CSA Safety Standards require that CSA First Aid Kits must comply with the updated Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standard, CSA Z1220-17 (R2021) – First Aid Kits for the Workplace.
Background
To standardize first aid competencies across Canada, a joint workshop was held in October 2014 by the CSA Group’s Occupational Health and Safety Standards Program and the Canadian Red Cross’ Workplace Injury Reduction Collaborative Forum.
The workshop aimed to create a standard that could be part of a national system for first aid training and the assessment of training organizations. A CSA Technical Committee was formed to develop CSA Z1210, Workplace First Aid. This group also recognized the need for national guidance on the contents of workplace first aid kits to ensure clarity and consistency for organizations as part of a national workplace first aid system.
Classification System
The new standard introduces a workplace first aid kit classification system based on a scalability approach. This system allows organizations to meet the specific needs of their worksites while offering improved flexibility. Minimum requirements for first aid kits are defined based on the organization's risk level and the number of workers on each shift.
There are three main classifications of workplace first aid kits:
• Type 1: Personal (for isolated workers)
• Type 2: Basic (for low-risk environments)
• Type 3: Intermediate (for moderate-risk and high-risk environments)
To provide additional flexibility, Type 2 and Type 3 kits are further classified into small, medium, and large, depending on the organization's size and the number of employees per shift.
CSA Type 1 Personal First Aid Kits (Lone/Isolated Worker)
CSA Type 1 Personal First Aid Kits comply with the CSA Z1220-2017 (R2021) standard for workplace first aid kits. These kits are required for all isolated workers or those without access to a workplace first aid kit.
CSA Type 2 Basic First Aid Kits (Low Risk Workplace Environment)
CSA Type 2 Basic First Aid Kits are required for low-risk environments. They are further classified into small, medium, and large to accommodate the number of employees per shift. These kits comply with the CSA Z1220-2017 (R2021) standard.
CSA Type 3 Intermediate First Aid Kits (High Risk Workplace Environment)
CSA Type 3 Intermediate First Aid Kits are required for moderate-risk and high-risk environments. They are also classified into small, medium, and large to accommodate the number of employees per shift. These kits comply with the CSA Z1220-2017 (R2021) standard.
