First Aid Requirements in Canada — Federal & Provincial Rules

First aid is the immediate help given to someone who is injured or suddenly ill until professional medical care arrives — and in Canadian workplaces, providing for it is not optional. Every jurisdiction requires employers to maintain first aid equipment, facilities and trained personnel, from the federal Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations to each province's own rules. A workplace first-aider certificate counts only if it meets those rules. Nearly everywhere, that means it comes from a training provider the local authority has approved or recognized. This guide covers what first aid is, the first aid legislation in all 14 jurisdictions, the difference between awareness training and certified first aid courses, and who needs which.

What is first aid?

First aid is emergency care given immediately to an injured person, and its purpose is to minimize injury and future disability 1. All Canadian jurisdictions require the workplace to provide at least some level of first aid 1. The purpose of first aid training is to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide effective first aid. It helps individuals to be prepared for emergency situations, which can happen anywhere, anytime.

What are the five key components of first aid?

The five key components of first aid are:

• Assessing the Situation — The first step in providing first aid is to assess the situation. This involves identifying any hazards or dangers that could harm the patient or the responder. The responder should ensure that the area is safe before providing any assistance.
• Providing Basic Life Support — Basic life support (BLS) refers to the procedures used to support life in the event of an emergency. This includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for individuals who are not breathing, and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) for individuals who are experiencing cardiac arrest.
• Treating Wounds and Bleeding — Treating wounds and bleeding is another essential component of first aid. This involves cleaning and dressing the wound to prevent infection, and applying pressure to control bleeding. In cases of severe bleeding, a tourniquet may be required to stop the bleeding.
• Managing Shock and Head Injuries — Shock and head injuries can be life-threatening if not managed properly. Responders should be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of shock and head injuries and provide appropriate treatment, including stabilizing the head and neck and maintaining an open airway.
• Recognizing and Responding to Medical Emergencies — In addition to traumatic injuries, first aid responders should also be able to recognize and respond to medical emergencies such as seizures, allergic reactions, and heart attacks. Responders should be able to provide appropriate first aid care while waiting for emergency medical services to arrive.

What does federal first aid legislation require?

Federal first aid legislation applies to federally regulated workplaces, such as banks, airlines, telecommunications companies and interprovincial transportation, which come under the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (COHSR).

The duty comes from the Code. Section 125(1)(h) of the Canada Labour Code requires every federally regulated employer to “provide prescribed first-aid facilities and health services” 2.

Those prescriptions live in Part XVI (First Aid) of the COHSR. A first aid attendant is required "at every workplace at which six or more employees are working at any time", and also at every remote workplace where two or more employees are working, with a separate provision for work on live high-voltage electrical equipment (s. 16.3) 4.

A first aid attendant is the holder of a valid basic or standard first aid certificate. Which of the two is required depends on the type of workplace and the ambulance response time, and a workplace in a wilderness area needs a standard certificate plus a wilderness first aid course. The regulations define a standard first aid certificate as the certificate issued for successful completion of a two-day first aid course (ss. 16.1, 16.3) 3. Part XVI also prescribes first aid kits and stations, supplies and equipment, first aid rooms, and the records the employer must keep (ss. 16.5 to 16.13) 4.

What do provincial and territorial first aid regulations require?

Every jurisdiction in Canada requires workplace first aid under its own first aid regulations — and every one of them decides which first aid certificates count, nearly always by approving or recognizing the training provider. Each province and territory sets its own requirements for first aid equipment, facilities, records and the number and qualification of trained first aiders, and what is required scales with the size of the workforce, the hazard level of the work and how far the site is from emergency services.

A growing number of jurisdictions now also name a training standard in the regulation itself rather than leaving the content open, and the standard they point to is CSA Z1210. Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the Northwest Territories all do, which is why the certificate names in the regulations have been converging on Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. One point is commonly misreported: Ontario's workplace first aid requirements are not set under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. They sit in Regulation 1101 under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, and are administered by the WSIB.

What are the levels of first aid in Canada?

The most common types of first aid courses in Canada are First Aid Awareness, First Aid Level 1 and First Aid Level 2, offered in a variety of formats to meet the needs of different individuals and organizations. The level names vary by provider and by province, but the structure — a short awareness tier, a basic certified tier and a standard certified tier — mirrors the federal COHSR's own distinction between a basic and a standard first aid certificate 3. The names are changing: Ontario's Emergency and Standard First Aid became Basic and Intermediate First Aid in June 2026. Where you still see Level 1, 2 and 3 — the older British Columbia names — read them as basic, intermediate and advanced (see the table above). The Level 1 and Level 2 sections below describe the first two tiers.

How long is a first aid certificate valid in Canada?

First aid certification in Canada is issued nearly always by the providers each jurisdiction approves or recognizes, and how long a certificate stays valid is set jurisdiction by jurisdiction, not by one national rule. Where a term is fixed, it is three years: Alberta (up to three years, per the Government of Alberta 6), Saskatchewan (no more than three years) and Manitoba (three years from issue) in the table above. Elsewhere, the term follows your jurisdiction's regulation (see the table above).

What does First Aid Awareness cover?

First Aid Awareness gives you a working understanding of first aid principles — what first aid is, how to protect yourself when giving it, what belongs in a first aid kit and how to act in an emergency — without the hands-on practical component of a certified course. It is knowledge-level training: ideal as part of a broader safety program, for general workplace awareness, or as preparation before taking a certified course.

It is not a substitute for a workplace first-aider certificate — every province and territory decides which certificates count, nearly always by approving or recognizing the provider (see the table above). For First Aid Level 1 or 2 certification, we recommend working with a recognized provider such as the Canadian Red Cross 5.

What does First Aid Level 1 cover?

First Aid Level 1 is a fuller course that covers a wider range of first aid skills and knowledge. Participants learn how to respond to various medical emergencies, including choking, bleeding, fractures, burns, and cardiac emergencies. They also learn about CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) usage. First Aid Level 1 certification is recommended for individuals working in low-risk environments or those who want to have a more extensive understanding of first aid. It is often the tier required for low-risk workplaces: New Brunswick's regulation, for example, requires basic training for work that is not high hazard and intermediate training for high hazard work 13.

For federally regulated workplaces, the COHSR lists the subjects a basic first aid course must include: the first aid attendant's role and duties, managing the emergency scene, CPR, medical emergencies, shock and unconsciousness, preventing contamination, and wounds and bleeding (s. 16.12(1) and Schedule V) 22.

What does First Aid Level 2 cover?

First Aid Level 2 builds upon the skills and knowledge acquired in Level 1 and goes into greater depth. In addition to Level 1 topics, Level 2 covers more advanced concepts such as wound management, head and spinal injuries, respiratory distress, and allergic reactions. Participants also learn about the administration of certain medications like epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPens). First Aid Level 2 certification is recommended for individuals working in high-risk environments, such as industrial settings, construction sites, and healthcare facilities.

The federal standard first aid course adds these subjects to the basic ones: fractures and immobilization; chest injuries; head and spinal injuries; muscle, ligament and joint injuries; burns; eye injuries; pelvic, genital and abdominal injuries; poisoning emergencies; environmental illnesses and injuries; and moving, evacuating and transporting casualties (COHSR Schedule V) 22.

Certified first aid courses in Canada are delivered by providers such as the Canadian Red Cross 5, St. John Ambulance and similar organizations. In nearly every jurisdiction the provider must be approved or recognized by the local authority. For example, in Alberta every workplace first aid course must meet CSA Standard Z1210-17 (First aid training for the workplace) and must be delivered by an approved training agency. The certificate it leads to is valid for up to three years 6. The Red Cross's one-day Basic First Aid & CPR course (formerly Emergency First Aid) corresponds to the basic tier, and its two-day Intermediate First Aid & CPR course (formerly Standard First Aid) to the standard tier described in the federal regulations.

Who needs basic first aid knowledge at work?

Awareness-level first aid training is for everyone in a workplace who is not one of its designated first aiders: the people most likely to be standing next to an incident, who need to know the emergency steps, where the kit is and how to support the response until a first aider or paramedic takes over. It matters most where injuries or contact with the public are part of the working day.

Workplaces where awareness-level first aid knowledge is especially useful include:

• Healthcare (not medical personnel) — Non-medical staff in hospitals, clinics and other healthcare settings are often the first to notice that a patient or visitor needs help. Workers in the healthcare industry need to be able to provide timely and effective care in emergency situations.
• Construction — Construction workers are at risk of injury from falls, cuts, and other hazards. First Aid Awareness is important for these workers so that they can provide basic first aid to themselves or their colleagues in the event of an accident.
• Education — Teachers, coaches, and other educators may encounter emergency situations involving their students or athletes, thus they need training, in order to provide basic first aid until emergency medical services arrive.
• Hospitality — The hospitality industry, including restaurants, hotels, and resorts, often requires employees to interact with the public. Emergency situations can arise at any time, thus having basic first aid knowledge and skills is essential.
• Transportation — Drivers of buses, taxis, and other transportation vehicles may encounter emergency situations while on the job. First aid is important for these drivers so that they can provide basic first aid to passengers or pedestrians in the event of an accident.

Can you learn first aid online?

Awareness-level first aid training — yes, fully online. A workplace first-aider certificate is a different kind of credential: every Canadian jurisdiction decides which certificates count, nearly always by approving or recognizing the training provider, and those courses include an in-person practical component. Prince Edward Island's regulation, for example, defines first aid certification as requiring “a practical skills component” 15.

eSafetyFirst's First Aid Awareness course is two modules totalling about 45 minutes, covering first aid purpose and regulations, self-protection, first aid kits and emergency steps, with a test after each module.

Awareness training and a first-aider certificate serve different needs. Workplaces designate a small number of certified first aiders — but awareness-level knowledge is what everyone else on the team needs: knowing the emergency steps, the kit, and how to support the response until help takes over.

Key takeaways

First aid saves lives, and in Canada it is not left to goodwill: every jurisdiction requires employers to make the first aid provisions prescribed for their workplace, and what is prescribed varies with the size of the workforce, the hazard level of the work and the distance to emergency care. Meeting that duty comes down to the right training mix: certified first aiders whose certificates meet the local regulation, in the numbers and at the levels it sets, and awareness-level knowledge across the rest of the workforce. That knowledge is not itself a legal requirement, but it does mean the people around an incident know what to do in the minutes before help arrives.