New Brunswick’s First Aid Regulation was amended in January 2024 to harmonize to the national standards for workplace first aid training.
New Brunswick was the first jurisdiction to proceed with steps to align its regulations, which included:
All employers are to review their internal first aid policies to ensure they still comply with the amended regulations. For example, requirements for the type and number of first aid kits available and the level of training needed may have changed depending on the hazard rating of your place of employment or the nature of work.
CSA Z1220-17 “First aid kits for the workplace” requires that a workplace first aid kit appropriate to the workplace be readily accessible to all workers at a workplace. Readily accessible is defined as capable of being reached quickly and safely, without the use of tools, for the purposes of use or maintenance.
To ensure workplace first aid kits are readily accessible to all workers and that the configurations of workplaces can be accommodated, workplace first aid kits of different sizes (small, medium, and large) may be used in various combinations. Table 4 Selection of First aid kits of CSA 1220-17 should be referenced when determining what is appropriate for your workplace:
Workplace first aid kit classification |
1 employee or work in isolation |
2-25 workers per shift |
26-50 workers per shift |
51-100 workers per shift |
| Type 1: Personal | 1 | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Type 2: Basic | – | 1 small |
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| Type 3: Intermediate | – | 1 small |
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When determining the classification, size and number of kits, the level of risk for the specific environment should be considered. Consideration should also be given to the layout of the workplace, the distance from or response time of emergency medical services, and workers in remote or isolated areas may require additional first aid supplies and equipment.
Yes, the contents for first aid kits as per the CSA standard is available on our website.
The definition of high hazard work in the First Aid Regulation 2004-130 lists the types of workplaces considered high risk.
“High hazard work” means work that carries a greater likelihood of injury or damage to health and a greater severity of potential injury because of the place of employment or the nature of the work, and includes work carried out
a) At a project site or mine,
b) In a confined space or in an isolated area where emergency medical help is not in close proximity to the work area,
c) On electrical transmission, generation or distribution systems,
d) At foundries or machine shops,
e) At gas, oil or chemical processing plants, steel or other base metal processing plants,
f) At woodland operations, sawmills or lumber processing plants,
g) At brewery or beverage processing plants, meat packing or processing plants, and
h) With explosives or heavy equipment.
Subsection 4(3) of the First Aid Regulation requires employers to assess the risk employees are likely to face and provide additional first aid supplies, equipment, services and facilities in regard to those risks. The assessment will not only help you determine which additional industry specific items to include in your kits but also whether you should upgrade from a basic to intermediate kit. The CSA standard provides guidance on performing a workplace first aid risk assessment in Annex A and Annex B.
First aid kits that meet the CSA standard are widely available from safety equipment suppliers, first aid training agencies and online. You can always supplement a purchased kit to meet the standard or the needs of your workplace, or you could build your own from scratch. The first aid kit checklist is the best resource to consult on kit contents.
As of January 12, 2024, Schedule A was amended to only list the number first aid providers required based on the number of employees at a workplace per shift and if the place of employment is high hazard work or not high hazard work. Types of first aid kits must meet the requirements in the CSA standard. The three types of kits are Personal, Basic (for lower hazard work) and Intermediate (for higher hazard work).
Reach out to WorkSafeNB via email or ask for the training provider for proof of approval. See the list of approved training providers on our first aid resources page.
Fill out the application to receive approval and be to be listed on our website.
Trainers who are currently approved remain in good standing until the current approval expires. Any subsequent approval will require them to meet the requirements of the amended regulation.
New applicants seeking WorkSafeNB approval are required to implement CSA standards in their training program.
Clause 7.10 Issuance of certificates in the CSA standard provides that a Workplace First Aid certificate must includes the following:
CSA’s website allows users to access CSA standards referenced in federal, provincial, and territorial OHS regulations.
Users need to create a free account on the CSA Group website to access the standards.
The site allows users to view and/or purchase CSA standards referenced in the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations.
All jurisdictions in Canada have agreed to harmonize to CSA standard Z1210-17 (R2021), “First aid training for the workplace – Curriculum and quality management for training agencies” as well as CSA Z1220-17, “First aid kits for the workplace”. You can comply with the requirements in New Brunswick and be compliant with other jurisdictions. If you need further clarification on requirements in other jurisdictions, please contact them directly.
Most workplaces will need the basic first aid training. Only those workplaces that meet the definition of ‘high hazard work’ in Regulation 2004-130 are required to have intermediate first aid training.
“High hazard work” means work that carries a greater likelihood of injury or damage to health and a greater severity of potential injury because of the place of employment or the nature of the work, and includes work carried out
a) At a project site or mine,
b) a confined space or in an isolated are where emergency medical help is not in close proximity to the work area,
c) electrical transmission, generation or distribution systems,
d) foundries or machine shops,
e) gas, oil or chemical processing plants, steel or other base metal processing plants,
f) woodland operations, sawmills or lumber processing plants,
g) brewery or beverage processing plants, meat packing or processing plants, and
h) with explosives or heavy equipment.
According to the CSA standard, first aid training certificates show how long training is valid. In New Brunswick, training is valid for three years.
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standard Z1210-17 (R2021), “First aid training for the workplace – Curriculum and quality management for training agencies” does not include a yearly six-hour refresher so it is no longer required in New Brunswick.
