If you’re employing staff in your fitness business you are required to provide  first-aid arrangements in your workplace. And as a personal trainer providing fitness instruction it’s obviously vital you are able to give medical assistance in the event a client falls ill while under your supervision.

Surprisingly however there are no legal requirements for personal trainers to have first aid training in the UK for clients care but it’s strongly recommended and anyone considering providing fitness instruction will need to demonstrate knowledge if they are to be taken seriously, work for other fitness industry businesses and progress in the sector.

First aid courses

There are a number of first aid courses you can attend to learn the basics of treating accidents, injuries and illness. As I mentioned in the article on personal trainer qualifications, St. John’s Ambulance provide a good starters course as do the British Red Cross and there are a number of third party organisations providing H & SE accredited courses.

Fitness instruction and personal trainer courses will also include sections specifically on first aid, medical assistance and emergency treatments. If choosing a general personal trainer / fitness professional course, check that it is accredited as this will give a good indication that the first aid elements of the course cover the necessary subjects such as management of cardiac illness during exercise.

First aid requirements

Aside from having first aid knowledge, you’ll also want a first aid box. The Health and Safety Executive‘s guide to employers for general purpose first aid boxes are that they contain:

• 20 x individually wrapped sterile plasters (assorted sizes), appropriate to the type of work (you can provide hypoallergenic plasters, if necessary);
• two sterile eye pads;
• four individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile;
• six safety pins;
• two large, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings;
• six medium-sized, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings;
• a pair of disposable gloves

The H & SE is very clear that this list is not an absolute list and what you keep in your first aid box will depend on a first aid assessment you carry out. St John’s ambulance have an HSE-approved and highly-rated St John Ambulance Statutory 10-Person First Aid Kit for just over £10.
 

Documentation and record keeping

It’s strongly recommend that you keep a record of all accidents and treatment you provide to clients in a book dedicated to this purpose.  This would record:

• the date/time and location of the incident and the name of the injured/ill person;
• details of the injury/illness and what first aid was given;
• Information about what happened to the person immediately afterwards (eg went back to work, went home, went to hospital); and
• the name and signature of the first-aider or person dealing with the incident.

You can get preprinted stationery books with necessary columns and formatting already created for you but there’s nothing to stop you creating a basic spreadsheet to do the same. Record keeping in the workplace is more with specific obligations, you should read the Health and Safety’s Accident Book which details the precise requirements.

This is one of a series of articles on how to become a personal trainer. Others in the series include writing a personal trainer business plan, what equipment do personal trainers need and  What insurance do personal trainers need.

Note: This article is in no way intended to replace or to be construed as professional advice and are offered for informational purposes only. Please read the disclaimer and seek professional advice for further details.