How often should workplace training be refreshed? Refresher periods for 36 UK CPD courses

Does a training certificate expire?

Usually not in law. A food hygiene certificate, a safeguarding certificate or a fire safety certificate is a record that you completed training on a date. UK health and safety law puts the duty on the employer to make sure training stays adequate, which is why most certificates carry a recommended refresh date rather than an expiry date. Three things decide how often you actually retrain:

1. Guidance from the regulator for your sector. The Food Standards Agency, HSE, CQC and Skills for Care each publish expectations for the training they oversee.
2. Your employer's risk assessment or training policy. Higher risk settings refresh more often. A care home, school or hospital kitchen often works to 12 months where an office works to 3 years.
3. Changes in the law or the role. New legislation, a new job, new equipment or a near miss are all reasons to retrain before the date comes round.

The one common exception is first aid. HSE expects First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work qualifications, which include an assessed practical element taught in person, to be renewed every three years with an annual refresher recommended in between. Lift College's First Aid Training is online knowledge training with a recommended 12 month refresh; it does not replace a practical First Aid at Work qualification where your employer's needs assessment calls for one.

Refresher periods for Lift College CPD courses

Every course is a single payment with no subscription, and the refresher is free when it is due. Lift College emails you 30 days before your refresh date, and you can retake the latest version of the course and download a new certificate. Table checked against liftcollege.co.uk course pages on 18 October 2026.

Health and safety

First aid and medical

Food hygiene

Safeguarding and care

Workplace compliance

Business and finance

Employers get 15% off every course through a free organisation account, which lets you enrol your whole team from one account.

How long does a food hygiene certificate last?

There is no legal expiry under UK food law. The Food Standards Agency says food handlers must be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work, and leaves the interval to the business. Environmental health officers and most employers treat 3 years as the standard for a Level 2 certificate, with 12 months common in higher risk kitchens such as care homes and schools. Lift College recommends every 3 years for Food Hygiene Level 2 and every 12 months for Allergen Awareness Training, because allergen labelling rules change more often.

How long does a safeguarding certificate last?

Safeguarding training has no fixed legal renewal period. Working Together to Safeguard Children, Keeping Children Safe in Education and the Care Act 2014 statutory guidance all expect training to be kept up to date and repeated regularly, and most employers and local safeguarding partnerships work to 3 years for Level 2 and Level 3, with annual updates for people in designated roles. Lift College recommends every 3 years for its Safeguarding Adults Level 2 and Level 3 courses and every 12 months for Safeguarding Children Level 2 and Level 3, because the children's guidance is updated most years.

How often should fire safety training be done?

Fire safety law in England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, says staff training must be repeated periodically where appropriate and given when risks change. Annual awareness training and at least one fire drill a year is the common standard. Lift College recommends every 12 months for Fire Safety Training and every 3 years for Fire Marshal Training, with a drill at least once a year in between.

How long does asbestos awareness training last?

HSE's Approved Code of Practice for the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 says asbestos awareness refresher training should be given as needed, and HSE suggests this is likely to be at least once a year for people who could disturb asbestos during their work. Lift College recommends every 12 months for Asbestos Awareness Training.

How often should health and safety training be refreshed?

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require training at induction, when risks change and repeated periodically where appropriate. No interval is given. Three years is the common standard for general awareness, with 12 months for hazard specific training such as COSHH, legionella and infection control where procedures change often. Lift College's periods follow that pattern: 3 years for general Health and Safety Training, Manual Handling and DSE, 12 months for COSHH, Legionella Awareness and Infection Prevention and Control.