First Aid Module – REFRESH

GWO First Aid Refresher (FAR) – also known as First Aid Refresher – is the refresher course for the First Aid (FA) module from the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) Basic Safety Training (BST) package.

This module is mandatory for all technicians working in onshore and offshore wind farms and must be refreshed every 2 years to maintain the validity of the BST/BSTR certification.

Course Aim

To refresh participants’ knowledge and skills so they can quickly recognize life-threatening conditions, provide safe and effective first aid in a wind turbine environment, and prevent further injury until professional medical help arrives.

Key Learning Objectives (Refresher)

• Review the importance and responsibility of providing first aid in wind installations.
• Update knowledge of the safe use of available first aid equipment (medical kits, AED, etc.).
• Assess the casualty and recognize signs and symptoms of life-threatening conditions (using principles like ABC – Airway, Breathing, Circulation).
• Demonstrate correct CPR techniques, AED use, bleeding control, and immobilization.
• Prevent worsening of injuries and provide life support until handover to medical services.

General Information about First Aid Refresher (FAR)

• Course Duration Typically 8 hours (one full day), including intensive theoretical and practical assessments on mannequins and realistic scenarios.
• Certificate Validity24 months (2 years) from the date of completion. The certificate is uploaded to the GWO WINDA database and recognized worldwide.
• Prerequisites
  • A valid (or recently expired) FA or FAR certificate (it is strongly recommended to complete the refresher before expiry).
  • Valid WINDA ID (free registration at winda.globalwindsafety.org).
  • Minimum age 18 and good physical health (required for physical exercises, e.g., kneeling for CPR).
• Why is the refresher mandatory? First Aid is an essential part of the minimum BST/BSTR safety standard required for access to wind turbines. Without a valid certificate for all modules (including FA), access to wind farm sites is prohibited by manufacturers and operators (Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, GE, etc.).

If the FA certificate has been expired for an extended period, most training providers will require you to repeat the initial First Aid module (or the full BST package) rather than just the refresher.