The Pre-Hospital Care Council have given a further extension to the deadline for First Aid Responder re-certification due to the COVID19 pandemic. This will give everyone a bit of breathing space and give employers time to plan their First Aid Responder training needs for 2021.
"Due to the recent Government restrictions, the continuing challenges posed by Covid-19 and recent requests from RI/ATI’s and Responders, please see updated PHECC Council advisory information regarding FAR responder Certification.
PHECC Council, at their meeting on November 12th 2020, further advise that if a Responders certification has expired between March 2020 and March 31st 2021, a Responder may complete the 2 day FAR refresher course to maintain FAR certification.”
This is really important for all sectors for the workplace but in particular Childcare Providers have been contacting me in relation to their worries and concerns in updating their staff's First Aid Responder certificates. Child Care providers are particularly diligent in keeping all their staff's Health & Safety training up to date. They have had grave concerns in allowing external providers to come to their facilities to deliver training and putting staff at an extra risk. They have put a lot of work into keeping staff and the children they care for in pods and minimising contact between each pod. As it is not practical or reasonable to provide training for 2 or 3 persons at a time, providers usually have up to 8 on a First Aid Course. These inevitably would be from different pods. Even with social distancing measures in place, Providers have felt that this was an added risk to their staff and the children in their care.
This will be a welcome relief for all who require First Aid Responder recertification.
If anyone has any queries in relation to recertification, please do not hesitate to give us a call or drop us an email.
