Renewing & Refreshing First Aid Certificates

How long are first aid certificates valid for?

How long a first aid certificate lasts for really depends on the type of qualification you're talking about. If you're holding a certificate for a regulated first aid course (any of the 'at work' series, or a Paediatric first aid) then it'll be every three years. Once that date has gone, you can't be a first aider until you've completed your renewal. For other courses, the validity is usually shorter (between 1 and 1.5 years).

Of course validity is only part of the story - if you're not confident in your skills because you trained two years ago and haven't used your skills since, it's worth considering a skills refresher, or a renewal.

Take a look at the different types of course below to see more details.

Workplace First Aid

All of the regulated first aid certificates are valid for 3 years from the date of qualification. These include:

In each case, if a member of staff wishes to continue to be a first aider, they should complete and pass their course before their existing certificate expires. If they have not done so, they can’t be a workplace first aider until they have requalified.

In addition, anyone wishing to extend their full First Aid at Work certificate through attending a 2-day requalifier course must do so before their existing 3-day certificate expires. If they have not done so, they will need to attend a full 3-day course to renew.

Refreshing Workplace First Aid Skills

In addition to renewing their certificates every 3 years, the HSE strongly recommends that all first aiders undertake annual refresher training in the years between full requalifying courses.

This is intended to help first aiders keep their skills up to date, and improve their ability to recall and perform first aid as and when it is required. With good safety practices and a slice of luck, first aid skills are only called on very rarely. So a 1/2-day annual refresher can be invaluable in keeping your first aiders on top of their game.

Dental CPR & Medical Emergencies

Dental CPR and Medical Emergencies courses are usually renewed every 12 months, and contribute to Dental Practitioners' 5-year CPD cycles.

GP CPR Renewals

Most GP Practices renew their CPR certificates every 12 - 18 months, as a part of their 5-year CPD cycles.

Education Courses

Renewals for education courses depend very much on the type of training, and the level and type of requirement in the setting.

Paediatric First Aid and First Aid at Work courses

For regulated (RQF) Paediatric courses, staff must renew every 3 years to remain as Paediatric First Aiders. And as with other working environments, their workplace first aid certificates must also be renewed every 3 years to remain valid.

Other Courses

How often you renew certificates for other courses depends very much on the requirement of the workplace and the person responsible for organising them. These include courses such as :

We'd recommend renewing their certification at least every 2-3 years, depending on the numbers of pupils or staff who are affected by the range of conditions covered by the courses. During those 2-3 years, you should also take into account whether you need to train new staff to replace skills that have been lost as trained staff leave.

First Aid for Mental Health

Currently there is no mandatory expiry or renewal period on first aid for mental health certificates. We would recommend that you review your requirements as part of your risk assessment, and renew as skills are fading, or as staff turnover leaves your workplace short of staff trained in mental health first aid.

Adjustments

Of course all of the above renewal timescales should take into account staff turnover, sickness and change of circumstance. If one or more first aiders leaves the organisation, look at how many first aiders you have left, and compare this with the numbers you identified in your risk assessment. If the leaver has taken you below your minimum, make sure you get further staff trained.

Similarly, if staff move from one site to another, change shifts, or go on long-term sick, again take a look at whether you have enough first aiders to meet your needs.