Workplace first aid officer: what training do you need?
What the law asks of employers, how many first aiders the national code recommends, which first aid course to book, and how often to refresh it.
Written byEdway
The short answer
Every workplace needs people trained in first aid. For most workplaces, that means staff who hold HLTAID011 Provide First Aid. It is the course the national code of practice names as the minimum, and it includes CPR.
Keep it current. The code recommends CPR is refreshed every 12 months and first aid every 3 years.
First aid courses booked through Edway are delivered and issued by Training Aid Australia (RTO 91411).
More than a workplace requirement
First aid is not only about meeting a rule at work. The skills go with you, to home, to the footy, to the beach and to the shops.
Many people worry about what they would do if a family member, a friend or a workmate suddenly collapsed, stopped breathing or started choking. A first aid course helps with that worry. You learn how to respond in an emergency and care for the person until medical help arrives, and you practise CPR hands-on.
When you train your first aiders, you also give them skills they can use to look after their own families.
What the law says
Work health and safety law puts the duty on the business. You must make sure there are enough trained first aiders at the workplace, or that your workers can reach enough trained people. That cover must be there whenever people are working, including night shifts and overtime.
The law does not set a number or name a course. Safe Work Australia's model code of practice, "First aid in the workplace", gives the practical guidance. It is guidance, not a fixed rule, and it expects you to fit first aid to the risks at your workplace.
Victoria has its own occupational health and safety laws. WorkSafe Victoria's compliance code, "First aid in the workplace", plays the same role there.
How many first aiders does a workplace need?
The model code recommends these ratios:
- Low-risk workplaces, such as offices and libraries: one first aider for every 50 workers.
- High-risk workplaces, such as factories, motor vehicle workshops and forestry: one first aider for every 25 workers.
- Remote high-risk workplaces: one first aider for every 10 workers.
Treat these as a starting point. Count every shift, not just the busiest one, and allow for leave and staff who work away from the main site.
Which first aid course should your first aid officer do?
First Aid (HLTAID011) is the one most workplaces need. It covers emergency response, CPR, bleeding, burns, fractures, choking, asthma, anaphylaxis and passing on incident details. Completing it also gives you HLTAID010 and HLTAID009 on the same Statement of Attainment.
Some workplaces need more. The code says extra training may be needed where work is remote or isolated, where there are serious chemical risks, or where children are present.
- Advanced First Aid (HLTAID014) suits high-risk and remote workplaces, where help may take longer to arrive.
- Childcare First Aid (HLTAID012) is built for education and care settings.
Not sure which fits? Read Which first aid course do you need?.
Keeping your first aiders current
The Statement of Attainment itself does not expire. What matters is when your first aiders last trained.
- CPR: refresh every 12 months with the CPR course (HLTAID009).
- First aid: renew every 3 years by doing the First Aid course again.
Keep a simple register of who is trained and when each refresh is due. See How long does a first aid certificate last? for the detail.
Booking first aid training
First Aid classes run in Sydney, at Darlinghurst, Seven Hills and Mona Vale. Each class runs about 6 hours, plus an online pre-study module of 1 to 3 hours that your staff complete before the day. In Melbourne, send us an enquiry from the course page.
Training several staff at once?
Tell us what you need on our business training page. Our team looks at the course, location, group size and timing, then comes back with the options that fit. Sending an enquiry does not book anything.
Next step
Booking one or two people? Choose your state on the First Aid course page to see class dates and the current price.
Sources
- Safe Work Australia — Model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplaceThe employer's duty to have an adequate number of trained first aiders, access on every shift, the recommended first aider ratios, Provide First Aid as the minimum, when extra training is needed, and the refresh periods
- WorkSafe Victoria — Compliance code: First aid in the workplaceVictoria's own first aid guidance under its occupational health and safety laws
- training.gov.au — HLTAID011, HLTAID010 and HLTAID009Unit codes and official titles