Meeting Company Requirements For First Aid Training
Today at work you got a call from the company's Health and Safety Compliance Officer. You found out that you must have a first aid training course - it is required. You smiled, knowing that you've already taken one. You told her "no problem, I'm certified!" She needs to see your card, so you reached into your wallet where you keep your certification card, pulled it out, and discovered it expired a few months ago. Now what?
First of all, ask your employer if there is a company-approved first aid training course. For some companies, specifically ones that are government mandated to have their employees be first aid trained, they will have an established protocol. So, see if there is a specific training program that the company recommends - or, even better, uses all the time as employees need a refresher course - find out how to sign up for the next training. A bonus is that often the company will pick up the cost of being first aid certified if that is a company requirement. In fact, in many companies, they will have first aid training courses in house, to facilitate having many of their employees trained at once.
If your employer doesn't care where or how you get your certificate - perhaps you are at a small company, without enough employees to have a company-wide program - you have other options.
Independent Options For First Aid Training
Since your certification has expired, you're going to need a new training, you can't just easily re-certify with the same company you certified with in the first place. Luckily, there are many options for getting certified in first aid and cpr training.
First, the Red Cross offers first aid and CPR training. An organization with a excellent reputation for reliability when it comes to emergency health care, the American Red Cross offers many types of emergency preparedness trainings. Some are courses that cover many concepts but also incorporate first aid training into their program, "babysitter training" and "nurse assistant training". But they also offer "First Aid" and "CPR" trainings, too. They also have training in using an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). They also offer other segments of training that can be added to their basic course, if your company requires it - for example, injury prevention and bloodborne pathogens, which are popular add-ons. You can get more information about the Red Cross programs on their website or at a local Red Cross office.
First Aid and CPR training are also available in various configurations on the internet. Some are free, with only a cost if you want the certificate. Others charge for their courses. Some are strictly online, others are offered in a classroom setting. Whatever your needs, you will be able to find a first aid training that will meet your company's requirements.
