Can First Aid Response Courses be provided during Level 5 lockdown?
Government guidelines state that training can continue if it is essential health & Safety regulatory training for an essential business. All COVID -19 protocols must be put in place and adhered to during any training held.
Please see update from the Pre Hospital Care Council
PHECC UPDATE ON FAR RESPONDER RECERTIFICATION
PHECC is the regulator responsible for ensuring the standards and quality of the First Aid Responder (FAR) course content, the examinations and the Recognised Institutions and Approved Training Institutions (RIs and ATIs) who are authorised, by PHECC to deliver the education courses.
The PHECC FAR course is the only first aid certificate recognised by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).
Responsibility for delivering PHECC courses is delegated to Recognised Institutions and Approved Training Institutions. A list of RI/ATI’s that are recognised by PHECC to deliver PHECC courses can be found here.
As a healthcare regulator, PHECC are not in a position to approve or authorise RI/ATI’s to open or not open during the current pandemic. This decision should result solely from the RI/ATI’s own risk assessment based on their ability to comply with government advice and guidelines.
The appropriate authority to offer guidance in this area would be the Health & Safety Authority (HSA).
PHECC are very aware of the pressures that the current Covid-19 restrictions are placing on RI/ATI’s who deliver PHECC responder level courses, and on organisations who are looking to access places on those courses for their staff.
PHECC acknowledged in March 2020 that if a Responders certification had lapsed, an RI/ATI may allow an extended grace period before a full course would be required to maintain FAR certification. All PHECC certification at Responder level (FAR, EFR and CFR-C) which has lapsed since March 2020, which has not been re-certified by October 31st 2020, will require a new course to be completed. Any PHECC certification at Responder level (FAR, EFR and CFR-C) which expires after this date will need to be re-certified within 30 days of the expiry date, or will require a new course to be completed.
PHECC have confirmed that they are not in a position to extend the expiry date on FAR certificates, which certifies a minimum level of competence in First Aid Response and neither are PHECC recognised RI/ATI’s.
The Regulatory requirements to hold FAR certification does not originate from PHECC, it comes from the requirements of HSA, Tusla and other institutions.
PHECC have been in consultation with these institutions regarding their requirement for individuals to hold in date FAR certificates.
PHECC are pleased to be able to report that both HSA and Tusla are taking a very pragmatic approach to this requirement, as detailed in their respective websites.
The Health and Safety Authority acknowledge that the First Aid Regulations require employers, based on a risk assessment, to have sufficient first aid equipment and trained first aiders in the workplace. The regulations do not specify the training standard, duration of training and retraining and recertification periods but the Authority will continue to recognise first aid responders existing FAR certification during the Covid 19 pandemic while they wait to be recertified. Those first aiders can continue to administer first aid in the workplace.
Please see the
HSA website for further information or contact them directly.
Tusla acknowledge due to the ongoing pandemic, Tusla and Dept of Children and Youth Affairs have agreed to extend the timeframe to meet this regulatory requirement to the end of February 2021. In addition, for those staff that already have FAR certification which has now expired or is due to expire – their certificates will remain valid until courses are up and running again.
Please see the
Tusla website for further information or contact them directly.
PHECC will continue to engage with the RI’s and ATI’s and with the HSA and Tusla in regard to the requirement for, and provision of PHECC FAR education courses and certification and will continue to keep you up to date during these difficult times.
