Is SST Training Mandatory? The Answer in 2026

SST training is not mandatory in every company. The French Labour Code sets out two specific cases where the presence of a trained first aider is required. Outside these cases, every employer remains obliged to organise first aid at the workplace: the Sauveteur Secouriste du Travail (SST) is the most recognised response to this requirement.

📋 In brief - Is SST training mandatory?

SST training is not strictly mandatory for all employees, but the employer has a legal obligation to guarantee first aid at the workplace (article R4224-15 of the French Labour Code). In practice, at least one SST-trained employee must be present in each high-risk workshop and on every construction site with more than 20 workers for more than 15 days.

• For the employee: SST training is voluntary.
• For the employer: training is mandatory in high-risk workshops and in the construction sector.
• Duration: 14 hours (2 days) in-person, validated by certification.
• Modern alternative: VR (SST VR) enables faster training, in compliance with the INRS referential.

Is SST Training Mandatory? In Which Cases?

The 2 Cases of Legal Obligation

Article R4224-15 of the French Labour Code defines the two situations where the presence of a trained employee is required:

The Labour Code does not use the term "SST", but the Sauveteur Secouriste du Travail training, whose programme is defined by the national referential of INRS, is the recognised training that fully meets this obligation.

How to Identify a Workshop with Hazardous Work?

Article R4224-15 uses the term "hazardous work" without defining it in its text. It is the professional risk assessment formalised in the DUERP (Single Document for Professional Risk Assessment) that allows the employer to identify the workshops concerned: chemical, mechanical, electrical risks, working at height, construction, etc. If your DUERP identifies risks of this type, the obligation under R4224-15 applies.

BANNIERE-MID : SST VR

Must the Employer Organise First Aid in the Company?

Yes, in all cases. Even when SST training is not strictly mandatory, article L4121-1 of the French Labour Code requires the employer to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety and protect the health of employees.

A first aid organisation plan rests on three pillars:

• Trained personnel in life-saving gestures
• An alert system: clear instructions and emergency numbers posted (article D4711-1)
• First aid equipment adapted to risks, accessible and signposted (article R4224-14)

Training SST employees is the most recognised way to structure this organisation, regardless of company size.

What Does the Employer Risk If No SST Is Trained?

Outside the two cases of R4224-15, there is no direct penalty for the absence of an SST. However, failure to meet the general obligation to organise first aid exposes the employer on three levels:

1. Labour inspectorate inspection: formal notice and mandatory regularisation.
2. In the event of a serious accident: possible recognition of an inexcusable fault, with increased compensation to the victim and a Carsat recovery action.
3. In the event of a fatal accident: criminal liability of the company director for involuntary manslaughter (article 221-6 of the French Penal Code), based on criminal liability for negligence (article 121-3 of the French Penal Code).

Training SST employees is also a legal protection measure for the director, not just good practice.

SST: A Central Element in Company Risk Prevention

Beyond the first aid gesture, the Sauveteur Secouriste du Travail plays an active role in risk prevention. Their competencies allow them to:

• Identify dangerous situations and report them to management, the Works Council (CSE) or the HSE department
• Contribute to DUERP updates through field reports
• Participate in root cause analysis following a workplace accident

This is why the French Health Insurance Branch (Occupational Risks) recommends SST training in all companies, even those not subject to the obligation under R4224-15. The first aid gesture represents only part of an SST's activity.

Duration, Certification and Refresher Training

Without the MAC SST refresher, the certificate is no longer valid and the employee loses their recognised first aider status.

How to Train an SST Employee in a Company?

Using a Recognised Training Organisation

Initial SST training (14 h) must be delivered by a qualified and recognised trainer for training staff. The employer can call on an external organisation for an inter-company or in-house session according to their needs.

The Company Has an Internal SST Trainer

Some companies choose to train their own internal SST trainers: a safety officer, HSE manager or safety coordinator can train and obtain recognised SST trainer certification to run certified sessions directly in-house. This is a suitable solution for organisations with large workforces or frequent sessions to organise.

For these trainers, the priority is to enrich the pedagogical quality of their sessions: replacing paper case studies, diversifying practice situations, maintaining trainee engagement over 14 hours of training. This is precisely the challenge addressed by our SST virtual reality simulator: immersive scenarios that integrate directly into existing certified sessions.

SST VR: The Training Tool to Enrich Your SST Training Sessions

A Simulator Designed by and for Trainers

SST VR is a training tool designed for trainers who run certified SST sessions: internal safety officers and trainers, independent trainers and training organisations. It replaces paper case studies and time-consuming role plays with immersive virtual reality scenarios, without replacing either the trainer or the certification.

Developed in co-design with the Preventirisk training team, the SST virtual reality simulator covers 15 accident scenarios from the INRS referential in 360° video: the learner is immersed in a realistic workplace accident situation and must apply the SST response. An MCQ guides them towards the right action, with positive anchoring each time.

• Improved memorisation: immersion guarantees better retention of learned gestures.
• Real-time trainer control: tracking each trainee's progress, shareable on screen or projector for the group.
• Time saving: operational in under 5 minutes, no internet access, in 2 m² of space.
• Automatic report: at the end of each session, a detailed report of the learner's actions facilitates debriefing.
• Positive anchoring: each situation concludes with the correct gesture.

Our immersive solution for SST training integrates into the 14 h of initial SST training as well as the 7 h of a MAC SST refresher. Since its launch, 35,000 trainees have been trained with SST VR by hundreds of trainers.

BANNIERE-FIN : SST VR

Key Takeaways

Is SST training mandatory in all companies?

No, only in two cases: workshops with hazardous work and construction sites with more than 20 workers for more than 15 days (article R4224-15). Outside these cases, the obligation to organise first aid always applies via L4121-1.

Why train SST employees even when not legally required?

The French Health Insurance Branch (Occupational Risks) recommends SST training in all companies. The SST contributes to daily risk prevention, well beyond their sole first aid mission.

How often must SST certification be renewed?

Every 24 months, via a 7-hour MAC SST session run by a qualified and recognised trainer. Without this refresher, the certificate expires and the employee loses their recognised first aider status.

Is virtual reality recognised for SST training?

Yes. SST VR is a training tool for SST trainers (internal, independent, training organisations): it integrates into their certified sessions and enriches the pedagogy through immersive virtual reality without replacing certification.

Is SST VR compliant with the INRS referential?

Yes. SST VR covers 15 accident scenarios from the INRS referential in 360° video: an MCQ guides the learner towards the correct action in each situation, with positive anchoring.

More Information on First Aid Training

Link to the French government website about first aid training and life-saving techniques

INRS website about the SST training framework