first aid

All Snowsport England coaches, instructors and leaders are required to hold a valid First Aid certificate as part of their licence. 

First Aid is an essential skill, as you may need to respond to incidents while working with participants, including children and vulnerable adults. 

To meet Snowsport England requirements, your First Aid training must: 

  • Be appropriate for your coaching environment

  • Be delivered by a competent training provider

  • Include a minimum amount of face-to-face learning (at least six hours) 

  • Be valid (not expired)

    • First Aid certificates are typically valid for three years 

    • You must renew your training before it expires to maintain your licence 

Some roles or environments (e.g. remote or alpine settings) may require more advanced training. 

WHAT FIRST AID QUALIFICATION DO I NEED?

Your working environment determines the level of first aid training required. 

Closed environments
(e.g. artificial slopes, roller ski venues)

  • Minimum: three hours face-to-face 

  • Refreshers: 

    • Face-to-face: valid for three years 

    • Online: valid for one year (cannot be used consecutively) 

Open environments
(e.g. mountains, outdoor snow environments)

  • Minimum: Two days / 12 hours (ideally outdoor focussed) 

  • Refreshers: 

    • Face-to-face: valid for three years 

CHOOSE THE RIGHT COURSE FOR YOUR ENVIRONMENT

what SHOULD youR COURSE INCLUDE?

Your course should prepare you for real situations in your coaching environment. 

CORE SKILLS

All courses should prepare you to :

Assess an emergency 

Perform CPR 

Use First Aid equipment 

Record incidents 

emergency first aid at work

EFAW-level courses should prepare you to deal with: 

Unconscious casualties (including seizures) 

Choking 

Bleeding and wounds 

Shock

Minor injuries (cuts, grazes, burns, splinters) 

first aid at work

FAW-level courses include everything in EFAW-courses, plus:

Bone, muscle and joint injuries (including spinal injuries) 

Chest injuries 

Burns and scalds (more severe cases) 

Eye injuries 

Poisoning 

Anaphylaxis

Recognising serious medical conditions, includuing heart attacks, strokes, epilepsy, asthma and diabetes 

Snowsports-Specific first aid

You should also consider whether your course covers: 

Cold-related injuries (hypothermia, frostbite) 

Water-related incidents (drowning / near drowning) 

Heat-related illness (exhaustion, dehydration) 

snowsportS-specific risks

REFRESHING YOUR FIRST AID QUALIFICATION

You must keep your First Aid training up to date.

Face-to-face refresher

  • Complete a full in-person refresher course

  • Valid for 3 years

  • Required for mountain/remote environments

  • Recommended for all coaches/instructors 

Online Refresher

  • Valid for 12 months 

  • Cannot be used consecutively (i.e. the following year, you will need to complete a face-to-face course as referenced above)

  • Not valid for mountain/remote environment

Recognised provider

World Class Training - Snowsport England members receive 15% discount with code: ssecpd21

RESPONSIBILiTIES & exemptions

As a coach or instructor, you must:

  • Keep your first aid qualification up to date 

  • Ensure it is appropriate for your environment 

  • Upload your certificate to your Snowsport England profile 

Exemptions

In some cases, you may not need a standard First Aid qualification.  

You may qualify if you hold a current professional qualification such as a doctor (GMC registered), paramedic, nurse, physiotherapist or emergency services personnel (military, police, fire, ambulance.

How to apply?

  1. Download the First Aid Exemption Declaration Form - see final page

  2. Upload a scanned copy of the completed form to your Sport:80 profile. Instructions on how to do this can be found here.

  3. Snowsport England will review the submission and notify you if the exemption is approved 

Need more detail?

Download the full First Aid policy.

faqs

  • No. Snowsport England does not require a specific provider. However, your course must meet the minimum requirements for your coaching environment and include appropriate face-to-face training. 

  • Most first aid certificates are valid for 3 years. You must renew your qualification before it expires to maintain your licence. 

  • Online learning can be used for refresher training in some cases, but it cannot replace required face-to-face training for initial certification or where higher-risk environments apply. 

  • If your first aid certificate expires, your Snowsport England licence will no longer be valid until you renew your training and upload an updated certificate. 

  • Please follow these instructions on how to add a certificate to your profile.

  • Yes. Your First Aid training should reflect the environment you coach in (e.g. indoor slope vs mountain environment). Higher-risk environments require more advanced training. 

  • Yes, as long as your qualification is valid and appropriate for the highest-risk environment you work in. 

  • You should check your coaching remit and environment or contact coaching@snowsportengland.org.uk for guidance before booking a course. 

questions?

Get in touch with us at coaching@snowsportengland.org.uk