In this article, we’ll outline the occupational health and safety (OHS) training accreditation requirements for first aid courses in the South African context. Ensuring that your Health and Safety Team is trained to the appropriate standards, by the right people, is an important element of achieving and maintaining compliance with the Occupation Health and Safety (OHS) Act 85 of 1993.
Employer responsibilities:
Even in low-risk workplaces, accidents and emergencies can happen at any time. In the event of a serious injury or medical emergency, having a trained First Aider on hand to provide treatment before paramedics arrive has been shown to drastically improve casualties’ chances of survival and recovery. This is why, according to the OHS Act, any organisation employing more than 10 people has a legal duty to ensure that at least one person holding a valid certificate in first aid is present during normal working hours. In addition, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that their First Aiders receive adequate training from a provider that fulfills the OHS training accreditation requirements for first aid courses in South Africa.
Adequate Training:
There are three levels of first aid skills programmes in the OHS training industry:
- Basic Emergency First Aid Responder (also known as First Aid Level 1): two-day course
- Intermediate Emergency First Aid Responder (also known as First Aid Level 2): three-day course
- Advanced Emergency First Aid Responder (also known as First Aid Level 1, 2 & 3): five-day course
Basic Emergency First Aid Responder, or First Aid Level 1, is a quality first aid course suitable for First Aiders across all workplaces and industries. For particularly high-risk workplaces, or any delegates wishing to improve their first aid skills, the Intermediate and Advanced courses offer deeper knowledge, a broader range of topics, and additional hands-on practice.
Accredited Providers:
The most important OHS training accreditation requirements for first aid courses in South Africa include accreditation by the Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL) and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO).
DoEL Accreditation:
General Safety Regulation 3.4(a) of the OHS Act specifies that employers have a responsibility to ensure that all nominated first aiders are “in possession of a valid certificate of competency in first aid issued by…a person or organisation approved by the chief inspector for this purpose.” This means that first aid training providers must be approved by the DoEL.
QCTO Accreditation:
The QCTO oversees and guides the development, delivery, and assessment of skills programmes, including first aid courses, and is responsible for quality assurance in this regard.
Accreditation with the QCTO is now mandatory for any training provider offering occupational skills programmes in South Africa. Previously, SETA (Sector Education and Training Authority) accreditation was the primary OHS training accreditation requirement for first aid courses, however, the QCTO is now the controlling body and acts as the final authority on accreditation.
How QCTO Accreditation Works:
The QCTO assesses both the training provider and the individual courses offered by that provider. To gain accreditation, training providers must demonstrate that they have the right infrastructure, facilities, and equipment to effectively teach both the theoretical and practical elements of their skills programmes. Similarly, they need to show that their instructors are suitably qualified as both facilitators and assessors. When an organisation launches a new course or skills programme, the QCTO carries out quality assurance by evaluating the training facilities and infrastructure as well as the proposed course material.
QCTO accreditation is rigorous and comprehensive, and employers seeking high-quality first aid training should look for training providers that hold QCTO accreditation.
Note that at the time of writing, the QCTO has only released its first aid skills programmes. This means that it isn’t currently possible for training providers to gain accreditation for courses in other occupational health and safety disciplines (such as evacuation planning, firefighting, incident investigation, etc.). As and when the QCTO releases these programmes, training providers may submit their courses for evaluation and accreditation.
SETA Accreditation:
Previously, the Health and Welfare SETA (HWSETA) was the primary OHS training accreditation requirement for first aid courses in South Africa. As noted above, OHS training accreditation is now being centralised under the QCTO. Currently, the QCTO and the HWSETA work hand-in-hand to assess and accredit training providers. The QCTO uses the HWSETA to assist them in carrying out quality assurance and accreditation visits. For this reason, accredited training providers have a relationship with both the HWSETA and the QCTO.
Evidence of Accreditation:
To confirm that a training provider is accredited by the DoEL, request to see their Accreditation Certificate, including their CI number (FAFST’s CI number is CI 511/3/12/1).
To confirm that a training provider is accredited by the QCTO, you can easily check the QCTO website, which provides a complete list of all accredited Skills Development Providers. Accredited providers are also issued a QCTO Accreditation Letter, which you can request to view, and a QCTO Accreditation number (FAFST’s accreditation number is 07-QCTO/SDP060324180427).
FAFST’s Quality Guarantee:
FAFST is fully accredited by the DoEL and the QCTO. In addition, FAFST’s Director, Alastair Farish, has 25 years’ experience in the industry and is a paramedic and Health and Safety Practitioner. He also sits on the QCTO and HWSETA panel, which discusses health and safety industry requirements and develops OHS programmes, which are then submitted to the QCTO for approval. FAFST’s first aid courses are in line with the QCTO’s requirements and up to date with the latest industry standards.
Book Accredited First Aid Training:
Looking to train your First Aiders to the highest standard? Download our course schedule to find a date and location that suits your team. Alternatively, FAFST offers on-site training at your premises for groups of eight or more delegates. Contact us for more info.
