First Aid Certificate

This is where the first aid certificate comes into play. An extract from a NSW WorkCover publication states:
 
"NSW legislation requires employers to provide their workers with any information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety at work."

www.workcover.nsw.gov.au
 
To do so requires conducting a risk assessment peculiar to the workplace, assessing the potential likelihood of an accident/injury occurring and taking steps to eliminate those hazards as effectively as possible. In spite of the conscientious endeavours of employers, accidents happen.

And when they do, it’s imperative that someone on site can render assistance. Failure to do so may result in serious injury, fines and even closure of sites.

Many states have mandated the number of first aiders required on site as well as the n umber of kits, their contents and ease of access to first aid supplies. It’s also necessary for those managing the kit/s are trained in their management and hold a current first aid certificate.

First aid certificates are issued on successful completion of an accredited or approved course. Approved courses can be found at the training.gov.au website.

At Medilife we issue the certificate on successful completion of the course. The benefit of doing so means you don’t have to wait for it to be mailed, especially if it’s required for a job application.

There are 3 "bodies" that are involved in determining the requirement for and outcomes of obtaining a first aid certificate:

• State based WorkCover authorities
• State based accreditation boards
• The Australian Resuscitation Council

In NSW these bodies are:

• WorkCover NSW who enforces legislation that applies to first aid in the workplace and consults with VETAB in deciding what should be included as essential skills. www.workcover.nsw.gov.au
• Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the accrediting body that ensures first aid outcomes are achieved and that the student is properly informed. www.asqa.gov.au
• The ARC is the recognised peak body in Australia for appropriate first aid treatments. www.resus.org.au

First aid certificates are valid for 3 years from the date of issue and the ARC recommends that the CPR component should be refreshed every 12 months. Some industries make it mandatory for staff to refresh CPR skills annually - eg: energy companies

The first aid certificate can be refreshed by attending a refresher course at which your skills can be refreshed and new techniques or changes to legislation learnt. Medilife conducts first aid refresher courses at more than 20 locations across the Eastern seaboard so there’s bound to be one located nearby at a time that suits you. Medilife ensures that the first aid certificate you obtain is “earned” by providing you with the skills, knowledge and systems to manage an emergency.

Some features of the course are:

1. Each student practices on their own manikin
2. Due diligence is practiced when it comes to hygiene as each student receives individually sealed face shields and bandages.

We have worked hard to make sure we provide premium quality training to all our clients. To back this up, we have developed 3 guarantees for your peace of mind.