Determine ease of access for ambulance attendants
When assessing your first aid requirements, you need to assign each workplace with a class. Your workplace class reflects how easily ambulance attendants can respond to an emergency at your workplace.
You will need the workplace class to identify your required first aid supplies and services. Follow the steps below to find the class for each of your workplaces.
1. Determine if your workplace is remote
A workplace is considered remote if it takes an ambulance more than 30 minutes to get there from the nearest ambulance station under normal travel conditions.
You can find the nearest ambulance station by using this map.
Marine vessels are remote when it will take an ambulance more than 30 minutes to reach the nearest docking location.
2. Determine if areas in your workplace are less accessible
A workplace is considered less accessible when it has one or more work area that cannot be safely accessed by ambulance attendants.
Examples of less-accessible workplaces include:
-
Backcountry areas that can only be reached by all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) or similar
-
Areas that can only be reached through steep or slippery slopes or embankments
- Elevated work areas with unguarded fall hazards or areas that can only be reached by ladders, scaffolds, or temporary platforms
-
Confined spaces, underground work, and areas where there is a risk of drowning
-
Areas that can only be reached by roads that are not accessible to ambulances (for example, a private road that has a locked gate)
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Areas where there is a significant risk of avalanche, landslide, or flood
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Areas that require specialized personal protective equipment (for example, respirators for a hazardous atmosphere)
If there are hazardous conditions or environments in any area of your workplace, you need to have provisions to safely rescue injured workers and bring them to an easily accessed location.
3. Assign a workplace class for each workplace
Use this table to find your workplace class:
|
Is your workplace remote? |
Is your workplace less accessible? |
Assign this workplace class |
|---|---|---|
|
No |
No |
Class 1 workplace |
|
Yes |
No |
Class 2 workplace |
|
No |
Yes |
Class 3 workplace |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Class 4 workplace |
After you find your workplace class, the next step is to consider any barriers to first aid.
Related resources
Workplace First Aid Requirements: Remote and Less-Accessible Workplaces
If you are an employer, determining whether your workplace is remote and/or less accessible is a necessary step in your first aid assessment. This video explains the characteristics of remote and less-accessible...
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Please note: The content on this page is intended to help you understand and meet the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. More detailed information can be found in the OHS Guidelines and/or OHS Regulation.