Red Cross, CSA also looking at national standards for Canadian employers
The standard — which received American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approval — introduces two classes of first aid kits. Moving forward, kits will be classified based on the assortment and quantity of first aid supplies.
Class A kits are designed to deal with common workplace injuries such as minor cuts, abrasions and sprains. Class B kits include supplies necessary to deal with injuries in more complex or high-risk environments, and must include both a splint and a tourniquet.
Under the new standard, first aid kits will also be designated by Type (I, II, III or IV) in relation to the applicable work environment. While Type I kits are designed for indoor use, Type IV kits are intended for outdoor use and must pass tests for corrosion, moisture and impact resistance.
"The new standard is adjusted so that a business needs to think about how many employees they have in addition to the risks and hazards associated with their work environment," said David Lapp, chairman of ISEA’s first aid product group.
"By splitting the standard up between two classes of kits, the new standard differentiates the hazardous conditions of a sheet metal shop from an insurance agency, for example."
The new standard was approved by a consensus review panel of health and safety experts, unions, test labs and government agencies in the U.S. The review process took into account technological advancements, statistical data analyses on workplace safety and suggestions from end-users. The review panel also considered various changes in workplace environments as well as improvements to support a diverse workforce.
Canadian standard
The Canadian Red Cross, in partnership with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group), is attempting to create a similar national standard for workplace first aid in Canada.
According to the organizations, a standards-based approach will ensure consistent, high-quality and measurable training as the national standard would be updated regularly to reflect current scientific evidence and best practices. A national standard would also account for labour mobility across provinces.
"There are different requirements from province to province," said Ian Fitzpatrick, national co-ordinator for the Canadian Red Cross’ regulatory compliance, prevention and safety.
"Some bigger employers have people moving from province to province and they have to make sure those people have the required first aid training for each of those jurisdictions… I would think it would be a lot easier for an employer not to have to worry about whether that employee moving to that jurisdiction needs any required additional training or has to go through any additional certifications just to be able to work."
Much like the ISEA national standard, the Canadian Red Cross and CSA Group are considering a first aid standard that divides workplaces into several levels based on hazard assessments. The organizations are also considering including new requirements for first aid kits in the standard.
Some of the biggest barriers are issues of jurisdictional differences as well as the wide variety of industry needs.
ISEA has run into similar issues in the U.S., according to Lapp.
"It was all too often that a business would believe that simply having an ANSI-compliant kit on hand would be enough to be Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliant," he said.
Medical help
But in order to be completely protected and ensure a business is totally OSHA-compliant, Lapp said, employers should have their facility inspected by an emergency medical professional qualified to treat serious workplace injuries.
He suggested emergency room physicians, emergency medical technicians (EMT) and local fire departments as key resources for employers looking to provide a safe workplace.
Nicki Islic — manager of standards, sustainability at CSA Group — agreed the expertise of emergency medical professionals is key in creating both a safe workplace and a working first aid standard.
"A national standard should address a core level of skills agreed upon by all stakeholders," she said. "The standard is meant to evolve over time, adjusting as the roles and circumstances change."
Being able to quickly incorporate new information into first aid across the country would be a huge advantage provided by a national standard, Fitzpatrick said.
Due to differences in jurisdiction and sector, the requirements for first aid kits vary widely across Canada. Fitzpatrick estimates as many as 30 different types of first aid kits exist throughout the country.
In some cases, he said, the decision-making behind workplace first aid had more to do with opinion than evidence.
"About 15 years ago, a group sat around a table and decided what should be in the first aid kit," he said. "And that’s based on the injury statistics of 15 years ago. And the injuries of 15 years ago are typically not the injuries of 2015."
All of the stakeholders involved in creating a national standard for Canada agree a more unified approach that is evidence-based will lead to the safest workplaces possible, Fitzpatrick said.
