First Aid and CPR Certificates: Renewal Periods and How to Track Them
Most workplaces need people trained in first aid, and those people need to keep their training current. Collecting a certificate is easy. Knowing which of your first aiders are still within their refresh period, a year or three years later, is the hard part.
This post covers the first aid units, how often they should be refreshed, what you are expected to provide, and how to track it all in WorkZerk.
The first aid units
First aid and CPR courses in Australia are nationally recognised units of competency, delivered by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). Someone who completes one gets a statement of attainment. The four you will see most often are:
| Unit | Title on training.gov.au | Usually for |
|---|---|---|
| HLTAID009 | Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation | CPR only |
| HLTAID010 | Provide basic emergency life support | CPR plus basic emergency response |
| HLTAID011 | Provide First Aid | Workplace first aiders |
| HLTAID012 | Provide First Aid in an education and care setting | Early childhood and school-age care |
The model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace says that, as a minimum, first aiders should hold a nationally recognised statement of attainment from an RTO for the unit Provide First Aid, or a course giving equivalent skills. More training may be needed for remote work, dangerous substances, or workplaces where children are present.
How often to refresh
A statement of attainment usually prints the date the person completed the unit, not an expiry date. The refresh periods come from the model Code instead:
- CPR: refresher training every year.
- First aid: renew the qualification every three years.
Because there is no printed expiry, the date that matters is the one you work out: completion date plus 12 months for CPR, plus three years for first aid.
Your duty to provide first aiders
Under the model WHS Regulations (regulation 42), a business must ensure an adequate number of workers are trained to give first aid, or that workers have access to an adequate number of other trained people. The Code recommends these ratios as a starting point:
| Workplace | First aiders |
|---|---|
| Low risk | One for every 50 workers |
| High risk | One for every 25 workers |
| Remote high risk | One for every 10 workers |
"Adequate" depends on your risks, shifts and how people work. A first aider who is on leave, or on another shift, does not cover the people working now.
States use their own versions
Safe Work Australia writes the model Code, but each state and territory decides whether to adopt it. Victoria has its own First aid in the workplace compliance code, in effect since 4 November 2021, and Western Australia has its own code of practice, though WorkSafe WA gives the same refresh periods. Check the version your regulator uses.
Early childhood and care services
Education and care services under the National Quality Framework have a stricter rule. At least one educator with a current approved first aid qualification, approved anaphylaxis management training and approved emergency asthma management training must be present and immediately available whenever children are being cared for, including on excursions (Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority). The three can be held by different people.
The first aid qualification must be on ACECQA's approved list. ACECQA describes the industry standard as renewing first aid, anaphylaxis and asthma training every three years, with CPR refreshed annually.
How to check a statement of attainment
Look at the person's name, the unit code and title, the completion date, and the RTO's name and code. You can look up the unit and the RTO on training.gov.au.
If the person has a Unique Student Identifier, they can share their USI VET transcript with you, either in full or as an extract showing only the training they choose. It covers nationally recognised training completed from 2015 onwards.
What to keep on file
For each first aider, keep:
- a copy of their CPR and first aid statements of attainment
- the unit codes and completion dates
- the date each refresh is due
- who checked the certificate and when
Rules differ between states and sectors and change over time, so this is general information, not legal advice. Check with your state or territory WHS regulator, and ACECQA for education and care services.
What WorkZerk does with first aid certificates
WorkZerk keeps the paperwork side of the job in one place:
- Each person uploads their statements of attainment from a private link on their phone, with no account or password.
- CPR and first aid are tracked separately, each with its own refresh date.
- You approve each certificate, and WorkZerk records who approved it and when.
- The certificate is saved to the person's contact record, so it counts on every portal they are on.
- WorkZerk emails the person before a refresh is due and asks for the new certificate.
- The Document compliance report shows whose first aid is current, due soon or missing.
What it does not do: WorkZerk does not book training, check a certificate with the RTO, or decide how many first aiders you need. Those steps stay with you.
Setting it up in WorkZerk
1. Turn on two-factor authentication
Asking people to upload documents needs two-factor authentication on your account. Set it up first under Account, then Two-factor authentication (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab).
2. Create two fields
Open Fields (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) in the sidebar. Add a field called CPR, choose the Upload type, tick Require an expiry date, and tick Don't use AI to check expiry date. Then add a second field called First aid with the same settings.
A statement of attainment prints no expiry date, so here the "expiry date" is the date a refresh is due. That date is what drives the reminders and the compliance report. The AI check is off because there is no printed date to read. See custom contact fields.
Two fields matter because the two refresh periods differ. One HLTAID011 certificate covers CPR too, so the same file can go in both, each with its own date.
3. Ask for the certificates on a portal
Open Portals (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) and pick or create one. On its Requests panel, click + Insert, choose Upload, and name it "CPR certificate". Pick your CPR field under Document type and make sure Require expiry is on. Add a second Upload for "First aid certificate" using the First aid field.
Spell the date out in each description, for example: "Upload your HLTAID009, HLTAID010 or HLTAID011 statement of attainment. In the expiry date box, enter the date 12 months after the completion date on your certificate." For first aid, say three years.
4. Review and approve
Uploaded certificates wait under Needs review on Requests (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab). Check the name, unit code, completion date and RTO. If the due date is wrong, click Change date and correct it. Then approve it. See reviewing uploads.
5. Switch on the reminders
Open Automations (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab). Switch on Document expiring reminder and Document expired reminder. Both start switched off, and the expiring one goes 30 days before the due date by default. Courses book out, so consider changing it to 60 days. The reminders stop by themselves once the person uploads the new certificate.
6. See who your first aiders are
Tag your first aiders on their contact records, for example "First aider". Then open Requests (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab), click Document compliance, and filter by that tag. Each person shows as current, expiring, needs review, expired or missing for CPR and first aid.
Set Expiring within to 60 days to see who needs a course booked soon, and use Download CSV when an auditor or regulator asks for a register. See document compliance.
Getting started
Start a free WorkZerk trial at workzerk.com, then work through the steps above. If you get stuck, the getting started guide walks through a first portal end to end, or email us at [email protected].