HLTAID009 vs HLTAID011 vs HLTAID012 explained
Your employer has asked you to “get your First Aid”, and now you’re looking at a list of unit codes that all start with HLTAID. Which one do you actually need? Here’s how the three most common First Aid courses compare, and which one suits your job.
The three courses at a glance
| HLTAID009 | HLTAID011 | HLTAID012 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation | Provide First Aid | Provide First Aid in an education and care setting |
| Commonly called | CPR course | First Aid course, Senior First Aid | Childcare First Aid |
| Includes CPR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Includes First Aid | No | Yes | Yes |
| Asthma and anaphylaxis | No | General | In depth for children, ACECQA approved |
| Our course length | 1.5 hours | Online theory + 3.5 hours | Online theory + 4 hours |
| Renew | Every 12 months | Every 3 years, CPR yearly | Every 3 years, CPR yearly |
The units are nested. HLTAID011 includes everything in HLTAID009 (CPR) and HLTAID010 (Basic emergency life support), so when you complete it you’re issued all three units. HLTAID012 goes a step further again, adding the child-specific content education and care services need.
HLTAID009 Provide CPR
The CPR course is the shortest of the three. You’ll learn to recognise a cardiac arrest, perform CPR on adults, children and infants, and use a defibrillator (AED).
Choose HLTAID009 if:
- You already hold a current HLTAID011 or HLTAID012 and need your yearly CPR refresher
- Your job only asks for CPR, which is common for fitness instructors, personal trainers, swim teachers, lifeguards and some health and community roles
- You want the life-saving basics for home, sport or volunteering
Learn more about our CPR course or the HLTAID009 unit.
HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
This is the standard workplace First Aid course, and it’s what most people mean when they say “First Aid certificate”. It used to be called HLTAID003, and many people still call it “Senior First Aid”. On top of CPR, it covers bleeding, burns, fractures, sprains, head and spinal injuries, shock, asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes, seizures, stroke, poisoning, bites and stings, and environmental emergencies like heat stroke.
Choose HLTAID011 if:
- You’re, or are becoming, a designated First Aid officer at work
- Your employer, industry or job ad asks for “First Aid”, “Provide First Aid” or “Senior First Aid”
- You work in construction, hospitality, retail, offices, warehousing, transport, security or sport
- You’re a teacher outside early childhood (check your school’s policy, as some ask for HLTAID012)
Learn more about our First Aid course or the HLTAID011 unit.
HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting
The childcare course covers everything in HLTAID011, with extra focus on babies and children: infant and child CPR, choking, febrile convulsions, asthma using a puffer and spacer, anaphylaxis and autoinjectors, and reporting incidents to parents and the regulator. It’s on ACECQA’s list of approved First Aid qualifications and meets all three training requirements for educators: First Aid, emergency asthma management and anaphylaxis management.
Choose HLTAID012 if:
- You work in long day care, kindergarten, outside school hours care (OSHC) or family day care
- You’re studying a Certificate III or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care
- You’re a nanny, au pair, babysitter or vacation care worker
- You’re a parent or grandparent who wants the most child-focused First Aid training
Learn more about our ACECQA approved Childcare First Aid course and the HLTAID012 unit, or read our guide to First Aid requirements for childcare workers.
Which course for my job?
| Job | Course |
|---|---|
| Workplace First Aid officer | HLTAID011 |
| Childcare educator, OSHC, family day care | HLTAID012 |
| Nanny, au pair, babysitter | HLTAID012 |
| Teacher or teacher aide | HLTAID011 or HLTAID012 (check your school) |
| Personal trainer, fitness instructor | HLTAID009 (some gyms ask for HLTAID011) |
| Swim teacher, lifeguard | HLTAID009, plus any industry-specific training |
| Aged care or disability support worker | HLTAID011, with CPR yearly (check your employer) |
| Electrician working on low voltage | UETDRMP018 Low Voltage Rescue, which includes CPR |
| Construction worker | HLTAID011 if you’re a First Aid officer, plus your White Card |
| Hospitality, retail, office | HLTAID011 |
When in doubt, check the exact wording in your job ad or workplace policy. If it says “First Aid”, book HLTAID011. If it says “ACECQA approved”, book HLTAID012. If it only says “CPR”, HLTAID009 is enough.
What about the other HLTAID units?
There are a few more First Aid units you might come across:
- HLTAID010 Provide basic emergency life support is rarely done on its own, and is included in HLTAID011 and HLTAID012.
- HLTAID013 Provide First Aid in remote or isolated site is for mining, rural and remote work where help may be hours away.
- HLTAID014 Provide advanced First Aid is for people who manage First Aid in larger or high-risk workplaces.
- HLTAID015 Provide advanced resuscitation and oxygen therapy covers oxygen equipment and advanced airway devices, and is mostly used by surf lifesavers and some event and healthcare roles.
These are more specialised, and most people won’t need them. You can view the details of every unit on our units page or on training.gov.au.
Ready to book?
We run all three courses every week at our training centres in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast:
- CPR course: $49, about 1.5 hours
- First Aid course: $99, online theory + 3.5 hours face-to-face
- Childcare First Aid course: $119, online theory + 4 hours face-to-face
Your certificate is emailed to you the same day.