Health and safety training

Training of Workplace First Aiders at the University of Canterbury is carried out by St John. St John are accredited by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to assess first aid Unit Standards. 

The number of trained Workplace First Aiders required depends on the number of staff or students present in any particular situation along with the types of hazards present in the environment. Department Safety Officers (DSOs) should carry out an annual First Aid Needs Assessment in Assura. This will help to provide guidance on how many staff should be trained First Aiders.

Log into DevelopMe to view upcoming training dates, or to enrol in this training.

For more information please see the Workplace First Aid protocol

First Aid Training Approval and Cancellations

An application to attend off-site first aid training is subject to approval based on the outcome of the First Aid Needs Assessment (as detailed above).

If you have enrolled in a programme and are unable to attend, we ask that you withdraw in DevelopMe at least 3 working days prior to the programme commencing.

Failure to withdrawl from the course or not attending on the day will result in your department being charged a cancellation fee. This fee is based on an equitable apportionment of the total fee cost being charged to the University for the running of the session. 

A cancellation fee also applies for non-attendance of part of a course (unless agreed in advance), if the course extends for more than one session. If there are extenuating circumstances, Health & Safety should be advised of these. A cancellation fee will not be charged if Learning & Development are able to fill your place from waitlisted participants or other interested parties.

N.B. this does not include attendance at St Johns public schedule courses where your department is responsible for the full cost (see instructions below detailing how to make an off-site booking).

Workplace First Aid Staff Training  (Department funded)

If you are not able to attend an approved training, there is no planned training,or if the first aid needs requirement is not workplace,  a person can attend off-site training that is funded by their department. For First Aid training off-site training dates and course descriptions, please visit St John - First Aid..

To enrol in first aid training (department funded):

Obtain approval from the appropriate delegated authority to attend the department funded Workplace First Aid Training course.

Arrange a purchase order number through your usual work area process - you will need it to complete your booking directly with St John.
Go to St John - First Aid, select the course you would like to attend and follow the prompts.
Ensure you check the details are correct before confirming your booking.
Please remember to take your current first aid certificate along to your Revalidation course as this is a requirement for St John. You have a maximum of two years from certification to refresh your training.

UC Health and Safety does not fund the payments for Students attending First Aid courses.

Course Description

Please refer to St John - First Aid for First Aid and First Aid Refresher course outlines, or contact St John on 0800 785 646 if you would like to discuss other courses.

To enrol:

Go to St John - First Aid, select the course you would like to attend, and follow the prompts.

If a department is paying a Purchase Order will need to be raised.

Health & Safety Initial Representative

You will soon be able to apply online via DevelopMe, in the meantime please email the Learning & Development Team directly at learningdevelopment@canterbury.ac.nz and request to be enrolled.

After enrollment, you will have 60 days to successfully finish this course. If you are unable to complete the course within this timeframe, any requests for extensions or reenrollment will be subject to departmental approval and may incur departmental costs.

Course Description:

This self-paced online course is designed to provide you with the fundamentals in representing the concerns and overseeing the wellbeing of fellow staff.

You will learn how to effectively perform the responsibilities of a workplace Health and Safety role, understand Health and Safety legal requirements, and promote the successful management of Health and Safety issues in good faith.

This course is compulsory under Sections 70(a) and 85(a) of the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015 for training Health and Safety Representatives.

There are additional courses available that build on the initial representative course. 

The key learning outcomes are:

1. Explain and demonstrate the overall role, powers and functions of a Health and Safety Representative in a New Zealand workplace
2. Explain the role, functions and powers of the Health and Safety Representative under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and its Regulations
3. Explain the role of a Health and Safety Representative as an advocate for workers
4. Identify the obligations of a PCBU and WorkSafe New Zealand towards the Health and Safety Representative
5. Describe the risk management process and the importance of communicating with workers and management
6. Describe and demonstrate the powers and obligations that a health and safety representative has in terms of issuing a provisional improvement notice (PIN) and how and when to direct a worker to cease unsafe work

Training documents and videos for the Assura H&S Reporting System can be found here: Assura Resources and User Guides.

If you need anything further, please contact the Health and Safety Team who will discuss your needs and tailor training to suit.