First aid training terms, explained in plain English

Every term you are likely to meet when you book, complete and renew a nationally recognised first aid course in Australia, defined in a sentence or two. Terms are grouped by topic. Each definition links to the page that covers it in more depth.

Certificates and the system Units and courses Skills and equipment Workplace

Certificates and the training system

Nationally recognised training: Training that leads to a qualification or unit of competency listed on the national register (training.gov.au) and delivered by a Registered Training Organisation. All HLTAID first aid units are nationally recognised. How certification works.
RTO (Registered Training Organisation): A training provider registered with ASQA (or a state regulator) and allowed to issue nationally recognised certificates. Every RTO has a number. REACHAU courses are issued by ABC First Aid RTO 3399.
ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority): The national regulator for vocational education and training. ASQA registers RTOs and checks they meet the standards.
Statement of Attainment: The official certificate an RTO issues when you are assessed as competent in one or more units of competency. It is what people mean by "first aid certificate". It has no legal expiry date. More on Statements of Attainment.
Unit of competency: The smallest nationally recognised building block of training. Each has a code and title, for example HLTAID011 Provide First Aid. First aid is delivered as units rather than full qualifications.
Competent / Not yet competent: The only two assessment results in nationally recognised training. There are no grades. Competent means you met every requirement of the unit. Not yet competent means you have more to show, and you get further attempts.
USI (Unique Student Identifier): A free, lifelong 10-character reference number every student in Australian nationally recognised training must hold. An RTO cannot issue your certificate without a verified USI. Create or find yours at usi.gov.au. Getting your USI ready.
VET transcript: A record of every nationally recognised unit you have completed since 2015, downloaded from your USI account. Useful if you lose a certificate or an employer wants proof.
training.gov.au: The national register of units, qualifications and RTOs. You can look up any HLTAID unit or check an RTO number there.
Training package: A set of related units and qualifications for an industry. First aid units sit in the HLT Health Training Package, which is why the codes start with HLT.
Third party delivery: When one organisation delivers training and assessment on behalf of the RTO that issues the certificate. REACHAU delivers on behalf of ABC First Aid RTO 3399 under this kind of arrangement.
Student handbook: The RTO's guide to your rights and obligations: attendance, assessment, appeals, complaints, fees and privacy. ABC First Aid Student Handbook (PDF).
Reasonable adjustment: A change to how training or assessment is delivered so a learner with a disability, injury or other need can take part, without lowering the standard. Examples include extra time, knee padding or a different assessment format.
LLN (Language, Literacy and Numeracy): The reading, writing, speaking and number skills a course needs. RTOs offer support if these are a barrier. Tell your trainer before the course.
Refresher / Renewal: Completing a unit again to keep your skills and your certificate current. Not a shorter or different course: you complete the same unit and receive a new Statement of Attainment. Renewals and expiry.

Units and courses

HLTAID009 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation: The CPR unit. Commonly refreshed every 12 months. Included in every other first aid unit. Course page.
HLTAID010 Provide basic emergency life support: Covers CPR plus the initial response to life-threatening emergencies such as choking, severe bleeding and anaphylaxis. Issued together with HLTAID011 and above; rarely booked on its own.
HLTAID011 Provide First Aid: The standard workplace first aid unit most employers ask for. Replaced the older HLTAID003. Commonly refreshed every 3 years. Course page.
HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting: HLTAID011 content plus the child-specific first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis requirements for education and care services. On the ACECQA approved list. Course page.
HLTAID013 Provide First Aid in remote or isolated site: HLTAID011 content plus managing a casualty for an extended time when help is an hour or more away. For remote work, stations, mine sites and outdoor programs. Course page.
HLTAID014 Provide Advanced First Aid: HLTAID011 content plus coordinating a first aid response, using oxygen and managing first aid equipment and records. For first aid coordinators and high risk sites. Course page.
Senior first aid / Level 2 / Apply first aid / HLTAID003: Old names for what is now HLTAID011 Provide First Aid. Job ads still use them. If an employer asks for any of these, book HLTAID011.
Superseded unit: A unit that has been replaced by a newer version with a different code. An older certificate stays valid, but many employers ask for the current unit when you renew.
Blended delivery: Theory completed online before the course, then a practical session in person. The standard REACHAU format. Course structures.
Pre-course learning / Online theory: The reading, videos and quiz you complete at least 24 hours before your practical session. How to prepare.
Practical assessment: The in-person part of the course where you demonstrate skills such as CPR, bandaging and managing a scenario, observed by the trainer.
Scenario: A simulated emergency used in assessment, for example a collapsed colleague or a child having an asthma attack, where you show the full response from start to handover.
Non-accredited course: Training that does not lead to a nationally recognised unit and does not come with a Statement of Attainment. ABC First Aid's mental health support courses are non-accredited.
Mental health first aid: A general term for courses on recognising and responding to mental health concerns. REACHAU delivers ABC First Aid's non-accredited mental health support courses on request.

Skills and equipment

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation): Chest compressions and rescue breaths given to someone who is unresponsive and not breathing normally. Assessed in every first aid unit, on a manikin on the floor, for at least two minutes.
DRSABCD: The action plan taught in Australian first aid: Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation.
AED / Defibrillator: An automated external defibrillator: a portable device that analyses the heart rhythm and delivers a shock if needed. Using one is part of every CPR unit.
ANZCOR: The Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation. It publishes the resuscitation guidelines that first aid training in Australia follows.
Anaphylaxis: A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction. First aid units cover recognising it and using an adrenaline autoinjector.
Adrenaline autoinjector: A single-use device (EpiPen is a common brand) that delivers adrenaline for anaphylaxis. Trainer devices are used in class.
Asthma first aid: The steps for helping someone having an asthma attack, including using a reliever puffer and spacer. Covered in detail in HLTAID012.
Recovery position: Lying an unresponsive but breathing person on their side to keep the airway clear.
Manikin: The training dummy used to practise and assess CPR. Adult and infant manikins are used.
First aid kit: The supplies kept for treating injuries and illness. Contents depend on the workplace risk assessment. First aid kits and supplies.
Triage: Sorting casualties by how urgently they need help when there is more than one. Introduced in HLTAID014.
Handover: Passing clear information about the casualty and what you did to paramedics or medical staff. Assessed as part of scenarios.

Workplace and employer terms

Code of practice: Practical guidance approved under WHS laws on how to meet a duty. In WA, "First aid in the workplace" sets out how to work out first aid needs, including first aider ratios. Employer guide.
First aider: A worker who holds a current nationally recognised first aid unit and is nominated to provide first aid at the workplace.
First aider ratio: The guide in the WA code for how many first aiders a workplace needs: 1 per 50 workers in low risk workplaces, 1 per 25 in high risk, and 1 per 10 in remote high risk, then adjusted for the site. Working out your number.
PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking): The WHS law term for an employer or business operator. The PCBU holds the duty to provide first aid.
WHS / Work health and safety: The law and systems for keeping workers safe. In WA this is the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and its regulations, overseen by WorkSafe WA.
Risk assessment: Working out what could cause harm at a workplace and how likely and serious it is. First aid needs are based on it.
Training register: A record of who holds which first aid unit and when it is due for renewal. Free register template.
Group training / On-site training: A course run at your workplace for your staff rather than at a public session. Request a group quote.
ACECQA: The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority. It publishes the list of approved first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis qualifications for education and care services. HLTAID012 is on it.
Public session: A scheduled course open to anyone, held at a set venue and time. Upcoming sessions.

Still have a question?

The FAQ answers the most common questions in full. For anything about your own booking or workplace, contact Britt.

Know the terms, now book the course

Session dates and bookings are on reachau.com.au. If you are not sure which course you need, the selector on firstaidcourses.net.au will point you to the right one.

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Training and Assessment is delivered by Britt at Regional Education and Career Help Australia on behalf of ABC First Aid RTO 3399.