ANZ Sail Fiji - Understanding the First Aid Requirements

The ANZ Sail Fiji NOR clause 3.10 requires each boat to have two (2) Senior First aiders (see below).  This update provides additional information from the relevant safety regulations on the courses that qualify for this status.

ANZ Sail Fiji NOR 3.10
At least two (2) crew members on a boat shall hold a current Senior First Aid Certificate or equivalent qualification, or be a practicing medical practitioner (with current evidence).

We used the term Senior First Aid Certificate to make the qualification not specific to New Zealand qualifications due to international entries.

New Zealand Accepted Qualifications
All NZ registered boats, who gain Cat 1 are required to have at least one person on board with ability to use the equipment in the Cat 1 first aid kit. These “senior” or as they are termed by YNZ “advanced” first aiders commonly are medical practitioners OR have the offshore medic qualification or commercial equivalent.

Below is an exert of the Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations Appendix 1 Medical Stores.

“For CATEGORY 1, an extensive medical kit is needed. Depending on length of time away, destination and size of the crew, there may be a need for quantities to be increased. Any crew member’s special medical needs should be addressed to by their own doctor well before the trip.

All crew should have a medical and dental check before they leave.

Two crew members should have a current first aid certificate and a minimum of one crew member (suggested 2 crew members) should have an advanced first aid certificate or special training, covering the safe use of medications and treatments required for offshore sailing e.g. The Coastguard Offshore Medic Course.”

So for each NZL boat that gets Cat 1 there should be one (1) offshore medic or medical practitioner. In the NOR we has asked that there be two (2).

Australian Accepted Qualifications

The Australian qualification nominated by Yachting Australia for vessels with Cat 1 is the Senior First Aid (Apply First Aid) certificate, with additional training injectables as stated in the exert from the Yachting Australia Special Regulations section 4.07.6 – below.

YA Special Regulations 4.07.6

Shall hold a current Senior First Aid (Apply First Aid) Certificate or equivalent, or be a practising medical
practitioner. Each of these crew members shall also have undertaken the training required by SR 6.01. It is strongly recommended that if injectable items are to be carried, that the members of the crew trained in first aid have additional training in the use of injectables.

The current course number for the Senior First Aid course is HLTAID003 Provide First Aid.

A yacht may have a combination of NZ and Australian qualifications.

Available training for NZ qualifications

The Ocean Medics is a (two) 2 weekend course. The first weekend is coastal medics course and the second weekend is specific to Cat 1.

AYBA are running a coastal medic course and reducing the cost from $265 to $65 per person.

Weekend 1 – Coastal Medics – Subsidised by AYBA, cost is normally $265
Date: 10 & 11 May 2014
Time: 0830 to 1630 both days
Location: Yachting New Zealand building at Westhaven
Register: ayba.secretary@gmail.com or Phone 09 302 2030/ 0275 453 355
Cost: $65 per person payable to the AYBA either into the AYBA bank account 06 0101 0383338 00 or by cheque sent to our P O Box 90977 Victoria Street West AKL 1142.

Weekend 2 – Ocean Medics
Prerequisite: Coastal Medics
Date: 24 & 25 May 2014
Time: 0830 to 1630 both days
Location: Royal Akarana Yacht Club
Register: Click here
Cost: $270 per person
Due to the lack of courses available, RAYC has at the last minute organised this due to popular demand.