Alberta First Aid Requirements for Employers

Last updated: March 2026

You're running a construction crew in Alberta and an OHS officer shows up asking about your first aid setup. You've got a kit in the truck and one guy who took a course three years ago. Is that enough? Probably not, and the answer depends on factors most contractors haven't checked: your hazard level, how far you are from a hospital, and how many workers are on site at any given time.

At Safety Evolution, we build safety programs for Alberta contractors every week. First aid is one of the most commonly under-managed parts of the program, usually because the OHS Code tables look intimidating. They're not, once you know how to read them.

Alberta's workplace first aid requirements are set out in Part 11 of the OHS Code and its Schedule 2, which specifies the minimum number of first aiders, their certification levels, and the type of first aid kit required based on your worksite's hazard level, distance from medical services, and number of workers per shift.

For an overview of first aid requirements across all provinces, see our complete employer guide to workplace first aid requirements.

How Does Alberta Classify Workplace Hazard Levels?

Alberta OHS Code Schedule 2 divides all work into three hazard categories. Your category determines the baseline for everything else: how many first aiders you need, what level of training they require, and what kit you must have.

Low hazard work: Office and clerical work, retail, banking, education, light assembly. Work where the primary risks are slips, trips, and minor cuts.

Medium hazard work: Warehousing, transportation, food processing, light manufacturing, agriculture. Higher physical risk than office work but not heavy industrial.

High hazard work: This is where most SE clients land. The OHS Code specifically lists these as high hazard:

• Construction or demolition
• Pipeline facilities
• Sawmills and wood products manufacturing
• Machine shops
• Gas, oil, or chemical plants
• Mining and quarrying
• Seismic operations
• Detonation of explosives

If you're a contractor reading this, you're almost certainly high hazard. That matters because high hazard workplaces need more first aiders, higher certification levels, and larger first aid kits at every worker count threshold.

What Are the Worksite Distance Categories?

Alberta adds a second dimension to the calculation: how far your worksite is from emergency medical services. This accounts for the reality that an oil sands camp 200 km north of Fort McMurray needs very different first aid coverage than a commercial build in downtown Edmonton.

Close worksite: Up to 20 minutes from a hospital or medical facility.

Distant worksite: 20 to 40 minutes from a hospital or medical facility.

Isolated worksite: More than 40 minutes from a hospital or medical facility.

The travel time is measured under normal conditions, not best-case. If your site is 25 minutes from the hospital in summer but 45 minutes in winter road conditions, you need to plan for the worst case.

Most contractors think they know how far they are from the hospital. They're wrong. They estimate drive time in their truck, not ambulance response time. Ambulance dispatch, response, and travel rarely match your personal best time. When in doubt, classify one category higher.

How Many First Aiders Do You Need?

OHS Code Schedule 2 has three tables (one per hazard level) that cross-reference the number of workers per shift against the worksite distance category. Each cell tells you the minimum number of first aiders and their required certification level.

Here are the key thresholds for high hazard, close worksites (the most common scenario for Alberta construction contractors):

• 1-4 workers: 1 Basic First Aider
• 5-9 workers: 1 Intermediate First Aider
• 10-19 workers: 1 Advanced First Aider
• 20-49 workers: 2 Advanced First Aiders (one may be Intermediate)
• 50-99 workers: 3 Advanced First Aiders

For distant and isolated worksites, the requirements increase. An isolated, high-hazard worksite with 100+ workers may require an Advanced Care Paramedic and a dedicated first aid room.

The numbers indicated in Schedule 2 are for a work shift at all times. If you run two shifts, you need the required number of first aiders on each shift, not split across shifts.

A 12-person electrical sub in northern Alberta found this out during a site audit. They had one Advanced First Aider on day shift and nobody qualified on nights. The OHS officer issued a compliance order on the spot. They had to pull a worker off tools and send them to an emergency first aid course before nights could resume.

What First Aid Kits Does Alberta Require?

Alberta references the CSA Z1220-17 standard for first aid kit contents. The required kit type depends on your hazard level and worker count:

• Type 1 Personal First Aid Kit: For individual workers in remote or solo situations
• Type 2 Basic First Aid Kit (small, medium, large): For low-hazard worksites or high-hazard sites with small crews
• Type 3 Intermediate First Aid Kit (small, medium, large): For higher-hazard worksites or larger crews

The kit size (small, medium, large) scales with your worker count. Don't guess: check Schedule 2 for your specific combination of hazard level, distance category, and worker count.

Kits must be accessible to all workers, clearly marked, and replenished after use. For multi-floor or multi-building sites, you may need kits at multiple locations.

For complete kit contents and selection guidance by province, read our first aid kit requirements guide.

When Do You Need a First Aid Room?

Alberta OHS Code requires a dedicated first aid room when you have 200 or more workers at a medium or high hazard worksite that's classified as distant or isolated.

A first aid room must include:

• Communication system to call for help
• Sink with hot and cold running water
• Cot or bed with moisture-protected mattress and 2 pillows
• 6 towels and 3 blankets
• Eye wash equipment
• Shower or close access to a shower facility
• Number 3 First Aid Kit

The room must be accessible by stretcher and located near bathrooms. Most large construction projects in remote Alberta (oil sands, pipeline, heavy civil) need to plan for this.

What Records Must You Keep?

Alberta employers must keep a written record every time a first aid attendant provides treatment. Records must be retained for at least 3 years from the reported date of injury or illness and kept confidential.

Your first aid records should document:

• Date and time of the incident
• Name of the injured or ill worker
• Description of the injury or illness
• Treatment provided
• Name and certification level of the attending first aider
• Whether the worker was referred for further medical attention

These records feed into your incident reporting and investigation process. For detailed record-keeping guidance, see our first aid records guide.

How Does First Aid Fit Into Your COR Program?

If you're pursuing or maintaining COR certification through ACSA (Alberta Construction Safety Association) or another certifying partner, first aid is an auditable element of your health and safety management system.

During a COR audit, the auditor checks whether you have:

• A documented first aid needs assessment
• Current first aider certificates matching your Schedule 2 requirements
• Properly stocked and inspected first aid kits
• Written first aid procedures accessible to workers
• First aid treatment records

A solid first aid program is one of the easier elements to get right in a COR audit. It's specific, measurable, and mostly about documentation and certificates. Don't leave easy audit points on the table.

If you're building your entire safety management system, Safety Evolution can help you get first aid and every other element audit-ready as part of our done-for-you safety services.

For first aid training and certification guidance for contractors, we have a dedicated guide.

Common Mistakes Alberta Contractors Make With First Aid

After auditing hundreds of Alberta contractor safety programs, these are the first aid gaps we see most often. Every one of them is avoidable.

1. Using the wrong hazard classification. Some contractors assume their office trailer qualifies the whole operation as low hazard. It does not. If your workers are doing construction, demolition, or pipeline work, the entire operation is high hazard under Schedule 2, regardless of where the paperwork happens.
2. Underestimating travel time to medical services. Contractors measure the drive from site to hospital in their own truck on a clear day. OHS officers measure it under realistic conditions, including winter roads, shift-change traffic, and ambulance dispatch delays. If your honest worst-case time pushes you into the next distance category, plan for it.
3. Letting first aid certificates lapse. A first aider whose certificate expired last month does not count toward your Schedule 2 requirements. Track expiry dates the same way you track trade certifications. Build a 60-day renewal reminder into your system so nobody lapses during a busy project.
4. Counting first aiders across shifts instead of per shift. Schedule 2 requirements apply to each shift individually. Two first aiders split across day and night shifts means one per shift, not two. Each shift must independently meet the minimum.
5. Skipping the first aid needs assessment. Alberta expects you to assess your first aid needs based on your specific worksite conditions, not just look up a table. The assessment documents your hazard level, distance category, worker count, and the resulting requirements. Without it, you cannot demonstrate that your first aid setup is intentional rather than accidental. For step-by-step guidance, see our first aid assessment guide.

The pattern behind most of these mistakes is the same: contractors set up first aid once and never revisit it. Your crew size changes. Your site location changes. Certificates expire. A first aid program that matched your requirements six months ago may not match today. Build a quarterly review into your safety calendar.

What Happens During an Alberta OHS First Aid Inspection

Knowing what an OHS officer actually looks for during a worksite visit removes the mystery and helps you prepare. Here is a typical inspection sequence for first aid compliance on an Alberta construction site.

The officer arrives and asks for your first aid needs assessment. This is the document showing your hazard classification, distance category, worker count, and the resulting Schedule 2 requirements. If you cannot produce it on the spot, that's the first finding. The officer won't take "it's at the office" as an answer for a document that should be available at the worksite.

Next, they ask to see your first aiders' certificates. The officer checks names, certification levels, and expiry dates against what Schedule 2 requires for your site. They also confirm that the certified workers are actually present on shift, not on days off or at a different location. A certificate pinned to the trailer wall for a worker who's on vacation does not count.

Then they inspect your first aid kit. The officer opens the kit and checks contents against the CSA Z1220-17 standard for your required kit type. Common findings include expired items, missing components that were used and never restocked, and kits that are the wrong type entirely (a Type 2 small where a Type 3 medium is required).

Finally, they may ask workers questions. An officer might ask a random crew member where the first aid kit is located, who the designated first aider is on this shift, and how to call for help if someone gets hurt. If workers don't know the answers, that indicates your first aid procedures aren't being communicated effectively.

A clean inspection typically takes 15 to 20 minutes for the first aid portion. A messy one can lead to compliance orders, follow-up inspections, and administrative penalties that scale with your payroll. The preparation required to pass is minimal compared to the cost of failing.

Quick Pre-Inspection Checklist

Run through this list before any OHS officer could possibly visit your site:

• Written first aid needs assessment on site and current
• All required first aiders present on shift with valid certificates
• First aid kit is the correct type and size per Schedule 2
• Kit contents match CSA Z1220-17 with no expired or missing items
• Kit location is clearly marked and accessible to all workers
• Workers know who the first aider is and where the kit is located
• First aid treatment records are available and current
• Emergency contact numbers are posted visibly