Health and safety
LifeVac airway clearance device
Message from St Helens Borough Council's Health and Safety Team
(Published in the Education and Learning newsletter on 13th November 2025)
The Health and Safety Team have received a number of recent enquiries from schools who have purchased or are considering purchasing a LifeVac airway clearance device, to be used in conjunction with abdominal thrusts (chest thrusts for infants) or back blows by trained first aiders - when these methods fail or cannot be performed.
Please note, the anti-choking devices are not currently endorsed/supported by the Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) due to insufficient research and evidence on their safety and effectiveness. They neither encourage nor discourage their use, but stress that they should not replace standard first aid training, noting that the use of such devices could delay established treatments for choking if used prematurely See 1 below
The Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also warn of unsafe counterfeit or unbranded versions which are a serious safety risk, as they may fail to work or worsen choking incidents by pushing obstructions further down the airway. They also emphasise the need for trained professionals to use these devices safely and effectively. (see 2 and 3 below)
It is therefore the opinion of the Health and Safety Team and Occupational Health Consultant Practitioner that first aid delivered by a trained member of staff should suffice, without the need for such a device (which there is insufficient evidence on to support its safe use at this time). Care needs to be taken that staff are not working outside of their scope of practice and using something they are not certified through approved training to use. Similar to first aid, we would recommend that any training in this regard include a practical element and be delivered by a qualified trainer/assessor with knowledge and competence in first aid and use of the device.
We would also expect a detailed risk assessment to be undertaken prior to its use in the workplace.
Please contact Norma Sandland if you have any further queries on normasandland@sthelens.gov.uk.
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