You can’t predict when you or someone in your workplace will have an accident – basic first aid training will help you to prevent a minor injury from developing into something more serious. You can make the difference between a life lost or saved in an emergency.
Anyone can become a first aider, and taking a first aid course is recommended to increase your personal safety and the safety of the people around you. Depending on your needs assessment, your workplace may even legally require a first aider.
Every first aid course from Safety First Aid Training is Ofqual Accredited and fully qualifies learners to deliver first aid in the workplace. Once learners are qualified, however, they must then maintain their skills with First Aid Refresher Courses and First Aid Requalification Courses.
How often do I need to refresh my first aid skills?
Most workplace first aiders need to do a First Aid Requalification Course once every three years to remain qualified. The requalification course covers all the skills a first aider will have learned on their 3-Day First Aid at Work Course, updating them with any changes to techniques that may have happened since they last learned first aid.
If you’re a qualified first aider in your workplace, we recommend you set a reminder in your calendar for when your qualification expires. There is a 28-day grace period after your certificate expires in which you are still eligible to take most requalification courses, but other course providers have stricter guidelines.
Do I have to wait three years before refreshing my first aid skills?
Three years may seem like a long time to go without refreshing your first aid skills, seeing as most people’s abilities fade over the lifetime of their qualification. That’s why the HSE recommends that workplace first aiders take an Annual First Aid Refresher Course to keep their skills sharp.
What is covered on an Annual First Aid Refresher Course?
The Annual First Aid Refresher Course is designed to give delegates a reminder and update on the skills they learned on their 3-Day First Aid at Work or 1-Day Emergency First Aid at Work courses.
The 3-hour course includes course materials, direct tutoring and practical exercises to give delegates training on the following topics:
- The principles of first aid
- Assessing an emergency situation
- Managing breathing
- Managing seizures and shock
- Basic life support (CPR)
- Managing unconscious casualties
- Wounds and external bleeding
- Other minor injuries
Upon completion of the course, delegates receive an HSE-recognised annual refresher certificate valid for one year.
What is covered on a First Aid Requalification Course?
The First Aid at Work Requalification Course is ideal for renewing a workplace first aider qualification certificate within three months of its expiry date. Just like the Annual First Aid Refresher Course, it refreshes delegates on the skills they learned on their 3-Day First Aid at Work or 1-Day Emergency First Aid at Work courses, renewing their qualification for another three years.
This 2-day course is more in depth than the First Aid Refresher Course, however, and includes course materials, direct tutoring and practical exercises on the following topics:
- The principles of first aid
- Prevention of cross-infection
- Basic life support (CPR)
- Managing breathing
- Managing unconscious casualties
- Wound and bleed treatment
- Shock treatment and anaphylaxis
- Burns, poisoning and eye treatment
- Treating major and minor illnesses
- Epilepsy, diabetes and asthma
- Record keeping and secondary surveys
- Managing cardiac circulation
- Managing asthma attacks and choking
- Treating fractures and dislocation
Upon completion of the course, delegates receive an Ofqual approved and HSE-recognised First Aid at Work certificate valid for three years.
Why are first aid training refreshers important?
Over time, the first aid skills you gained during your qualification will naturally degrade. Government recommendations on first aid practices also change, so your knowledge may become outdated. That’s why qualified workplace first aiders are legally required to refresh their certification at least once every three years.
Read our other blogs for more information on first aid or contact us for further advice and information on our courses.
About the author:
Jo Stokes is a writer, marketer and trained first aider at Safety First Aid.