommends that First Aiders attend a refresher session once every year during this three year period. This course is for people holding a current First Aid at work or Emergency First Aid at work certificate.

This session builds on the First Aiders expertise and confidence by involving them in realistic situations with simulated casualties. Candidates will practice First Aid in practical, hands-on scenario sessions.

The course does not renew First Aid certificates or extend the validity period of certificates.

The HSE strongly recommends that First Aiders undertake annual refresher training, over half a day, during any three-year certification period. Although not mandatory, this helps qualified First Aiders maintain their basic skills and keep up to date with any changes to First Aid procedures.

Royal Mail Group and CWU support this approach and the current policy is to offer annual refresher training.

It has been agreed with Royal Mail HRS that a standard letter will be created and sent out to all First Aiders annually stating that to keep your First Aid skills up to date it is recommended that you attend annual First Aid Refresher training.

All First Aid Refresher training courses are now available for self-registration on the Royal Mail online ‘SuccessFactors’ intranet site.

On receipt of a letter from Royal Mail Group HRS, First Aiders should proceed as follows:-

Those who have access to ‘SuccessFactors’ should log into ‘SucessFactors’ and book themselves onto a ‘First Aid Refresher Training Course’. Those booking themselves onto a course should inform their line manager as they will need to authorise this in the system.

Those who do not have access to ‘SuccessFactors’ should speak to their line manager to agree a suitable training course date for them to attend from those available on ‘SuccessFactors’.

If there are no suitable scheduled dates on offer then an e-mail should be sent to:- hrsctrainingdeliveryFirstAid@royalmail.com and HRS will add the First Aider concerned to a waiting list for a course in the First Aider’s area.

Attachment: Copy of the Royal Mail Group Human Resources Services Standard Letter to First Aiders due to attend a Refresher Training Course.

Would ASRs please check with all their offices to ensure that First Aiders have been booked on their Refresher Training and if not, ensure that an e-mail is sent to:- hrsctrainingdeliveryFirstAid@royalmail.com

Any problems, ASRs should initially raise it with the RMG Regional SHE Team and escalate via the escalation process should there be a failure to resolve the matter.

Royal Mail Group and the CWU at National level are keen to increase the number of First Aiders at those locations currently non-compliant and to also maintain the numbers once in place.

Yours sincerely



Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB013 Royal Mail Group First Aiders – Annual Refresher First Aid Training – Communication From RMG HR Services Training Delivery Team http://emails.cwu.org/t/d-l-olhktly-ztiitduz-i/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

First Aid Refresher Letter http://emails.cwu.org/t/d-l-olhktly-ztiitduz-d/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

View Online http://emails.cwu.org/t/d-l-olhktly-ztiitduz-h/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DB1100]

First aid has been watered down so much it's not worth doing anymore,we used to get quite a few refresher days every year when it was done "in house" now it been outsourced to some 2 bit organisation the requalification course has been cutback from 5 days to 3,the training is way below the standard we used to get.