Attendant Responsibilities
Under WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation s.3.21, attendant responsibilities refer to the legal and practical duties of an Occupational First Aid Attendant, who holds recognized certification and has primary authority for first aid treatment until care is transferred to medical personnel or a higher-certified attendant. Duties include promptly providing first aid, objectively recording signs and symptoms, referring workers for medical treatment when necessary, maintaining fitness for duty, and ensuring first aid records are created and kept confidential.
On a manufacturing shop floor, attendant responsibilities translate into specific behaviors: the attendant must be on site and readily available, with no conflicting duties that prevent prompt response. They respond to injuries like lacerations or chemical splashes, provide treatment within their certified scope, obtain consent, and have full authority over first aid management until care is transferred. They must document all treatments, refer serious cases to medical care, and maintain certification. Supervisors cannot overrule their treatment decisions, and attendants must report any fitness issues or duty conflicts to the employer.
Under WorkSafeBC, when exactly does an attendant’s legal responsibility for treatment end?
The attendant’s responsibility and authority for first aid treatment continue until responsibility is accepted at a place of medical treatment, by ambulance personnel acceptable to WorkSafeBC, or by another person with higher or equivalent first aid certification. Once any of these parties explicitly assume care, the initial attendant’s formal authority ends.
What is the regulatory expectation around scope of training and how should an attendant operationalize that on the floor?
OHSR s.3.21 requires the attendant to provide first aid within the scope of their training and refer for medical treatment when injuries are beyond that scope. Operationally, scope is defined by the specific OFA level and curriculum. Attendants must know which interventions they are authorized to perform and which conditions require immediate referral, using decision algorithms from training and erring on the side of referral when in doubt.
How should companies ensure attendant schedules permit adequate coverage, and what constitutes non-compliance?
Employers must complete a first aid assessment to determine required number and level of attendants, and schedule them so at least one qualified attendant is present during any period of risk. Attendants must not be assigned tasks that prevent prompt response. Non-compliance examples include scheduling only one attendant on night shift but assigning them to off-site deliveries, or having an attendant work alone in a separate building without reliable communication.