Nanaimo - Downtown Basic First Aid (OFA 1)

Basic First Aid (OFA 1) is an 8 hour course that prepares workers to be first aid attendants in relatively low risk environments where a hospital is close by. This course is designed by Worksafe BC and focuses specifically on caring for injured coworkers. Participants will learn basic first aid skills and knowledge that are essential for handling life threatening emergencies, as well as handling more common minor injuries that can happen in the workplace. Red Cross Emergency First Aid, and Red Cross Standard First Aid are now officially recognized by Worksafe BC as equivalent to Basic First Aid.

Standard First Aid is pretty well defined in Canada to mean a 2 day comprehensive 'lay rescuer' course that includes CPR training. There aren't many courses that are equivalent to Standard First Aid without that name, but Marine Basic First Aid is one example of a certification that is equivalent - this course is based on Standard First Aid but also includes a few topics specific to the marine environment.

While Red Cross Standard First Aid IS recognized by Worksafe BC as equivalent to Intermediate Occupational First Aid certification, this doesn't quite mean that they are the same. If a job requires Standard First Aid, a Worksafe BC Basic or Intermediate certification would NOT be acceptable. This is because Standard First Aid is a more comprehensive 2 day course where Worksafe BC BFA and IFA courses are less comprehensive. One other difference is that the Worksafe BC BFA course is designed by Worksafe BC and focuses specifically on caring for injured coworkers, while Standard First Aid covers a broad spectrum of contexts such as injuries that happen in the community or in the home.

This question is complicated since there are a number of different types of first aid courses. For Occupational First Aid, there are 3 levels of first aid, simply named Basic First Aid, Intermediate First Aid, and Advanced First Aid. If you work in a marine environment and are required by Transport Canada to be certified in first aid, then there is Marine Basic First Aid and Marine Advanced First Aid. For first aid for those responsible for people in the community there is Emergency First Aid and Standard First Aid. If you are caring specifically for children, Emergency Childcare First Aid is probably the best fit. If you are interested in first for the outdoors or remote situations (or are required to take first aid as an outdoor guide) then there is the 20 hour Remote First Aid, or more advanced 40 hour Wilderness First Aid. There is also an 80 hour Wilderness First Responder course for professional responders responding to remote emergencies. For the professional responders there is also the 48 hour First Responder course and the more advanced 120 Hour Emergency Medical Responder.

Basic First Aid - CSA is an 8 hour course aimed at meeting the Canadian Standard for preparing workers to be first aid attendants in relatively low risk environments where a hospital is close by. Participants will learn basic first aid skills and knowledge that are essential for handling life threatening emergencies, as well as handling more common minor injuries that can happen in the workplace. Red Cross Emergency First Aid, and Red Cross Standard First Aid are now officially recognized by Worksafe BC as equivalent to Basic First Aid, formerly known as OFA 1.

Basic First Aid is a one day course meant to train a First Aid attendant in the basic skills necessary to provide first aid in low-risk environments, or for a smaller number of workers. Intermediate First Aid, sometimes called Standard First Aid and CPR C, is a 2 day course geared toward training First Aid attendants who might be responsible for a larger number of workers or more dangerous job sites.