How Often Should CPR Skills Be Refreshed?

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is an essential first aid skill that can save lives in a medical emergency. Like most skills you don't use on a regular basis, your memory and competence with CPR decreases as time goes on. That's why it's crucial for first aid providers to refresh their CPR skills regularly. Annual CPR refresher courses boost confidence in emergency situations and improve safety in the workplace.

In this guide, we discuss how often CPR skills should be refreshed and when to renew your first aid certificate to stay up to date. Plus, we explain the essential CPR training equipment that every training provider needs for effective and compliant CPR certification.

How often should CPR skills be refreshed?

Guidelines from the Australian Resuscitation Council say that CPR skills should be refreshed once a year. First aid training should be refreshed every three years.

This is in line with guidelines from Safe Work Australia for first aiders in the workplace. According to Safe Work Australia's Code of Practice for first aid in the workplace, first aiders should take refresher training for CPR every year and renew their first aid qualifications every three years.

How long does a CPR certificate last?

In Australia, CPR certification for personal reasons doesn't have an expiry date. However, refreshing your CPR knowledge on a regular basis is crucial to ensure you have up to date information and best practices.

In some workplaces first aid training is a requirement and businesses must follow Government regulated guidelines to remain compliant. First aiders must complete first aid refresher courses every three years to ensure their qualifications are up to date. The CPR component of the training should be refreshed every 12 months to remain current.

Why does refresher training matter?

Whether it's a workplace requirement or for personal reasons, taking regular CPR refresher courses is important and highly beneficial. Here's why:

Be more confident in an emergency

It's well documented that people who have completed CPR training are more confident providing CPR in an emergency situation. And the more recently they've completed their training, the more confident they are.

Perform CPR to a higher level of competence

As with most skills, the more practice you get the more competent you are at providing CPR. Refresher training every year improves knowledge retention and competency which can help minimise risks and improve outcomes in an emergency.

Stay up to date with guideline changes

First aid guidelines and CPR best practices change over time as new research emerges. This means information and practices can go out of date. Refresher first aid and CPR courses are the best way to learn the most current information and practices.

Stay compliant with workplace code of practice

For business owners and managers, refresher CPR courses are an important part of keeping your workplace safe and compliant. Ensuring all first aiders in the workplace have current qualifications helps minimise risks at work. First aid courses can also help improve your workplace's overall health and safety by reducing the risk of injuries and medical emergencies.

What's involved in a CPR refresher course?

CPR refresher courses are delivered by registered training organisations. CPR courses typically take 2 to 4 hours, while a comprehensive refresher first aid course typically takes a day to complete. Some trainers offer refresher courses online, while others deliver in-person training.

Refresher CPR courses cover a range of CPR skills including:

• • Basic resuscitation

  • How to use an automated external defibrillator (AED)

  • How to do CPR on a baby and children

Refresher first aid courses cover CPR skills as well as a wide range of other essential first aid skills such as:

• • DRSABCD

  • How to assess an emergency situation

  • Basic wound care – including how to treat burns, cuts, eye injuries, sprains and fractures

  • How to assist someone who is choking or having trouble breathing

  • How to detect and treat poisoning

  • How to treat a snake bite effectively

  • How to treat cold and heat related emergencies – such as hypothermia, heat stroke and dehydration

Essential CPR training equipment

Good quality CPR training equipment is important for every first aid course because it allows the participants to have a hands-on learning experience. Practising with high quality training manikins is the best way to simulate a real life situation and prepare first aiders to handle emergencies with confidence.

At LFA First Response, we stock a range of high quality CPR training equipment trusted by registered training organisations across Australia. These include adult, child and baby training manikins as well as hygiene kits to ensure safe and healthy classes.

Our CPR training products include:

• • Adult training manikins

  • Infant and child training manikins

  • Manikin wipes

  • Face shields

  • Trolley bags for transporting manikins

For more information about our CPR training equipment or other first aid training supplies, get in touch with our friendly customer service team. Call us on 1800 681 544.

FAQs

It is recommended to refresh your CPR skills every 12 months to stay up to date with the latest techniques and guidelines. Regular CPR refresher training ensures you maintain confidence and effectiveness in an emergency.According to the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC), CPR training should be completed at least once a year. This helps individuals retain essential life-saving skills and keep up with any updates in CPR procedures.A CPR refresher course helps reinforce your knowledge and hands-on skills, improving response times during emergencies. It also ensures compliance with workplace health and safety regulations, especially in high-risk industries.For workplace compliance, many industries require employees to complete CPR training annually. Professions such as healthcare, childcare, and construction often mandate regular CPR refresher training to meet legal and safety standards.A CPR refresher training course typically includes updated CPR techniques, practice on manikins, AED (defibrillator) usage, and responding to different emergency scenarios. Regular CPR refresher courses ensure you remain prepared to save lives.