Plain-English answers to the questions we get asked most often in class — what the rules actually say, which course you need, and what to do in the moments that matter. Written by Best First Aid Training, who deliver nationally recognised first aid and CPR training across Western Sydney.
Choosing and renewing your training
How often do you need to renew a first aid certificate in Australia?
First aid runs three years, CPR runs one — and both often sit on the same certificate. What the currency periods are and why they differ.
CPR, first aid or childcare first aid — which course do you need?
HLTAID009, HLTAID011, HLTAID012, HLTWHS005 and CHCPRT025 explained, and the booking mistake that makes people pay twice.
What is a USI, and why can’t I get my certificate without one?
The free lifelong number every nationally recognised course needs — how to create it, and the name mismatch that holds certificates up.
Childcare first aid requirements: what the National Regulations say
Regulation 136 in plain English — who has to be on site, how long training stays current, and the register mistake that hides non-compliance.
What to do in an emergency
DRSABCD: the first aid action plan explained
The sequence taught in every Australian first aid course, step by step, and why the order matters under pressure.
CPR compression rate and depth: the numbers that matter
100 to 120 a minute, 30:2, a third of the chest deep — and why faster is not better.
How to use a defibrillator (AED)
You cannot shock someone who does not need it. Pad placement, children, and the situations people hesitate over.
Choking first aid: back blows and chest thrusts
What to do for adults, children and babies — and why the Heimlich manoeuvre is not taught in Australia.
The recovery position: when to use it, and how
It is for someone unresponsive but breathing normally. How to check, how to position them, and why the airway comes before a possible spinal injury.
How to use an EpiPen, and the anaphylaxis step people get wrong
EpiPen and Anapen step by step — and why laying the person flat matters more than the device itself.
What to do when someone has a seizure
Do not restrain them, and do not put anything in their mouth. What to do during and after, and the eight reasons to call an ambulance.
Burns first aid: 20 minutes of cool running water
Twenty minutes, and it still helps up to three hours later. What not to put on a burn, and when to call 000.
Snake bite first aid: the pressure immobilisation technique
How to bandage, how firm it should be, where to start — and the six things you must not do, including washing the bite.
Stroke: the F.A.S.T. test and what to do
Face, Arms, Speech, Time. Any one sign is enough to call 000 — and what not to do while you wait.
Asthma first aid: 4 puffs, 4 breaths, 4 minutes
The Australian steps, when to call 000 straight away, and why a quiet chest is a warning rather than recovery.
Severe bleeding first aid: pressure, pads and tourniquets
Direct pressure in the right place beats everything else — and why elevation is no longer advised.
Spider bite first aid: funnel-web and redback need opposite treatment
One needs a pressure bandage, the other must not have one. The first aid for each, and the two numbers to call.
Bee and wasp sting first aid
Get the sting out fast, never with tweezers — and how to tell a normal reaction from anaphylaxis.
How to stop a nosebleed
Lean forward, pinch the soft part, hold for ten minutes without letting go. The bit most people get wrong.
Being prepared
What goes in a workplace first aid kit
The example contents list from the NSW Code of Practice, where kits must be kept, and how often they must be checked.
More guides are added as we go. For course information see all courses, or get in touch.
