Workplace Health & Safety Legislation March 2000 First Aid Regulation Questions and Answers 1. What are the major changes from the previous First Aid Regulation? Requirements for First Aid Training Agencies Under the previous First Aid Regulation, training for first aiders had to be provided by the St. John Ambulance Association or by another agency with a program considered to be equivalent by the government s Director of Medical Services. In the new regulation, training for first aiders can only be provided by agencies that have entered into an agreement with the Director of Medical Services. A condition of this agreement is that training programs must meet the standards adopted by the Director in consultation with the newly created Joint First Aid Training Standards Board. No specific agencies are listed in the regulation. Instead, a list of accredited training providers will be posted on the Alberta Human Resources and Employment, Workplace Health and Safety website at www.gov.ab.ca.hre/. Employers can still use training agencies approved under the old regulation until August 31, 2000, after which they must only use agencies approved under the new system. New Requirements to Consider the Distance From a Health Care Facility as a Factor in Assessing First Aid Services Under the previous First Aid Regulation there was no requirement to consider the distance from the work site to the nearest health care facility when determining the level of first aid services or supplies that had to be provided by the employer. The new regulation now considers this distance when assessing first aid services. FA007 03/2000 Page 1
The new regulation requires training that is more comprehensive for first aid providers, and additional equipment, for distant or isolated work sites. These new requirements are listed in the schedules contained within the new regulation. Modified First Aid Kit Contents The required content of first aid kits in the new regulation have been modified to reflect: the need to prevent a first aider s exposure to bloodborne pathogens; and changes in first aid practices. Employers must purchase additional supplies if they only have the minimum requirements specified in the old regulation. Protection of Worker Privacy The list of information required to be recorded in the employer s first aid treatment book in the event of a worker s illness or injury has changed in the new regulation. Personal information like date of birth and sex have been dropped to protect the worker s privacy. The new regulation also limits access to first aid records. Only the worker and those involved in medical treatment, or in the evaluation of the employer s work site health and safety program, may review the records. Alberta Human Resources and Employment, Workplace Health and Safety, will be publishing a new First Aid Treatment and Illness and Injury Record Book to help employers comply with these new provisions. This and other occupational health and safety related publications will soon be available through regional Workplace Health and Safety offices and the department s website. Allowance to Use Paramedics Instead of Nurses at Larger Work Sites The new regulation will allow employers to use qualified Emergency Medical Technician Paramedics in place of nurses at larger work sites. The paramedics must be recognized by the Alberta College of Paramedics. FA007 03/2000 Page 2
Administrative Changes New terms describing first aiders have been introduced in the new regulation and are summarized in Table 1. These new terms provide a better description of the level of training each designation receives. The training times required to achieve a particular qualification do not change under the new regulation. Table 1 Term Used in Previous First Aid Regulation First Aider I First Aider II First Aid Attendant Term Used in New First Aid Regulation Emergency First Aider Standard First Aider Advanced First Aider The new regulation has been simplified by combining the requirements for Dispersal Sites and Office or Administrative Sites. The reference to principle contractor has been replaced with prime contractor to reflect changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. 2. What happens to my current first aid certificate once the new regulation takes effect? Certificates issued to workers prior to August 31, 2000 under the previous regulation will remain valid until the expiry date indicated on the certificate. Training delivered after August 31, 2000 must be done by one of the agencies accredited under the provisions of the new regulation. 3. Do I have to buy a new first aid kit? There have been a number of changes to the first aid kits required by the new regulation. You may be able to purchase an upgrade for your current kit rather than purchase a completely new kit. For instance, to upgrade an old Number 1 kit to the standards required by the new regulation, you would have to purchase: 10 towellettes 13 more sterile adhesive dressings 5 more 10 cm x 10 cm sterile gauze pads 1 more 15 cm x 15 cm sterile compress dressing 2 conform gauze bandages 7.5 cm 1 artificial resuscitation barrier device with one way valve 4 pairs of disposable surgical gloves 1 waterproof waste bag FA007 03/2000 Page 3
Similar changes were made to First Aid Rooms and to Number 2 and 3 kits. You should compare your current supplies against the schedules listed in the regulation. 4. My worksite doesn t fit the description for low hazard work or high hazard work. What requirements do I have to meet? Work sites that can t be classified as either low hazard or high hazard work are classified as medium hazard work. The employer must then meet the first aid requirements listed in Schedule 7 First Aid Requirements for a Medium Hazard Site. 5. I have a work site that includes some low hazard work, some medium hazard work, and some high hazard work. Which schedule(s) apply to my work site? If there is a clear separation and control of vehicular and foot traffic from one part of the work site to another, then the two or more parts can be treated as separate work sites e.g. a fenced construction site within a retail complex. The appropriate schedule would then be applied to each of the separate parts. However, if no clear separation exists, then the more stringent schedule applies and the first aid equipment required would be based on the total number of workers per shift, regardless of the work they do. For example, if no clear separation existed on a construction site with 150 construction workers per shift and 50 administrative workers per shift, then the work site would be required to meet the requirements for 200 workers listed in Schedule 8 First Aid Requirements for a High Hazard Site. 6. When does the new regulation come into effect? Most of the new regulation will come into effect on March 31, 2000. Employers will be required to upgrade the first aid provided at their work site by that date. However, occupational health and safety officers will not write orders or recommend prosecution for violations which relate to changes in the regulation until after December 31, 2000. Instead, officers will work with employers to help them identify and correct any deficiencies. This grace period will allow time for employers to comply with the new regulation. Provisions regarding the training provided by agencies do not come into effect until August 31, 2000. The delay in the revisions to the first aid training agency certification process should not deter employers from upgrading the first aid training for their workers to meet the new regulation. The training provided by agencies approved under the previous regulation will continue to comply with the new regulation if that training takes place prior to August 31, 20000. After August 31, 20000, employers must use only that training which has been FA007 03/2000 Page 4
accredited under the new accreditation system. A list of agencies accredited under the new system will be posted on the department s website prior to August 31, 2000. 7. We train all of our staff to the Standard First Aid level. The schedules sometimes specify an Emergency First Aider. Do I have to retrain my staff? No. The new regulation set minimum requirements only and does not prohibit you from exceeding them. The training received be a Standard First Aider is more comprehensive than that received by an Emergency First Aider so it can be used instead. Similarly, a nurse or Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic can replace an Advanced, Standard or Emergency First Aider and an Advanced First Aider can replace a Standard or Emergency First Aider. 8. I don t wish to follow the schedules listed in the regulation. Instead, I have an alternative method of providing first aid at my work site. Is there any allowance for alternatives? Yes. Employers can apply in writing to the Director of Medical Services for an acceptance to the regulation. The granting of acceptances is only allowed under the Occupational Health and Safety Act if.an alternative.first aid service or first aid supplies or equipment at a work site provides equal or greater protection than that provided for by regulation. If you wish to have the acceptance granted, you must demonstrate in your application that what you are proposing meets the equal to or greater than standard. Applications should be sent to: Director of Medical Services Alberta Human Resources and Employment Workplace Health and Safety 902, 10808-99 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5K 0G5 9. My company was granted an equivalency under the previous regulation. Does it remain valid under the new regulation? No. The Director of Medical Services only has the power under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to grant equivalencies or acceptances for a requirement listed in the regulation. Since the previous First Aid Regulation will be repealed when the new regulation takes effect, equivalencies granted to meet the requirements of the old regulation will no longer be valid. However, you may apply for a new acceptance by following the procedure outlined in question 8 above. FA007 03/2000 Page 5
For more information about workplace safety or safe work practices, contact the Alberta Human Resources and Employment, Workplace Health and Safety Call Centre by dialling toll-free: 1-866-415-8690 Deaf or hearing impaired call: Edmonton (780) 427-9999 Other locations 1-800-232-7215 For more publications, visit our web site at: www.whs.gov.ab.ca To obtain copies of the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations, view and download them from our web site or contact the Queen s Printer by dialling toll-free 310-0000 and one of the numbers listed below: Edmonton (780) 427-4952 Calgary.. (403) 297-6251 FA007 03/2000 Page 6