Changes to first aid requirements take effect Nov. 1: What employers need to know

In British Columbia, amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation relating to occupational first aid are set to take effect on Nov. 1.

And employers should take this matter very seriously, says Blake Steinson, founder and president, Fundamental First Aid.

“Accidents can have a very serious effect on people's lives.”

This is true not only of individuals who get injured and their families, but also people who witness those accidents, he says.  

“It can have a really drastic effect on people. So it is absolutely essential that employers have the proper first aid requirements met.”

First aid changes in B.C.

According to WorkSafeBC, the following key changes are taking place:

• First aid certification levels are being aligned with CSA standards. Level 1, 2, and 3 certificates and kits will become Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced, respectively.
• First aid kits will be required to meet CSA standards, with additional requirements specific to B.C. Kits will need to include personal protective equipment, first aid records, and, for "advanced" kits, oxygen therapy equipment.
• Employers will be required to conduct and document a two-part first aid assessment for every workplace. As a result of this assessment, minimum levels of first aid may change for some workplaces and there may be new requirements for less accessible workplaces.
• The regulatory changes specify performance-based requirements that emergency transportation must meet, allowing for more flexibility in selecting alternative methods, such as air transportation. More workplaces will require first aid attendants to be trained with the skills and knowledge needed to prepare and transport injured or ill workers to medical aid.
• The new regulation requires employers to carry out drills every year and whenever there are substantial updates to procedures.

“WorkSafe has completely rewritten part three of the OHS Regulation with regards to first aid requirements,” says Steinson.

“They've not only changed the requirements for first aid but they have changed how you calculate the requirements you need for your work sites.”  

Another key change the B.C. government made is to put a new category for “less accessible work site,” he says.

“What that means is if you have a work site with areas that aren't easily accessible by paramedics… you need a higher level of first aid training and possibly more first aid attendants. So for example, construction sites. If they have areas of the workplace that are only accessible by scaffolding, that site may be determined to be less accessible, which means you are likely going to have to have first aid attendance that are trained in transportation endorsement.”

Prior to the changes, as long the work sites are within 20 minutes of the hospital, employers do not need an advanced-level first aid attendant, he notes.

Safety training by employers

Steinson emphasizes that companies must meet the new minimum requirements in B.C. when it comes to first aid in the workplace. 

“Make sure that your training is all up to date, that you have the proper certificates and fundamentals.” 

He notes that employers should keep in mind that “there are serious consequences if a WorkSafeBC officer were to show up and you weren't meeting your minimum requirements.” 

“They will definitely have no problem shutting work sites down immediately and waiting until you get prepared and meet those minimum requirements before you can fire back up. So that could be very costly for employers.”

Fundamental First Aid offers a First Aid Requirement calculator, where “you punch in the details of each of your work sites, and it'll show you the old requirement and the new requirements,” Steinson says.