HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT

First Aid

The Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code (Part 11) requires employers to provide first aid training to employees and have designated first aiders at work sites. This training helps the university meet regulatory requirements and ensures that the campus community is prepared to respond to emergencies. Additional first aid resources are also available to help you stay informed and ready.

Requirements and definitions

The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code defines the minimum standards for first aid services, equipment and supplies. It stipulates the number of required first aiders at a workplace, the level of first aid training required, the type and number of first aid kits required and the type and quantity of supplies and equipment required.

These requirements are based on the hazard level of the work performed at the workplace, the number of workers per shift and how the work site is from the nearest healthcare facility.

First aiders are university employees who are trained in workplace (intermediate) first aid, which includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). First aiders play an important role in supporting a safe and healthy work environment by providing appropriate medical assistance in a medical emergency.

To determine how many first aiders are needed for your school/faculty or administrative department, refer to these guidelines. There are approximately 230 first aiders at MacEwan University.

Guidelines For Appointment of First Aiders

First aid kits and supplies are provided and maintained by each school/faculty or administrative department and meet the requirements outlined in the OHS Code. Kits must be easily accessible at all times and may not contain prescription or over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, Ibuprofen, decongestants, sinus relief, etc. First aid kits should be checked regularly and missing supplies replaced. See first aid kit inspection checklists and the supplier list in the First Aid Resources section below.

First Aid Kit Supplier List

An AED is a device that automatically analyzes heart rhythms and advises the operator to deliver an electric current if the heart is in ventricular fibrillation, an otherwise fatal rhythm. All of MacEwan’s AEDs deliver verbal instructions and audible signals to guide the user though the steps.

If you require emergency access to City Centre Campus AEDs, please contact Campus Security (780-497-5555).

Training opportunities

Intermediate first aid and re-certification courses are provided, at no cost, to MacEwan first aiders who are designated by their faculty or administrative department. The courses are delivered by Sport and Wellness instructors who have been certified by the Lifesaving Society.

First aid certificates are valid for three years from date of issue. The date of issue is the date that you completed the training course.

Intermediate First Aid and CPR Level C (with AED) is a two-day, in-depth course that teaches first aiders to deal with life-threatening and non-life-threatening situations until Emergency Medical Services personnel arrive. The course includes adult, child and infant CPR skills and Automated External Defibrillation (AED) training. The course is certified through the Lifesaving Society.

Completion of the course is determined by the following criteria:

  • Successfully demonstrate all skills and critical steps
  • 70% minimum passing grade on a written, closed-book knowledge evaluation
  • 100% attendance and participation

It is important that you attend the entire course to meet the requirements for certification. Please do not schedule appointments during class hours, or you may not be able to obtain a certificate. We also ask that you show up on time. The instructor will not be able to assess you as competent if you miss any of the courses.

Intermediate First Aid: What to Expect

First aid recertification must take place prior to the expiry of the three-year currency of your intermediate first aid certification. If you do not recertify your qualification before the three-year expiry period, you will be required to re-take the full two-day Intermediate First Aid course to renew your certification.

All participants are required to bring a paper copy of their current First Aid certificate to class. This certificate is required by the Lifesaving Society, and the instructor will need to keep the copy. Your recertification cannot be processed by the Lifesaving Society without proof of current certification.

Completion of the course is determined by the following criteria:

  • Successfully demonstrate all skills and critical steps
  • 70% minimum passing grade on a written, closed-book knowledge evaluation
  • 100% attendance and participation

It is important that you attend the entire course to meet the requirements for certification. Please do not schedule appointments during class hours, or you may not be able to obtain a certificate. We also ask that you show up on time. The instructor will not be able to assess you as competent if you miss any of the courses.

You are responsible for ensuring your certificate has not expired and arranging for a recertification course before it does. It is recommended you put a task in your calendar about six months before the expiry date to allow you enough time to book a recertification course. Recertification courses are scheduled one year ahead of time and run four times a year. Occasionally, courses are cancelled due to low enrollment, so be sure to leave enough time for a second booking, just in case.

Recertification First Aid: What to Expect

A first aid certificate card will be mailed to your home address by the Lifesaving Society, usually within a month of completing the course. Your instructor provides you with an interim card at the end of the course, which is valid for two months and can be used until your permanent card arrives in the mail.

You do not have to take the course again if you lose your card. However, you do have to contact the certification provider from which you took your last course to get proof of certification. If your certification was completed through the Lifesaving Society, you can call and request a replacement certificate for a fee, or you can print it yourself at no cost here if you have your Lifesaving Society member number. If your first aid certification has been issued by another Alberta-approved agency, you have to contact them directly for a replacement card.

NOTE: MacEwan does not keep a copy of your first aid certificate.

MacEwan-designated first aiders are required to update their certification status in PeopleSoft for tracking purposes. To add a new certification or update your first aid certification, refer to these guidelines.

Once a first aider has entered their first aid certification status in PeopleSoft, managers can run a report and view the first aiders that report to them.

First aid incidents must be reported by the first aider within 24 hours of the incident using the Incident Report form. The form is available in the MacEwan Help Centre.

To find out when first aid training is scheduled or to register for a session, follow these steps:

  1. Go to MacEwanLife (macewanlife.macewan.ca).
  2. Select Staff/Faculty from the top menu.
  3. Log in using your MacEwan username and password.
  4. Select Health, Safety and Environment from the menu on the left.
  5. Select Calendar View or List View and choose the event to register for.
  6. Select Register for this event.

To cancel a first aid training session you’ve already registered for, follow these steps:

  1. Go to MacEwanLife (macewanlife.macewan.ca).
  2. Select Staff/Faculty from the top menu.
  3. Log in using your MacEwan username and password.
  4. Select Dashboard from the menu on the left.
  5. Select the Event Registration tab on the main page and choose the event to cancel.
  6. Select Cancel Registration.

CPR and AED operations are included in all Government of Alberta Workplace Approved Intermediate First Aid courses (which is why it is not noted on the certification card). Recertifying your first aid training also recertifies CPR and AED training.

First aid training is coordinated by Health, Safety and Environment and Sport and Wellness. Send questions to hse@macewan.ca with the subject line: First Aid.

First aider self care

If you feel distressed after providing first aid at a serious incident, you can contact Desjardins/Telus Health, which provides MacEwan’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP). EFAP offers you immediate, confidential and complimentary access to support. Otherwise, you can talk to the Office of Health, Safety and Environment or your manager. There is no strict requirement on whom you see, but look at your options for help, as dealing with a serious incident can be traumatic. More information about this subject is provided during first aid training when learning about Critical Incident Stress.

Learn more about our EFAP with Desjardins/Telus Health. 

Forms and resources