This engagement is closed. The regulatory changes will come into effect November 1, 2024.

Overview

• What: Upcoming changes to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation relating to occupational first aid. (These changes take effect on November 1, 2024)
• Who: All employers and workers in British Columbia
• Why: To gather any questions or presentation requests you may have on the upcoming changes as an employer or worker
• Key topics: Occupational first aid; First aid assessment; First aid attendant certification

Summary

In April 2023, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to Part 3 of the OHS Regulation. These changes update first aid requirements and align the OHS Regulation with standards for first aid training and first aid kits set by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

These amendments take effect November 1, 2024. The changes will affect nearly all workplaces in B.C., likely having the greatest impact on high-risk, remote worksites, like some in the forestry and construction industries.

Employers across the province will need to assess their first aid attendants, kits, supplies, and equipment to ensure they comply with the new provisions.

What are the key changes?

• Transitioning to a system of basic, intermediate, and advanced first aid credentials
  • Training for the intermediate course is now a two-day class, replacing the old five-day level 2 course.
• A two-part duty for employers to assess and document workplace first aid requirements including:
  1. A written assessment in consultation with worker representatives or joint health and safety committees
  2. New criteria for determining minimum standards for first aid attendants and equipment

What have we heard from stakeholders?

An external advisory group of workers and employer representatives helped develop OHS Guidelines for first aid.

In spring of 2024, we invited public feedback on the draft guidelines and received extensive comments from a range of industries across the province.

Four industries were well represented:

1. Construction
2. Forestry
3. Education
4. Health care

Most comments were from employers or their representatives. While we received few comments from industries outside of the Lower Mainland, several associations representing province-wide memberships provided feedback.

Worker advocates and union representatives also provided extensive feedback and written submissions.

How you can get prepared

See our First aid requirements page for detailed information on all aspects of the changes to first aid requirements and guidance on performing first aid assessments.

To contact our team with questions or presentation requests, please email stakeholderrelations@worksafebc.com.

Learn more

• To learn more about what this means for your workplace, visit First aid requirements and First aid attendant certification.

You can also review:

• OHS Guidelines for Part 3 — Occupational First Aid
• Strikethrough version of the OHS Regulation showing the changes
• Summary of submissions to the public hearing on changes to Part 3 of the OHS Regulation from June 2022