Online first aid courses

Maine follows the federal OSHA rule (29 CFR 1910.151(b)): no numeric first-aider-to-worker ratio, but where no infirmary, clinic, or hospital is in near proximity the employer must ensure one or more persons are adequately trained to render first aid and that adequate supplies are readily available. OSHA interprets 'near proximity' as a 3-4 minute response time for higher-hazard workplaces and up to 15 minutes for low-hazard offices.

Maine's Rules for the Licensing of Child Care Facilities (10-148 CMR ch. 32, § 12.1.3) require at least one staff member currently certified in first aid and infant, child and adult CPR to be present at all times in each facility. It is overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services.

Under 14 M.R.S. § 164, any person who voluntarily and without expectation of compensation renders first aid, emergency treatment, or rescue assistance is not liable for damages unless the injury or death was caused willfully, wantonly, recklessly, or by gross negligence. The immunity covers AED use, while AED program requirements are set out at 22 M.R.S. § 2150-C.

Nurses in Maine are licensed by the Maine State Board of Nursing, which requires no continuing-education units to renew an RN or LPN licence (only APRNs must complete 50 contact hours every two years), though nurses must maintain current competence to respond in an emergency. BLS is in practice an employer and hospital requirement rather than a licence condition, and any recognized continuing-education activity on an eligible topic meets it.

In Maine, State-approved Personal Support Specialist (PSS) training includes CPR and first aid certification, and employers commonly require it for residential care and home care roles serving vulnerable adults and seniors. A recognized, up-to-date certificate meets this standard, is in addition to the worker's occupational training, and must be renewed periodically.

In Maine, first-aid and CPR training is expressly required for treatment-level foster parents, and requirements for family-level foster parents are set by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services, during the licensing process. The training should cover adult, child and infant CPR and first aid, and is one part of the assessment rather than a qualification to foster on its own.

Online CPR and first aid training is recognized in Maine for personal, childcare licensing, and employer purposes, with 3-year certification validity. OSHA does not prohibit online training for the workplace requirement but recommends hands-on skills practice (OSHA 3317), and blended training with a practical skills assessment is accepted.