The Workers Compensation Board (WCB) of PEI has updated the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act General Regulations related to first aid requirements to align with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) guidelines. The goal of this update is to make sure that first aid training level requirements and first aid kits are selected based on a workplace first aid risk assessment. These changes will be in effect starting January 1, 2025.

“By adopting the CSA standards, we will have a clearer set of first aid training requirements that will create a more harmonized system across Canada," said Danny Miller, the WCB’s Director of the Occupational Health and Safety. “Workplace first aid training requirements and the selection of first aid kits will now be based on the workplace’s first aid risk assessment. This assessment factors in the level of risk rather than the number of workers in a workplace. Therefore, it’s important for employers in PEI to conduct this workplace first aid risk assessment so they can make informed decisions for each of their work sites and locations.”

To support employers, the WCB’s OHS Division has released an updated and comprehensive Workplace First Aid Regulations Guide that sets out the first aid requirements for provincially regulated workplaces in Prince Edward Island. The guide includes a template for conducting a workplace first aid risk assessment. There is also a two-page summary of changes available in the form of a Prevention Update. Employers who have questions are invited to reach out to the OHS Division by calling 902-368-5697 or toll-free 1-800-237-5049 in Atlantic Canada or emailing ohs@wcb.pe.ca.

Workplace First Aid Regulations Guide: https://bit.ly/44E4wZp 

Workplace First Aid Regulations Prevention Update: https://bit.ly/3Vep8p3 

Workplace First Aid Risk Assessment Template: https://bit.ly/4g1vDEj 

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