SamsonIn short
- Occupational first aiders in Ireland are trained to the PHECC First Aid Response (FAR) standard. FAR is a three-day course on Samson's page.
- A FAR course certificate lasts two years. The two-day FAR Refresher renews it if it is taken in time.
- Basic First Aid and Cardiac First Response are different courses. Neither should be presented as the same as FAR.
The four courses
The table below sets out the four courses. The facts on FAR and Cardiac First Response come from PHECC and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). The lengths of Samson's courses come from Samson's own course pages.
| Course detail | First Aid Response (FAR) | FAR Refresher | Basic First Aid | Cardiac First Response (CFR) Community |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | People nominated as workplace first aiders; no previous first aid experience needed (Samson's page). | People who already hold a FAR course certificate that is valid or recently expired (Samson's page). | Employees across all industries and anyone nominated to provide first aid in the workplace; no previous first aid experience needed (Samson's page). | Anyone who wants to respond to a person who has collapsed: members of the public, healthcare practitioners or emergency services staff (PHECC). |
| Length | 3 days on Samson's page; PHECC's standard is not less than 18 contact hours including assessment (HSA). | 2 days on Samson's page; PHECC's recertification course is currently not less than 12 hours including assessment (HSA). | 1 day (Samson's page). | About 4 hours for a group of six when PHECC's video is used (PHECC standard, June 2016). |
| Course certificate | PHECC Responder Digital Certificate (HSA). | PHECC Responder Digital Certificate (HSA). | – | Joint PHECC and recognised institution CFR Community card or certificate (PHECC). |
| Issued by | Joint PHECC and approved training institution course completion certificate (HSA). | Joint PHECC and approved training institution course completion certificate (HSA). | – | A PHECC-recognised institution, jointly with PHECC (PHECC). |
| How long it lasts | 2 years (HSA). | 2 years (HSA, occupational first aid certification). | – | 2 years (PHECC). |
| Refresher | FAR Refresher before it runs out; PHECC considers a maximum of 30 days an appropriate grace period, in extenuating circumstances; after that the full 3-day course (HSA). | Recertify again within the same 2-year period; PHECC considers a maximum of 30 days an appropriate grace period; otherwise the full FAR course is needed (HSA). | – | PHECC's standard interval for refresher training is one year after the first course; generally the full course recertifies (PHECC standard, June 2016). |
Basic First Aid is not the same as First Aid Response. The HSA says the PHECC First Aid Response standard is the established standard for occupational first aid training, and that training to meet the workplace first aid rules must be delivered by PHECC-recognised and approved training institutions. Samson's Basic First Aid page does not name a PHECC award, so it is not presented as equivalent to a certified First Aid Response course.
First Aid Response (FAR). This is the PHECC course for people nominated as occupational first aiders. Samson's page says no previous first aid experience is needed.
FAR Refresher. This is for people who already hold a FAR course certificate. Samson's page asks for a valid or recently expired FAR certificate.
Basic First Aid. Samson's page describes a one-day course for employees across all industries.
Cardiac First Response (CFR). This PHECC course (standard) teaches CPR and the use of a defibrillator (AED) to someone who may be a member of the public, a healthcare practitioner or part of an emergency service.
What the workplace first aid rules require
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 set the rule in Part 7, regulation 165. It says an employer must:
- provide and maintain suitably marked and easily accessible first aid equipment;
- designate the number of occupational first aiders needed at each place of work;
- make sure their number, their training and their equipment are adequate for the size and hazards of the workplace; and
- record the arrangements, including the first aiders' names, in the safety statement.
The HSA gives an indicative table of how many first aiders to have. For workplaces other than factories, construction sites and mines, it suggests one first aider for 100 to 399 people at any one time, two for 400 to 699, and one more for every 300 above that. Below 100, it is one if the safety statement risk assessment shows it is needed. Your own risk assessment decides the real number.
The HSA also says that training to meet these rules must be delivered by PHECC-recognised and approved training institutions. Its guidelines on first aid at places of work name FAR as the established standard for occupational first aid training, in place of the older Occupational First Aid Level 5 course.
How refreshers work
The HSA says occupational first aid certification is valid for two years, after which recertification training is required. For FAR that means the refresher course, which the HSA says is currently not less than 12 hours.
PHECC allows a short grace period if a course certificate has lapsed. It is for extenuating circumstances and the training institution decides. PHECC considers a maximum of 30 days an appropriate grace period. After that, the full three-day course is needed.
For Cardiac First Response, PHECC's standard says certification lapses after two years. It also says the usual interval for a refresher is one year after the first course. That standard was published in June 2016 and PHECC advises checking its site for the current version, so Samson's team should confirm it.
What this means for training
Start with your first aid risk assessment. It tells you how many first aiders each site needs and which course they take.
In our draft view, care teams start from FAR for the nominated first aiders and the FAR Refresher to keep them current. Samson's team will confirm which other staff Basic First Aid and Cardiac First Response suit. See how it fits each setting on the pages for home care, nursing homes, disability services, hospitals and core skills.
Samson's course pages: First Aid Response, FAR Refresher, Basic First Aid and First Aid and AED.
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