Lazarus Training’s approach to restarting face to face training courses.

All information shared below is our “current viewpoint” and will be updated as further information and guidance is released by the government and our governing bodies.

Information given below is based on the COVID 19 risk level being assessed by the UK Government as level 3 or lower. For information about being a first aider during COVID 19 you can check our previous post here.

Pre-course

All participants attending our training must be free of symptoms of COVID 19, such as a new continuous cough and/or a temperature over 37.8 C and/or loss of taste/smell.

All participants must be free to attend, i.e. not required to self isolate, for example due to a family member displaying symptoms. 

It may be possible to measure participants’ temperature at training sessions, but it is essential that any participant who feels unwell does not attend. Lazarus Training reserves the right to refuse admission to a training session if a person seems unwell.

The training room must have sufficient space for participants to maintain social distancing during theoretical sessions, i.e. sit the required distance apart as well as sufficient space for practical activities and sufficient welfare facilities. This will impact on course numbers and must therefore be assessed prior to training.

During course

All participants will be required to watch two recommended videos on how COVID 19 is spread and handwashing technique: WHO- How to protect yourself from COVID 19; NHS- Hand washing technique.

All participants will be required to wash hands before commencing training and regularly throughout the training, for example after touching training equipment.

Participants will be placed in “pairs” to work together on practical sessions, with training equipment given to each pair to reduce sharing of equipment.

All training equipment will be cleaned before training commences, and regularly during training using appropriate sanitisation resources. Where appropriate, training consumables will be replaced, for example lungs from adult training mannikins will be disposed of at the end of every training session.

Gloves, resuscitation face shields [and potentially face masks/coverings] will be available to all participants to wear during any practical training. During any practice of CPR, a resuscitation face shield will be placed over the mannequin’s mouth and nose. This is inline with the UK Resuscitation Council’s guidelines for CPR and will be discussed as part of the training.

Track and trace

If anyone displays symptoms [such as a new continuous cough and/or a temperature over 37.8 C and/or loss of taste/smell], during the 14 days immediately post the course, they must inform us so we can inform all other participants in that training event. Once the NHS track and trace app goes live across the UK, this may be used as part of this strategy.

The Health and Safety Executive [HSE] guidelines on certificates

The HSE has confirmed that certificates that have or are about to expire on the main workplace first aid courses, may be extended until 30th September 2020. To qualify for this extension you must be able to:

• explain why you haven’t been able to requalify
• demonstrate the steps you have taken to access training, if you are asked to do so

This information is subject to review and/or change pending further advice from the UK Government and our other awarding/advising bodies.

You may find these links useful:

Health and Safety Executive Guidelines on maintaining first aid cover and training.

NHS advice

UK Government general advice, and specific advice for “first responders“.