Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC
12
Months
of Safety
September 2024
First Aid

Do you know what to do if a first aid incident happens in your workplace? Do you know who to notify? Do you know how what information is required by your health and safety policy when reporting a first aid incident?

Knowing how to properly assess and respond to incidents requiring first aid—whether serious or minor—is important step in helping ensure that people are safe. First aid training and intervention can prevent workers from being further injured or impacted by potential long-term negative outcomes, and it can save lives.

We all have specific roles in ensuring workers receive appropriate first aid in the workplace. By ensuring that there are adequately and appropriately trained individuals available to respond to workplace incidences, we can prepare effectively respond and provide care to colleagues and visitors in distress.

Videos & Webinars
First Aid Resources and Tools
We provide first aid in the workplace when a person needs treatment to preserve their life and minimize the consequences of an injury or illness until medical help is available. First aid also treats minor injuries and illnesses that do not require medical intervention.
Ensure attendants receive training and education on how they should protect themselves, and proper disinfection protocols. Recommended PPE when attending an emergency includes mask, face shield, and gloves. Do a risk assessment to determine what other controls and PPE may be required in specific situations.
Yes, attendants should receive specific training and education on how they should protect themselves, and on proper disinfection protocols.
Carry out a risk assessment to see whether or not a higher level of protection is required for these individuals. Factor in the frequency of contact between individuals, surfaces, etc., as well as the type of work. You may also factor in other controls in place (hygiene procedures, physical distancing, etc.), to justify whether or not a higher level of protection is needed.  […]
Particularly in environments where employers may not have a robust PPE program already in place, this is a common concern. When you provide first aid services to an injured worker, physical distancing is not typically possible. So it becomes a question of how you protect both workers from each other, should one of them actually […]

At its April 2023 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The amendments will become effective on November 1, 2024.
In April 2023, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to Part 3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, relating to the provision of occupational first aid.
This is one of the standards referenced by WorkSafeBC in their updates to BC's OHS Regulations on First Aid.
Employers are responsible for first aid in the workplace. To determine the first aid needs of your workplace, first you'll need to do an assessment. Then, you can review the findings and take necessary steps to put proper first aid procedures in place. If you're an employer, you are responsible for first aid in the workplace.
To help employers better manage a process to implement and update First Aid programs and policies to comply with the updated regulations, here is a suggested timeline and approach through until Nov 1, 2024.
News & Blog Articles
Are you ready? Earlier this year, WorkSafeBC approved amendments to the First Aid Regulations that require employers to put into effect by November 1, 2024. The goal of these amendments is to reduce confusion around first aid requirements and standardize...