A first aid trainer does two insurable things that look alike and are not. They teach a course, and they sometimes provide first aid themselves. Only the first is a training business, and the policy has to say it covers both.
Teaching: the claim about the course
The training exposure is a claim that the instruction was wrong or inadequate, or that a certificate was issued to somebody who should not have had one, and that a third party suffered as a result. That is professional indemnity territory. Awarding organisation approval, current instructor qualifications and course records are what defend it, and insurers ask which awarding body the trainer works under and whether the qualification to instruct is current.
Treating: the claim about the casualty
Where the trainer also provides first aid cover at an event, or treats somebody during a course, the exposure is medical malpractice rather than teaching. Those are different sections and a policy written for a training company may not include treatment at all. A trainer who does event medical cover alongside teaching needs both stated, because the two are commonly sold as separate products in this market.
Injury during practical sessions
First aid training is physical. Delegates kneel, compress manikins, put each other in the recovery position, and occasionally practise on one another. Back and knee injuries during practicals are the public liability claim this trade actually makes, and the defence is the risk assessment for the session, the way practicals are supervised and what delegates were told. Insurers ask about group sizes, the venue and whether training is delivered on client premises.
Equipment, venues and working for others
Manikins, defibrillator trainers and consumables travel to client sites and need cover that follows them. Client premises normally require a certificate at a stated limit before a trainer is allowed in, and larger organisations often ask for evidence of both liability and professional indemnity. Trainers who subcontract to a larger training provider work under that provider's contract, which usually names the limits and sometimes requires an indemnity to the provider.
Questions people ask about first aid trainer insurance
Is teaching first aid covered by public liability alone?
No. A claim that the instruction was inadequate is a professional indemnity claim, and injury during a practical session is the public liability part.
Does the policy cover treating a casualty?
Only if medical malpractice is included. Many training policies do not cover treatment, and event first aid cover is usually a separate product.
What do client venues require?
A certificate at a stated public liability limit before access, and larger organisations increasingly ask for professional indemnity too.