When to book your CPR refresher

The short version: first aid is generally treated as current for three years, but CPR is refreshed every year. So in two of every three years the course you need is the 1.5-hour CPR unit, not the full certificate again.

Why the two dates are different

CPR technique is perishable and it is the skill most likely to be needed under pressure, which is why industry practice is an annual refresh. The wider first aid content is refreshed on a longer cycle, generally three years.

That means most people should expect a short course most years and a longer one occasionally — not a full three-hour certificate annually.

Working out which one you need

If your first aid certificate is still inside three years and only your CPR currency has lapsed, HLTAID009 CPR at 1.5 hours is usually all that is needed. If the first aid certificate itself is past three years, you are back to HLTAID011, which includes CPR anyway.

If you work in education and care, the equivalent is HLTAID012 rather than HLTAID011. And if your employer specifies something different from the general pattern, theirs is the requirement that counts — check rather than assume.

Booking it without losing a day

The CPR unit is the shortest we run: a brief online component beforehand and 1.5 hours in the room. Our Penrith venue is in Borec House on Station Street, a short walk from Penrith station, so for most people locally it is a couple of hours in total rather than a day.

The statement of attainment is issued the same day, so there is nothing to wait for afterwards.

Do not let it lapse first

Book before the expiry date rather than after. Employers, sites and insurers generally look at the date on the certificate, and a gap is a gap even if you rebook the following week.

Common questions

How often should CPR be refreshed?

Annually is the widely used cadence, with the full first aid unit every three years. Your employer may specify something different for your role.

Is the CPR refresher a different course?

It is HLTAID009 CPR, 1.5 hours. It is the same unit as the CPR component inside HLTAID011.

What if both have expired?

Book HLTAID011 Provide First Aid. It includes the CPR unit, so it covers both.

Book a course in Penrith

CPR (HLTAID009) $45 · Provide First Aid (HLTAID011) $95 · Childcare First Aid (HLTAID012) $115. Certificate issued the same day at Suite 2003A, Level 2, Borec House, 29 Station Street, Penrith NSW 2750.

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