Four Questions That Reveal Whether Your Workplace First Aid Knowledge Is Still Fit for Purpose
Published on 10/07/2026 at 18:20 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Companies across Europe are being urged to treat emergency preparedness as a living skill rather than a box ticked during onboarding. In Vienna, the provider Nonstop ROSC GesbR has begun running emergency training sessions inside workplaces themselves, betting that staff who rehearse life-saving procedures in familiar surroundings will react faster when a real crisis hits.
That logic is echoed by notfallTraining schweiz, which advises refreshing first aid knowledge every two years. To help employers work out who actually needs a refresher, the organisation points to a simple four-question check: Where exactly is the first aid kit kept? Who are the designated workplace first aiders? What is the correct emergency number? And can you demonstrate the recovery position?
Emergency readiness only works if the basics are documented and everyone knows where to find them. A free Health & Safety Toolkit gives UK employers ready-to-use risk assessments, checklists and toolbox talks covering first aid, fire safety and more — so nothing is left to memory. Download the free Health & Safety Toolkit
Anyone who hesitates on more than one of those questions, the guidance suggests, has a good reason to book a refresher course.
Rules already on the books
In some countries, workplace emergency planning is not merely recommended but legally required. Switzerland's Ordinance 3 to the Labour Act (ArGV 3, Art. 36), for instance, obliges employers to maintain a first aid concept and explicitly permits repeat training courses. The point of a structured approach is to keep emergency procedures from fading out of memory, so that they function smoothly when they are actually needed.
Mental health support is also moving up the corporate agenda, alongside physical first response. Marking World Mental Health Day, the IBG made the case for trained contact persons and permanent workplace structures dedicated to psychological first aid.
The scale of the problem is considerable. According to the IBG, absences caused by psychological conditions last an average of more than 36 days per case, rising to roughly 68 days for long-term sick leave.
The SOS formula and three steps
For acute psychological crises, the IBG recommends what it calls the SOS formula — standing for safety, orientation and stabilisation. A broader sequence guides the responder: notice the situation, listen, and connect the person with further help.
Psychological first aid is explicitly not therapy, the organisation stresses. Its aim is to steady those affected first and, where necessary, to put them in touch with professional support.
Fire safety qualifications on offer
Emergency preparedness also covers structural and organisational fire protection. The BZB Akademie, working with Endreß Brandschutz, runs a fire safety officer qualification at its Neu-Isenburg site near Frankfurt.
The course spans eight teaching days from 8 to 23 April 2027 and concludes with an examination in line with DGUV Information 205-003. A second programme, for certified specialist construction managers in fire protection, covers 16 teaching days from 28 April to 26 June 2027 and focuses on implementing, monitoring, documenting and signing off fire safety measures.
Fire protection is one area where missing paperwork can be costly — inspectors expect a current risk assessment, a clear evacuation plan and evidence of staff training. A free Fire Safety Toolkit bundles exactly those documents so employers can meet their legal duties without starting from scratch. Get the free Fire Safety Toolkit
Between hands-on sessions such as those run by Nonstop ROSC in Vienna and the broader training offerings in occupational safety, employers are working to keep their teams capable of acting across a wide range of hazardous situations.
