Why should pole dancing instructors bother with First Aid Training?

This is probably one of the most common questions we get asked in the PDC office.

As a pole dancing instructor you are responsible for providing the safest possible training environment for your students. You already carry insurance and write risk assessments in case of the event of accident or injury.  Undertaking first aid training is simply another part of your due diligence and a minimum professional requirement.

All our PDC Approved and Registered Instructors must hold an up to date first aid training certificate and training must be updated every 2-3 years depending on which country they live in.

Here are some other frequently asked questions:

"But there is a first aider elsewhere in the gym" - This may be the case but the whole point of first aid is that you can provide immediate care, waiting just a few minutes for a ifrst aider could be the difference between life and death.  Remember that your responsibiliy is to all the students in your class not just the person who is injured and your immediate decisions in an event that requires first aid are crucial.

"I can't afford to do a course?" If you want to run a legitimate business then first aid training should be included as part of your overheads. If you can't afford to pay, on average, £80 every three years then perhaps you should reconsider your career choice!

If you teach at a school where there are quite a few instructors you can keep costs down by booking a first aid trainer to come to your school/studio and run the day's course just for you. This can make the first aid training much cheaper and much more fun.

PDC Approved Pole Dancing Instructors Rosanna Durban-Haines, Sam Remmer and Linda Jerret trying out various bandaging techniques - pictured right.


"Why can't I do my first aid training online?" Attending an in house course and undertaking a practical exam is essential for good first aid. You can't learn practical elements of first aid such as CPR, patient positioning and bandaging from merely watching a video or answering a set of multiple choice questions.

"What first aid training should I choose?" At the PDC we require a minimum of a 4-6 hour in house course that includes a practical exam. We highly recommend finding a sports specfic first aid course. If your other profession includes ongoing first aid training you don't necessarily need to submit a first aid document; at the PDC we have members who include firefighters, paramedics, surgeons and air hostesses.  These members can prvide proof from their employers that they hold extensive first aid and medical training.

Here are a few of scenarios to think about to help further explain why first aid training is so important:

1. You are teaching your class when a student starts to have an epileptic fit and becomes incontinent as a result. Do you want the whole class standing watching whilst you wait for a first aider or ambulance to arrive? A good first aider will not only protect the health of an individual but also their dignity wherever possible.


2. A student falls from the pole landing badly on their head and twisting their neck, they appear to be unconcious, would you know what to do? How would you feel if you weren't first aid trained and you moved the patient causing further damage to a spinal or head injury?

3. Halfway through your class a student starts vomiting blood. Would you know what to do, would you know whether to deal with the patient first or call an ambulance first? Would you be able to effectvily manage your class during this time?

Hopefully none of us will ever have to deal with a serious injury in our class and the chances are most injuries sustained during a pole class will be minor injuries such as bruising and partial muscle tears.

One of the benefits of being a PDC Instructor is you receive automated reminders when your first aid training runs out so you never have to worry about it expiring.

If you would like to join the PDC as an approved or registered instructor simply request an application form and we can guide you through the approval process.