Becoming an SST training provider: authorization, trainers and rules

by Antoine El Khawand | 8/10/2026 | Training Organisations

Key takeaways:

Only providers authorized by the INRS and the Assurance maladie Risques professionnels network can deliver SST (workplace first aid) training. Only they issue the national certificate.
Initial training lasts at least 14 hours in person, for 4 to 10 trainees. The SST certificate remains valid for two years.
Skills maintenance and update, or MAC, lasts 7 hours. This refresher is taken every 24 months to keep the certificate.
Authorization requires an activity declaration number and a certified SST trainer. It is applied for on Forprev and lasts five years.
The Labor Code requires a trained first-aider in every workshop where dangerous work is carried out. The employer also organizes first aid.
Funding by an OPCO requires Qualiopi certification. The provider also submits its annual training and financial report every year.

Training employees in workplace first aid (sauvetage secourisme du travail) is not just another addition to the catalog. SST follows a national scheme run by the INRS and the Assurance maladie Risques professionnels network. An SST training provider therefore holds two statuses: the activity declaration and the authorization. Sessions, attendance sheets and certificates also call for rigorous management of the training organization.

SST training: what is it?

A workplace first-aider (sauveteur secouriste du travail) is an employee trained to act in the event of an accident or illness at work. Their role goes beyond first aid. They also become a player in occupational risk prevention within the company.

The framework distinguishes two areas of competence. The first is to intervene in a workplace accident, up to the first-aid actions suited to the victim. The second is to spot any dangerous situation and contribute to prevention in the company.

The training is open to any employee, with no prerequisites. It takes place in person and leads to a nationally recognized SST certificate. The INRS does not train employees itself. It entrusts this mission to providers authorized by the Assurance maladie Risques professionnels network.

The volume may come as a surprise. According to the INRS, more than one million employees take SST training or a refresher every year. Across all schemes, the INRS listed 6,500 authorized training providers in 2026. These schemes trained more than 1.4 million trainees in 2025. Private security qualifications fall under a different framework, specific to security training providers.

The SST scheme overseen by the INRS

SST is one of the occupational health and safety training schemes cascaded by the INRS. About ten schemes exist, from PRAP to scaffolding. Its framework is set out in a reference document. Version 8 dates from January 2021. It sets out the activity, competence and certification frameworks.

Three levels of training

The scheme is built on three tiers. The INRS trains and certifies trainers of trainers. They train SST trainers in level 2 authorized entities. These trainers in turn prepare the first-aiders. Each level leads to a certificate, extended by a MAC, or refresher.

The future trainer holds a valid SST certificate and basic prevention knowledge. They acquire it through INRS self-study or from the prevention department of a regional fund. Their trainer certificate is then valid for three years.

Durations, group sizes and certificate

The durations set by the INRS are minimums for each session. Initial training is longer if the company has risks specific to its activity. The table compares the three programs.

Criterion	SST initial training	SST MAC	SST trainer
Minimum duration	14 hours in person	7 hours in person	56 hours over two non-consecutive weeks
Group size	4 to 10 people	4 to 10 people	5 to 10 people
Prerequisites	None	SST certificate	Valid SST certificate and basic prevention knowledge
Certificate validity	2 years	24-month extension	3 years, 21-hour MAC
Delivered by	Level 1 authorized entity	Level 1 authorized entity	Level 2 authorized entity

An SST whose certificate has expired can no longer act as a workplace first-aider. They can take a MAC to recover it, if the time elapsed does not compromise success in the tests. Otherwise, the reference document recommends a new initial training.

Bridges with the PSC1

A trainee who has held the PSC1 (civic first aid) for less than three years can benefit from a shortened training. They still take all the certification tests. Conversely, an SST whose MAC is up to date is deemed to hold the PSC1.

Requirements for becoming an SST training provider

INRS authorization is not obtained by simple declaration. It follows a national procedure, from the review of the application to a committee decision.

An NDA and a certified trainer

For a training organization or center, the application requires a SIRET and a valid activity declaration number. The provider also uses a certified SST trainer. A company can also apply for authorization to train its own employees in-house.

Level 1 authorization covers the training of SST first-aiders and their MAC. Level 2 covers SST trainers.

Every authorized entity holds the programs and lesson plans for initial training and the MAC. The programs state the minimum duration, group size and certificate validity period. The sequences form an identifiable learning path.

The Forprev application and the CNH decision

The application is submitted online on Forprev, the national management platform. Exchanges with the prevention network then go through this tool. The regional fund (Carsat, Cramif or CGSS) reviews the application, or the INRS for national organizations. The administrative part includes an application letter and an Urssaf certificate. For level 2, the provider also supplies the program and lesson plan for initial training.

The National Authorization Committee (CNH) then gives a reasoned opinion. The INRS then grants authorization for five years. No response after six months does not count as authorization. Renewal can be requested from one year before expiry.

Obligations of the authorized provider

Each session must be declared in Forprev at least 15 calendar days before it starts. The session is closed within 30 days of the end of the training. The catalog uses the exact title of the courses. A charter also governs the use of INRS scheme logos.

The prevention network can audit the provider at any time, on site or on documents. A breach can lead to a formal notice, a suspension of up to three months, then withdrawal. Losing the NDA means losing all authorizations.

A non-authorized provider can still sell SST training. It then subcontracts the training to an authorized provider and states this in the agreement. Only the authorized provider issues the certificate.

What the Labor Code requires of employers

Why do companies buy SST training? The answer lies in the Labor Code. The employer takes the necessary measures to ensure safety and protect the physical and mental health of workers.

For first aid, three articles set the framework. Workplaces must have first-aid equipment suited to the risks. A staff member receives first-aid training in each workshop where dangerous work is carried out. The same rule applies on each worksite with at least twenty workers, for more than fifteen days, involving dangerous work.

Without a nurse permanently on site, the employer organizes first aid after consulting the occupational physician. These measures are recorded in a document kept available to the labor inspectorate. These articles do not name SST. However, the INRS reference document links its mission to these obligations. It considers small and medium-sized companies particularly concerned by the scheme.

Funding: OPCO and Qualiopi certification

SST training decided by the employer is at its initiative, where applicable within the skills development plan. For companies with fewer than fifty employees, the OPCO can cover the costs of these actions. Its board sets the priorities and funding conditions.

To be funded by an OPCO, the training provider must hold Qualiopi certification. This guide to Qualiopi certification for a training provider details the framework and the audit.

Administrative obligations for every training provider

SST authorization comes on top of the common baseline for training providers. This baseline starts with the activity declaration to the regional prefect. It must be filed no later than three months after the first training agreement.

The prefect has two months to refuse registration. After that, silence counts as registration. The full steps are in this guide to becoming a training provider.

Every year, the provider submits its annual training and financial report (BPF) before April 30. A missing report, or one with no training activity, voids the declaration. For an SST provider, the consequence is twofold: no more NDA, and therefore no more authorization.

The Cirrus Shield CRM for training providers notably manages inter- and intra-company sessions. It also handles electronic attendance sheets and BPF exports.