You must conduct an annual first aid assessment of your worksite to determine its ability to meet basic first aid requirements. You’ll need to repeat the assessment process whenever a significant change affecting the assessment occurs in your operations.

The assessment must consider the following:

• The number of workers who may require first aid at any time
• The nature and extent of the risks and hazards in the workplace
• The types of injuries likely to occur
• Any barriers to providing first aid to an injured worker
• The time that may be needed to transport an injured worker to medical treatment

WorkSafeBC has produced a first aid assessment worksheet that can help you determine the first aid requirements for your workplace.

First aid attendants and procedures

You may need one or more first aid attendants, depending on the number of workers on a given shift, the hazard rating of your workplace, and your travel time to the nearest hospital.

You also need to keep up-to-date written procedures for providing first aid at the worksite, including:

• The equipment, supplies, facilities, first aid attendants and services available
• The location of, and how to call for, first aid
• How the first aid attendant is to respond to a call for first aid
• The authority of the first-aid attendant over the treatment of injured workers, and your responsibility as the employer to report injuries to WorkSafeBC
• Who is to call for transportation for the injured worker, and the method of transportation and calling
• Pre-arranged routes in and out of the workplace and to medical treatment

First aid records

You must maintain at the workplace a record of all injuries and exposures to contaminants covered by the Regulation that are reported or treated. These records must be secured in a confidential fashion and maintained for at least three years.

Training

For a list of training providers, see WorkSafeBC’s list of First Aid Training Providers in the links below.

Information provided by HARRIS & COMPANY. For more information about HARRIS & COMPANY, please visit harrisco.com.

For more information:

• Occupational First Aid (go2HR)
• First Aid Requirements (WorkSafeBC)
• First Aid Training Providers (WorkSafeBC)
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, sections 3.14 to 3.21, Occupational First Aid (WorkSafeBC)
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, Schedule 3-A, Minimum Levels of First Aid (WorkSafeBC)