A learner-centred advanced workplace first aid course leading to OFA 3 attendant certification.
The WorkSafeBC Occupational First Aid Level 3 course in Nanaimo is an advanced first aid training course designed for Level 3 First Aid Attendants working at large worksites or high-risk workplaces that are more than 20 minutes from the hospital. This course will prepare you for the most common workplace injuries, including falls, cardiac emergencies, shock, bleeding, and more. You'll also learn how to make a transport decision, as well as packaging patients and patient care during transport.
While there is no prerequisite, this is an intensive course that covers a lot of material. Please be prepared for extra reading and practice outside of scheduled course hours to excel in industrial first aid in Nanaimo.
The Advanced First Aid course is the new CSA-aligned advanced workplace first aid curriculum replacing the current Occupational First Aid Level 3 program. This new course will begin being offered in September 2024 and meets the new amendments to Part 3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations relating to occupational first aid (OFA).
For detailed information on these amendments, visit the following pages on WorkSafeBC's website:
• Preliminary OHS Guidelines for Part 3 – Occupational First Aid
• Backgrounder: Occupational first aid regulatory changes
• First aid requirements (web page)
Nanaimo's Occupational First Aid Level 3 includes:
This is a difficult question to answer precisely as there are different types of first aid courses, and First Aid ™ can sometimes overlap into Professional Responder training, and still be called First Aid. In BC, this is clearly defined for Occupational First Aid, where the highest level of first aid is OFA Level 3. For community oriented first Aid, Standard First Aid is the highest level before getting into Professional Responder courses. For Marine First Aid the highest level defined by Transport Canada is Marine Advanced First Aid. For those who need first aid in remote settings, Wilderness First Aid is the highest level. All of that being said, there are Professional Responder courses that go beyond some of these, such as First Responder, Emergency Medical Responder, and Wilderness First Responder courses for those who want to go beyond learning ‘first aid’.
OFA Level 3 First Aid attendants learn and practice a number of skills that OFA Level 2 attendants do not. Level 3 is a full two-week (80hr) course compared to Level 2 which is only one-week (40hr). OFA 3 is geared toward people who will be the first aid attendant for worksites that are further from a hospital (more than 20 minutes) where they may need to care for seriously injured workers for a longer time. First and foremost a Level 3 First Aid attendant will learn to move trauma patients, package them for transport, and care for them enroute in an Emergency Transport Vehicle. A Level 3 first aid attendant will also become proficient with a more detailed assessment model and have a greater set of tools for managing patients who are critically injured - including assisted ventilations and other critical interventions.
First aid certification levels and first aid kit contents are being aligned with Canadian Standards Association standards. Level 1, 2, and 3 certificates and kits will become basic, intermediate, and advanced, respectively.
The Occupational First Aid Level 3 (OFA 3) first aid course includes the following materials:
If you have a group of people and would like us to come to you to teach a
Advanced First Aid (OFA Level 3) course, we offer this course in the following locations:
Nanaimo | Parksville | Qualicum Beach | Lantzville | Comox | Courtenay | Cumberland | Campbell River
Give us a call at 1.866.282.5378, or send us an email at grouptraining@alertfirstaid.com to arrange a group course.