How long does a safety certificate last?
Usually one to three years, depending on the subject and the country — and the renewal date matters more than most employers realise.
Most workplace safety certificates run between one and three years. First aid at work is typically three. Fire warden training is often annual. Manual handling and general awareness subjects usually sit at three. Driver CPC works on a rolling hours model rather than a simple expiry, which catches people out.
The interval is set by whoever awards the qualification, not by the training provider, and it can differ between countries for the same subject. That is worth checking rather than assuming, particularly if you employ people across borders.
The part that costs organisations money is not the renewal itself but the visibility. A certificate that expired last month is indistinguishable from one that never existed, as far as an inspection is concerned, and most employers find out from the inspector rather than from their own records. If you are tracking training in a spreadsheet, the expiry column is the one that quietly goes stale.
Set the reminder earlier than feels necessary. Ninety days gives you time to schedule a practical assessment if the qualification needs one, which is exactly the situation where a last-minute renewal is impossible.