First Aid Kits regulatory initiative - summary of changes

Issue

First aid kit requirements in federally regulated workplaces are not up-to-date and are not aligned with those used in provinces and territories across Canada. The Labour Program is proposing to make changes to these rules, as outlined in Canada Gazette, Part I. We are looking for your comments.

Goal

The goal of this initiative is to better protect the health and safety of employees by:

making first aid kit requirements consistent across Canada
requiring workplaces to follow the newest safety standard for first aid kits

Proposed changes

The Labour Program is proposing changes to six regulations so that employers provide up-to-date and consistent first aid kits. The regulations changing are:

The following sections provide a summary of the proposed changes.

Safety standard

Employers would be required to provide first aid kits that meet the requirements of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standard Z1220, First aid kits for the workplace, which already has been adopted by all 13 provinces and territories. This standard would be incorporated into five federal occupational health and safety regulations by reference, meaning it would automatically stay up to date as the standard is revised.

Types of first aid kits

The CSA standard sets out three types of first aid kits:

Type 1 - Personal (for one worker who works in isolation)
Type 2 - Basic (for lower-risk workplaces)
Type 3 - Intermediate (for higher-risk workplaces)

Employers would have to choose the appropriate type based on their size and risks in their workplace.

Workplace risk assessment

Employers would need to assess workplace risks to determine the type of first aid kit that is required. The assessment would consider factors such as:

workplace hazards and injury risks
number of employees per shift
access to emergency medical services

More consistent rules across regulations

Differences among the five federal occupational health and safety regulations would be reduced by aligning them with the same first aid kit requirements. Outdated requirements would be removed and replaced with the CSA standard.

Administrative Monetary Penalties (Canada Labour Code) Regulations

Schedule 1 of the AMPs Regulations would be changed to add violations and appropriate classification for the new rules that are being introduced.

Your opinion matters!

Considering the proposed regulations outlined above, the Labour Program recognizes that workplaces would need to assess their risks and contributing factors to determine the appropriate type of first aid kit required.

To support a smooth transition, the Labour Program would like to hear from you on what guidance you may need. If there are areas of the First Aid Kits regulatory initiative where further clarification would be beneficial, please identify your key priorities so that the Labour Program can ensure appropriate support is provided.

How can I contribute

Learn how to comment on the most recently published proposed regulations.

Provide comments on Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Made under the Canada Labour Code (First Aid Kits).

Contact us

ESDC - Labour Program
165 Hôtel-de-Ville Street
Gatineau, QC J8X 4C2

Email: EDSC.LAB.SST.POLITIQUES-LAB.OHS.POLICY.ESDC@labour-travail.gc.ca

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2026-10-05