"valid first aid Certificate"

I don't believe the first aid at work course covers hypothermia.

We need a similar one day qualification as scout leaders (inc hypothermia) and normally arrange with local St Johns to put on a course tailored to our needs.
 
Solitaire said:
The RYA 1st Aid certificate is also only valid for 3 years.
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As far as I'm aware, ALL First Aid certificates are only valid for 3 years, and must be renewed by taking a refresher course. This makes sense, because the advice on some matters changes as knowledge is increased; for example, the technique for CPR has been changed since I last did a first-aid course, and interrupting the chest compressions to give rescue breathing is no longer recommended. I think that's how it changed anyway! I'm sure they still recommend "Nellie the Elephant" to get the rythm of chest compressions right, though. And new equipment comes along, as well.

Does this mean that if you DON'T renew your First Aid certificate, your YM is also void until it is renewed?
 
lustyd said:
I'm sure your examiner will happily accept being on a boat as a good reason for inability to find information. I wasn't trying to be difficult, just saying that being a Yachtmaster is more to do with having the ability to find and use information than knowing the answer to questions. I agree that a forum is a great place to ask questions, but if you're seriously preparing for the assessment then surely you've at least read the RYA information about it which includes the information you requested, hence my comment. If you have not yet read the RYA information then I suggest you do so as it will help you to prepare yourself.
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So because I asked which First Aid certificate I need that then makes me unable to carry out a YM course? I know how to react in most situations and have been in a situation in sailing which required a lot more than DS level knowledge to help certify a safe ending.

I was simply reading up on the course application stipulations and it say's "you are to hold a valid first aid certificate", my curiosity just required an answer for a question from a like minded group of adults who I knew would help a fellow sailor without casting aspersions on my level of sailing skill.

BTW I'm not on a boat, actually on a ship, crossing the atlantic as I write this, I really don't have the resources around me to research these things. I have all my YM shore course notes with me, I have Tom Cunliffe's YM book and I have the RYA YM practical notes but none of them clarify what is a valid first aid certificate.

Luckily I have a first aid certificate from work which does cover the right subjects and is within 3 years in date.
 
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AntarcticPilot said:
Does this mean that if you DON'T renew your First Aid certificate, your YM is also void until it is renewed?
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You are required to hold a valid 1st Aid certificate at the time you take the certificate of competence exam, however it is a requirement to keep it in date if you commercially endorse the ticket. As to just taking the exam for further advancement with no intention of using it for commercial purposes then who is to know. There is no revalidation so no legal requirement.

As the principal of an RYA training centre which is inspected annually, I also have to make sure that all the instructors I use have in date 1st Aid Certs, even those that are not commercially endorsed.
 
It's a really confusing but the official line on the RYA website is

"All candidates are required to hold a first aid certificate. Acceptable certificates include the RYA’s First Aid Certificate, First Aid at Work, First Aid at Sea, or any other certificate issued on completion of a course which is a minimum of one day’s duration, recognised by the Health and Safety Executive and includes the treatment of hypothermia, cold shock and drowning. "

If you wish to be Commercially endorsed to work you need either the STCW elementary first aid or the RYA eight hour first aid. There is no reason why you cannot get your yacht-master Commercially endorsed at a later date. You would then also require the four elements of STCW 95 and either An ML5 or ENG1 medical fitness certificate.
 
ben tye said:
If you wish to be Commercially endorsed to work you need either the STCW elementary first aid or the RYA eight hour first aid. There is no reason why you cannot get your yacht-master Commercially endorsed at a later date. You would then also require the four elements of STCW 95 and either An ML5 or ENG1 medical fitness certificate.
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Oh much confusion abounds. The STCW 95 courses are not required for a standard commercial endorsement for use on a British Flagged vessels. They are (usually) required for work on a foreign flagged vessel and might also be required by an employer on a UK flagged vessel as an additional qualification/experience. But they are not mandatory for a standard commercial endorsement.

http://www.rya.org.uk/coursestraining/professional/commercialend/pages/commercialendorsements.aspx

The RYA First Aid Course takes a minimum of 8 hours and the "refresher" course is no longer available. All RYA First Aid courses teach the full syllabus over a minimum 8 hour period. (Or should!!!)
 
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AntarcticPilot said:
As far as I'm aware, ALL First Aid certificates are only valid for 3 years, and must be renewed by taking a refresher course. This makes sense, because the advice on some matters changes as knowledge is increased; for example, the technique for CPR has been changed since I last did a first-aid course, and interrupting the chest compressions to give rescue breathing is no longer recommended. I think that's how it changed anyway! I'm sure they still recommend "Nellie the Elephant" to get the rythm of chest compressions right, though. And new equipment comes along, as well.

Does this mean that if you DON'T renew your First Aid certificate, your YM is also void until it is renewed?
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STCW basic certificates do not currently expire and according to the RYA can be used for longer than 3 years. However this might now have changed due to the Manila amendments.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
...the technique for CPR has been changed since I last did a first-aid course, and interrupting the chest compressions to give rescue breathing is no longer recommended....
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Not quite, in a non breathing casualty whilst the initial rescue breaths are no longer taught, the priority is circulation, two breaths every thirty compressions is still recommended.
 
l'escargot said:
Not quite, in a non breathing casualty whilst the initial rescue breaths are no longer taught, the priority is circulation, two breaths every thirty compressions is still recommended.
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You beat me to it.

For a child however, (I'm a rugby coach for my son's team and so we have tailored First Aid courses) it is two breaths and then 15, two breaths ....

The reasoning being that an adult will have sufficient oxygenated blood in circulation that keeping it moving is the first priority. Children being have a lower body mass to brain size ratio, so less oxygenated blood, so earlier and more frequent breaths are required.

And yes CPR techniques have changed significantly over the last 40 years. My mother used to be a St. John First Aid instructor so we had a Resuscee Annie permanently in the house - so I have been doing it since I went to Cubs at the tender age of 7.

I've only met one other person who has had to do it for real - and she was a First Aid instructor on one of my renewal courses.
 
Wunja said:
I don't believe the first aid at work course covers hypothermia.

We need a similar one day qualification as scout leaders (inc hypothermia) and normally arrange with local St Johns to put on a course tailored to our needs.
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when i did my 4 day HSE approved first aid at work course and the subsequent refreshers hypothermia was only briefly covered and the same with secondary drowning, but the lecturer was happy to go into it a bit more during the lunch brake, however RYA/MCA seemed happy with the qualification (bopth for YM offshore and commercial endorsement, it is still a lot more comprehensive than the 1 day RYA course and well worth doing if you can persuade someone else to pay for the 3 or 4 days off work!
 
Sailfree said:
Illuminated set of replies that demonstrate that the OP's question was really fully justified and did not deserve the one put down reply.
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I have not read the entire thread. I recently had the same problem as the OP. I contacted the RYA directly, to ask the question. I have three emails from two people and each email says something different. I was told, at the Southampton boat show, that they knew it was a problem and they were waiting for the IT people to change the website.
I will be sending my YM certificate off for commercial endorsement, with an RYA first aid certificate. We will see if it is accepted.
Allan
 
l'escargot said:
Not quite, in a non breathing casualty whilst the initial rescue breaths are no longer taught, the priority is circulation, two breaths every thirty compressions is still recommended.
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As well as children (which marklucas mentioned), drowning casualties are also an exception of course.

If people are adverse to nursery songs and disco, the following might be useful in finding an appropriate mental resuscitation tune at 100bpm or a bit over...
http://www.bpmdatabase.com/search.php

Have we ever had a "how many times have you seen 'cold water casualty'" poll?
 
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