QCTO or SETA Accredited for First Aid? You Still Need DEL Approval.

DEL first aid approval is required for QCTO or SETA accredited training providers offering First Aid training for workplace compliance under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Being accredited by QCTO or a SETA is not enough. There is another approval required, and it comes from the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL).

This approval is called FATO (First Aid Training Organisation) endorsement, and it is awarded to the training provider after a separate, relatively straightforward application process. (Not to be confused with any other “FATO” acronyms).

Importantly, learners do not receive DEL First Aid certificates. That was the old system. Learners now receive the applicable QCTO certification, or SETA Statements of Results and training provider certificates. The DEL FATO certificate and CI number is issued to the training organisation, not the learner.

For more on how First Aid certification works, see our article on QCTO certificates.

This is not a new requirement, but it is one that training providers sometimes overlook.

You need this plus this as a training provider (Illustrative certificates based on actual documents, with identifying information removed)

Two approvals, two different purposes

QCTO or SETA accreditation establishes that your training organisation is accredited to deliver the relevant First Aid training. This includes the QCTO Basic, Intermediate and Advanced First Aid Skills Programmes (SP-230801, SP-230802 and SP-230803).

It also currently includes applicable legacy SETA unit standards (US119567, US120496 and US376480), which have received extensions to their registration periods. If starting this process, get QCTO accreditation, not SETA…

DEL approval establishes that your organisation is recognised for workplace First Aid training under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. This approval is issued through the Chief Inspector’s office, and the organisation receives a FATO certificate with a Chief Inspector (CI) registration number.

The distinction is straightforward: QCTO or SETA accreditation deals with education and training quality assurance. DEL approval deals with occupational health and safety legislation.

You need both.

There is also no DEL endorsement without QCTO or SETA accreditation first.

Your accreditation letter forms part of the DEL application.

What does General Safety Regulation 3 say?

General Safety Regulation 3 deals with First Aid, emergency equipment and procedures in the workplace.

Regulation 3(4) requires workplaces with more than 10 employees to have at least one qualified first aider available during normal working hours for every 50 employees, or every 100 employees in shops and offices.

The regulation also specifies who may issue a valid First Aid certificate. It lists three named organisations under clauses (a), (b) and (c), and then provides a fourth option under clause (d): a person or organisation approved by the Chief Inspector for this purpose.

Clause (d) is the applicable route for QCTO- or SETA-accredited First Aid training providers. The training provider first obtains QCTO or SETA accreditation, which establishes its authority to deliver and assess the relevant First Aid training. DEL then endorses that accreditation through its FATO approval process, under the authority of the Chief Inspector.

QCTO or the SETA quality assures the training. DEL does not. DEL’s role is to approve the training organisation for the purposes of workplace First Aid compliance under the OHS Act.

This is an example of regulated training, where the training falls under both education and training quality assurance requirements and legislation administered by another government department. QCTO accordingly classifies its First Aid Skills Programmes as statutory Skills Programmes.

Say that ten times fast.

How did we get here?

Before April 2021, the Department of Labour directly approved organisations to offer its traditional First Aid Levels 1, 2 and 3.

That system was discontinued from 1 April 2021. Initially, this meant the relevant SETA unit standards. QCTO subsequently introduced its own First Aid Skills Programmes, providing a new route for training providers.

The old DEL First Aid Levels 1, 2 and 3 are therefore not the courses being offered today. The current training is delivered against QCTO Skills Programmes or applicable legacy SETA unit standards, with DEL endorsement of the training organisation for workplace compliance.

How do you obtain DEL approval?

First, you need valid QCTO or SETA accreditation covering the First Aid training you intend to provide. Once you have this, you can apply to DEL for endorsement as a First Aid Training Organisation (FATO).

The process starts by contacting your regional DEL office and submitting an application.

For Lime Green clients, the process is relatively straightforward. We generally use the same QMS documentation and evidence folders prepared for the original QCTO or SETA accreditation, together with the additional DEL requirements. These typically include an electrical Certificate of Compliance, proof of COIDA good standing, completed application forms and the applicable fee.

Application fees have generally been around R400–R600 for new applications or renewals, although applicants should confirm the current fee with their regional DEL office.

DEL also conducts an audit or inspection. However, for training providers who have already completed their QCTO or SETA accreditation process, much of this should be familiar.

Our clients already have the relevant audit guidance and documentation. Their QMS, evidence folders and administrative systems are in place, so the DEL evaluation is largely a matter of demonstrating compliance with requirements they already understand.

Successful applicants receive a FATO approval certificate with Chief Inspector sign-off and a CI registration number. This confirms DEL’s endorsement of the organisation for the approved First Aid training.

As with other approvals, training providers must ensure that their accreditation and DEL endorsement remain valid, and comply with any conditions attached to them.

What should training providers do?

If you already hold QCTO or SETA First Aid accreditation, check whether your organisation also holds current DEL FATO approval and a CI number. If not, this is something you need to address before offering your training as compliant with General Safety Regulation 3.

If you are still applying for QCTO accreditation, include DEL endorsement in your planning. Receiving your QCTO accreditation letter is an important milestone, but it is not necessarily the final step before delivering workplace First Aid training.

Lime Green Training assists First Aid training providers with QCTO accreditation, learning material and DEL FATO endorsement applications. If you need assistance obtaining the necessary approval for your training organisation, please contact us.

Relevant legislation: Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993; General Safety Regulation 3(4), as amended by Government Notice 6907 of 5 December 2025; and Government Notice R.328 of 4 June 2021.

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