Back to Business: Is Your Workplace Training Up to Date for Autumn?

Back to Business: Is Your Workplace Training Up to Date for Autumn?

September often feels like a fresh start for businesses.

The summer holidays have come to an end, teams are returning to normal working patterns and, for many organisations, attention is turning to the final few months of the year.

It also makes September a useful time to take stock of your workplace training and safety arrangements.

Training that seemed months away at the beginning of the year can suddenly be approaching its renewal date, while changes in staffing, responsibilities or working practices may have created new training requirements.

So, before the end-of-year rush begins, what should businesses be checking?

Check your training expiry dates

Start with a simple review of your existing training records.

Are any First Aid at Work, Emergency First Aid at Work or other workplace qualifications due to expire over the next few months?

It is much easier to arrange training in advance than to discover at the last minute that a key member of staff's qualification is about to expire.

Remember to consider the wider picture too. If a trained employee has left the business, changed shift or moved to another site, you may need to review whether you still have appropriate cover.

Don't forget your fire safety arrangements

When was your fire safety training last reviewed?

Employees should understand the fire procedures for their workplace, and those with specific responsibilities, such as Fire Marshals or Fire Wardens, need to understand their role.

It is also worth checking whether changes have been made to your building, staffing, processes or working arrangements that could affect your existing fire precautions or Fire Risk Assessment.

Has your workplace changed during 2026?

Training requirements shouldn't simply be a diary exercise.

Think about what has actually changed within your organisation.

Have you recruited new employees? Introduced new equipment? Changed working practices? Taken on additional premises? Increased production? Changed shift patterns?

Changes to the workplace can mean that your existing risk assessments, first aid arrangements or employee training need reviewing.

Think beyond compliance

Good workplace training isn't simply about having a certificate in a file.

Whether somebody is dealing with a medical emergency, evacuating a building, moving equipment safely or responding to an unexpected incident, training should give employees the knowledge and confidence to act appropriately when it matters.

Practical training also gives businesses an opportunity to identify questions and potential problems before they become real emergencies.

Beat the end-of-year rush

October, November and December can disappear surprisingly quickly.

If you already know that employees require training before the end of 2026, September is a good opportunity to get dates in the diary.

At Emergency Response Training Ltd, we deliver a wide range of workplace training, including:

• First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work
• Paediatric First Aid
• Fire Marshal and Fire Safety training
• Mental Health training
• Manual Handling and Health & Safety
• IOSH Managing Safely
• Conflict & Aggression Awareness
• Medical, Dental and Care training

Businesses can send individual employees to our regular open courses at Canberra House in Doncaster, or we can arrange group training at the client's own workplace.

Serving Doncaster businesses since 2002

Emergency Response Training Ltd is a Doncaster-based, family-run training provider that has been delivering workplace training since 2002.

Our instructor team includes people with extensive operational backgrounds across the emergency services, healthcare and other frontline environments, bringing practical experience into the training room.

We work with organisations throughout Doncaster and the surrounding regions, from small local businesses to schools, healthcare providers and larger employers.

So, as your team settles back into its autumn routine, now is a good time to ask:

What training does your business need to complete before the end of 2026?

A quick check now could save a last-minute scramble later in the year.

Emergency Response Training Ltd
Canberra House, Doncaster
T: 01302 802016
E: mail@ertraining.co.uk