Stricter first-aid standards in Quebec: What employers need to do next

At a glance

• Amendments to Quebec’s workplace first‑aid regulation (Regulation) came into force on 12 February 2026, strengthening requirements for emergency preparedness across most workplaces and construction sites.
• The Regulation now applies broadly, including to white‑collar offices, and prescribes minimum numbers of trained first‑aiders, updated kit contents and enhanced obligations for higher‑risk or remote workplaces.
• The threshold for mandatory first‑aiders has been lowered, first‑aid training standards have been updated, and certificates are now valid for a maximum of three years.
• First‑aid kits, vehicles, and first‑aid rooms must meet revised Canadian Standards Association (CSA) requirements, with additional equipment required as workforce size or remoteness increases.
• Employers must reassess staffing, training, equipment and facilities to ensure compliance, particularly in large or remote operations.

Amendments to Quebec’s workplace first‑aid regulation came into force on 12 February 2026, updating the existing framework governing first-aid and emergency care in the workplace.

The Regulation prescribes mandatory requirements across Quebec workplaces and construction sites, including minimum numbers of first‑aiders, standardised first-aid kit contents, and enhanced duties in higher‑risk environments. It applies to any establishment providing goods or services except certain health‑sector institutions. Accordingly, even a white‑collar office is subject to the Regulation to ensure immediate workplace‑injury response capacity.

A first‑aider is now defined as the holder of a valid first‑aid certificate that complies with CSA Standard Z1210 (which strengthens the minimum requirements for first aid training in the workplace), as well as any nurse or nursing assistant designated by the employer or principal contractor to act in that capacity. The first‑aid certificate is valid for a maximum of three years.

The employer must ensure the presence of at least one first‑aider if 50 or less workers are present simultaneously, instead of 100 or less under the previous rule. The employer must also provide one additional first‑aider for every additional 100 workers or fraction thereof. Workers present in the employer’s establishment for less than 30 minutes are excluded from this calculation.

The content of workplace first‑aid kits, previously determined under CSA Standard Z1220‑17, must now comply with CSA Standard Z1220, the updated Canadian standard. Two changes concern kit types and where they must be provided:

• Under the amended Regulation, a vehicle must carry a first-aid kit if no other kit is readily accessible nearby. For vehicles carrying more than five workers and located more than 30 minutes from medical services, the required kit must instead contain the items prescribed for workplace kits. In all other cases, the kit must at least meet the requirements for a Type 1 (personal) workplace first-aid kit.
• The large first-aid kits required in first-aid rooms must meet the requirements applicable to Type 3 (intermediate) workplace first-aid kits under the CSA Standard Z1220. If more than 200 workers are present simultaneously, an additional kit must be provided for each additional group of 100 workers.

The first‑aid requirements applicable to forest development work have also been strengthened. One first‑aider is required if five or less workers are present simultaneously, two first‑aiders if six to ten workers are present, and one additional first‑aider for each additional group of five workers beyond ten. This structure reflects the risks associated with work conducted in remote areas, where access to emergency services remains limited.

The obligations relating to first‑aid rooms have likewise been expanded. In establishments or construction sites where more than 100 workers are present simultaneously, the employer must equip the room with either a stretcher or equipment that allows a worker to lie down comfortably and the surface of which can be easily disinfected. 

The Regulation also prescribes a detailed inventory of equipment, including instruments and supplies, such as oxygen delivery equipment, an emergency suction device, a backboard, a complete resuscitator kit, sterilised materials, protective equipment, and various medical supplies. These additions replace the former requirements, which have now been revoked, and reflect a more standardised and comprehensive level of preparedness.

The Regulation also specifies that remoteness must be assessed based on whether emergency medical services can reach the site within the prescribed timeframe. These adjustments recalibrate the thresholds in light of the actual risk associated with the size of the workforce and the practical accessibility of emergency services.

These changes require employers to promptly reassess their internal practices, including the cost of training additional first-aiders, the purchase of extra equipment and kits, and certain adjustments to first-aid rooms or vehicles. These impacts will be greater in high‑occupancy or remote workplaces and will require updates to practices and facilities.

Our team is available to support employers at each stage of this transition, including reviewing obligations, ensuring infrastructure compliance, and updating emergency response plans, so that operations remain secure and aligned with the new regulatory framework.