The HSA has extended the period that they will recognise the QQI Occupational First Aid Course. See below for the full HSA Statement.
How does this affect you?
It means that if you are due an Occupational First Aid Refresher course you have the option of attending the one day Occupational First Aid refresher which will automatically be updated to the new PHECC First Aid Responder Course (FAR) on renewal in two years time or attending the two day FAR refresher. Both certificates will be equally recognised until the certificate expiry date. The Occupational First Aid refresher will be the cheaper option as the FAR course is a two day course versus the one day Occupational First Aid refresher. The FAR refresher course is limited to 6 participants which also makes the training more expensive.
If you wish to attend the 3 day course you have the option of attending either the 3 day QQI Occupational First Aid Refresher or the 3 day PHECC First Aid Responder Course (FAR). The 3 day Occupational will be the cheaper option at present as the maximum number of participants on the FAR Course is 6 while the maximum on the QQI Occupational First Aid is 10 participants.
Health & Safety Authority (HSA) 7th Statement
22nd November 2017
7th Statement of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) in relation to transition to Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) First Aid Response (FAR) Education and Training Standard
In the previous statement of 31st August 2017, the HSA announced its intention that as and from 1st January 2018, it would only recognise the PHECC FAR standard as meeting the needs of occupational first aid (OFA) in workplaces.
The HSA has determined in consultation with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and PHECC that dual recognition of QQI 5N1207 and PHECC FAR will continue until 31st May 2018. Thereafter the HSA will only recognise PHECC FAR. This recent decision takes into account PHECC’s current review of the FAR Education and Training Standard (2014). The review is addressing our mutual stakeholders concerns including:
•the instructor to student ratio;
•the duration of the course;
•the duration of the refresher training.
Recommendations for dealing with these concerns and other areas focusing on FAR content and delivery will be forthcoming with review conducted by PHECC Education and Standards Committee.
To date there are 33 PHECC Recognised Institutions approved for FAR provider courses and 14 RIs approved for FAR instructor courses. In addition there are other applications currently being processed by PHECC. Recent developments for the OFA to FAR transition involve PHECC creating an on-line electronic portal for RI and FAR course applications.
Updates about the FAR review and the transition work are provided on the PHECC website.
