Professional drivers first aid (CPC)

This course provides professional drivers with the skills and confidence to administer first aid in emergency situations while on the road. It covers spinal injury, unconscious casualty, bleeding, resuscitation, safer handling and moving, and emergencies in public.

Who should attend?

In 2008 and 2009 an EU Training Directive, commonly known as Driver CPC, came into force requiring all PCV and LGV drivers to complete periodic training.

Drivers must complete 35 hours of training within rolling five year periods. All periodic training courses must be approved by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT).

• New drivers who acquire a vocational entitlement after the 10 September 2008 (PCV) and/or 10 September 2009 (LGV) will have to obtain the Initial Qualification to drive professionally
• Existing drivers who held a vocational licence prior to the 10 September 2008 (PCV) or the 10 September 2009 (LGV) are exempt from the Initial Qualification (known as acquired rights)
• All drivers must complete 35 hours Periodic Training every five years following their acquired rights or Initial Qualification. Existing drivers must complete their Periodic Training by September 2013 (PCV) and September 2014 (LGV)
• All training must be approved by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT) with qualification details uploaded onto the DSA database within five working days of course completion.

While our Professional drivers first aid course meets the JAUPT regulatory requirements, it has been designed to go far beyond simply helping you to tick a box:

• Road accidents in the UK accounted for 2,222 deaths in 2008*
• 25% of these road fatalities occurred in incidents involving LGVs and PCVs*.

With effective first aid delivered in the time it takes for the emergency services to arrive, many of these lives could have been saved.

Identification

Before drivers can attend Professional drivers first aid training, they must provide two forms of identity:

• A valid driving license (paper copy)
• Photographic proof of identity (a valid driving license photocard; a valid passport).

What you will learn?

Professional drivers will gain the skills and confidence to provide first aid in emergency situations that can happen on the road. Training is highly practical.

Course content

• Spinal Injury: responding to a casualty with suspected spinal injury
• Unconscious casualty: recognition of life threatening conditions
• Bleeding: responding to a casualty with minor or severe bleeding
• Resuscitation
• Safer handling and moving
• Emergencies in public.

Course duration

The seven hour course can be run in one day or split over two days. However, JAUPT stipulate that the second part of the course should commence no later than 24 hours after the first part (i.e. training must be carried out over two consecutive days). Drivers must complete the full course to gain the seven hours towards Driver CPC. If they only complete half of the course for any reason, they will not be accredited with the qualification or the training hours.

Assessment and certification

• St John Ambulance Professional drivers first aid is approved by JAUPT
• St John Ambulance will upload all qualification details to the Driving Standards Authority (DSA) database within the required five working days of the course completion with no additional cost
• The certificate is valid for three years, so drivers can requalify within the five-year JAUPT period and the hours will count separately, giving a total of 14 hours towards the total of 35.

Reserve your place on this course

There are scheduled courses at our training centres across the country but if you have a group of drivers to train, it's more cost-effective for us to come to you and deliver bespoke training on your premises. To find out more, call 0844 770 4800 and speak with a St John Ambulance training advisor in your area.

Questions about the course

1. Can other first aid courses count towards the Driver CPC requirements?
2. What will happen if PCV and LGV drivers don't meet the requirements?
3. Who is exempt from Driver CPC?

*2009 Annual report by the Department for Transport.