No matter how robust your Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Program is, First Aid Services remain one of its most fundamental components. On November 1st, 2024, new Occupational First Aid (OFA) regulations will come into effect in British Columbia. If you haven’t already, now is the time to start preparing to ensure your organization is ready for these changes.
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has raised the bar to ensure that training and equipment meet current best practices, enhancing both First Aid Training and First Aid Kit requirements to better align with the specific needs of each organization.
You will not only need to equip your first aid kits with a new mandatory set of supplies and meet the minimum certification requirements for first aid attendants, but you will also be required to collaborate with your employees and/or Joint Health and Safety Committee to conduct a risk assessment. This assessment will help identify any additional equipment, supplies, or services needed to ensure prompt first aid response and, where necessary, safe transport to medical treatment.
To help you choose the appropriate kit for your organization, the new regulations outline a system to classify your workplace based on four characteristics.
- Maximum number of workers
- Hazard rating assigned to your industry (low, moderate, or high)
- Whether the workplace is considered “remote” (more than 30 minutes from the nearest BC Emergency Health Services ambulance station).
- Whether the workplace, and all areas in it, are “less accessible” (cannot be safely accessed by ambulance or includes hazardous work areas).
Additional guidance is provided to help you determine if your workplace is ‘less accessible’, as employers must develop rescue plans for workers in these areas.
Finally, there are amendments to Emergency Transportation requirements, which must now:
- Safely transport both the injured worker, on a secured stretcher, and a first aid attendant
- Have effective communication means between the attendant the vehicle operator, and
- Be designed to protect injured workers from; natural elements, dust, excessive jarring, etc., as well as maintain normal body temperature, and allow adequate space for treatment en route.
If you are unsure how to navigate to these changes, and would like assistance, we at DMI can point you in the right direction. We can assist with proactively identifying your unique requirements and provide you with resources on WorkSafeBC training, detailed equipment lists and more.
Getting ahead of these changes will ensure you are compliant with this new legislation and avoid any board appointed orders or fines. Reach out to our Health and Safety consultants today, for more information on keeping your workplace safe and secure.
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