How to become a first responder

If you’re tasked with becoming a first responder for your company, you’ll need to understand the restrictions around your first-aid certification’s expiration and renewal.

To work as an assigned first aider for your company, you’ll need to complete a professional emergency first aid at work certificate, which will furnish you with all the skills and knowledge you’ll need to give first aid if someone in your workplace becomes ill or is injured.

Because the skills and expertise you gain throughout emergency first aid at work training might be lifesaving, maintaining these abilities up to date and current is critical.

Because of this, all professional emergency first-aid certifications have an expiration date, meaning you’ll need to retake the test before then to maintain your competence in your position as a designated first responder.

How long is an emergency first aid at work qualification valid for?

The level 3 award we provide here at Care Business Associate Training is valid for three years and can be renewed.

When you renew your certification after three years, you might discover that the course material is very similar, if not identical, to when you initially took it and ask why you are required to take the test again.

The reason for the expiration of emergency first-aid qualifications is to guarantee that designated first responders keep their abilities up to date. If a person falls sick or is hurt on the job, you may be grateful for your emergency first-aid skills. Because most companies do not call on emergency first aid providers very often, concerns have emerged that if they don’t. Emergency first aiders need to retake their qualification every three years to guarantee that they are competent in their job.

Am I required to take regular refresher training?

While your qualification does not have to be renewed for three years, the HSE’s website claims that employers are responsible for ensuring that first responders keep their skills up to date. It also advises that first aiders should take annual refresher training for at least a half-day during any three-year certification period.

While refresher training isn’t required, emergency first-aid skills are (hopefully) unlikely to be used frequently at work, so maintaining your skill levels is essential. Regularly brushing up on your knowledge can also be useful. Attendance at annual refresher courses allows first aid providers to stay up to date with any modifications in procedure.

The importance of having a valid emergency first aid at work qualification

If the credentials of a company’s chosen first aider have expired, they are no longer regarded as competent to serve as a first responder at work. This means that the organization will no longer be in compliance with legal requirements for employee protection and may be in violation of the HSE’s Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.

First aiders should keep track of the date their certification is set to expire, and they should enrol in a course to requalify before then. It can be useful to note the date on a calendar or establish an alarm to remind you when your qualification’s expiration date approaches.

Changing employers

If you’ve been labelled an emergency first aider for your employer and then leave, your accreditation will remain valid until the certificate’s expiration date. If you start a new firm, you may still utilize this credential; however, you’ll need to receive training in the company’s specific health and safety concerns and systems.

Emergency first aid training with CBAT

Care Business Associate Training (CBAT) teaches a fully certified 1-day QA Level 3 Emergency First Aid at Work course.

Our healthcare training programs are led by instructors who have extensive, real-world expertise in healthcare and have been trained by some of the country’s most reputable organisations.

Our emergency first-aid training is conducted in groups of no more than 12 people at a time and includes both theoretical and practical components in a fun and engaging way. Individuals or groups from organizations requiring many employees to be trained in first aid may book for this course.