First Aid Safety Inspection Checklist for Canadian Workplaces

Under the First Aid and Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulation, commercial workplaces in Calgary and Edmonton must maintain inspected first aid kits stocked to the standard required for their worker count and hazard class, functional eyewash stations with documented flushing records, and visible compliant signage, all with inspection records available for OHS review on request.

A workplace first aid safety inspection covers kit contents and expiry dates, the condition of the eyewash station and flushing records, signage visibility, and documentation of the last inspection date. In Canada, first aid requirements are set by provincial occupational health and safety legislation. In Alberta, the OHS Act and Regulation govern kit contents, station placement, and inspection frequency. Requirements vary by workplace size, hazard class, and number of workers.

Last month, I was doing a full compliance walkthrough at an industrial facility in Calgary. Fire alarms, sprinklers, and emergency lighting are all current. Then we got to the first aid room. The kit had supplies that expired two years prior, the eyewash station hadn’t been flushed in recorded history, and the signage was blocked by a shelving unit someone had moved in at some point. The facility manager had no idea. The fire systems were maintained. The first aid program had basically been on autopilot for years.

That’s not unusual. First aid compliance tends to get treated as someone’s secondary responsibility, maintained well when someone cares, and forgotten when staff turn over. A first-aid safety inspection fixes that by creating a documented, dated record of the actual kit and station condition, just as a fire inspection creates a record for your suppression system.

What Does a First Aid Safety Inspection Actually Cover?

A first aid safety inspection covers the physical condition and completeness of first aid kits, the function and documentation status of emergency eyewash stations, signage compliance, and overall program documentation.

It is not the same as a safety audit. It’s focused on verifiable, physical compliance items that can be checked against a standard and documented for your records. The inspection produces a written record that demonstrates your workplace met the applicable standard on a given date.

What Are the First Aid Requirements for Canadian Workplaces?

First-aid requirements in Canada are set at the provincial level. In Alberta, the OHS Act and Regulation specify kit contents, the number of trained first aiders required, and eyewash station requirements based on workplace type and hazard exposure.

Key reference points for Alberta workplaces:

• Kit contents and quantities are specified by the OHS Regulation and vary by the number of workers and hazard class
• Eye wash stations are required wherever workers may be exposed to hazardous substances, with specific placement and flushing interval requirements
• First aid kits must be inspected regularly and restocked promptly after use
• Inspection records must be maintained and available for review

Always confirm requirements with your local OHS authority, because they vary by industry sector, number of workers per shift, and workplace classification.

First Aid Safety Inspection Checklist for Canadian Commercial Workplaces

First Aid Kit Inspection

• Kit is in the designated, accessible location
• Kit is clearly labeled with a first-aid sign
• Kit is clean and free of damage or contamination
• All required contents are present per OHS Regulation for your worker count and hazard class
• No expired items in the kit (check adhesive dressings, antiseptic wipes, gloves, eye dressings separately)
• Sterile items are sealed, and packaging is intact
• Gloves are present and undamaged
• Resuscitation barrier device is present and sealed
• Kit was restocked after last use (check against log)
• Inspection date and inspector name recorded in kit log

Common Items That Expire First

Replace expired items immediately. Keep a restocking log with the date, the station, and the name of the person who restocked.

Eye Wash Station Inspection

Eye wash stations are one of the most overlooked compliance items in Canadian workplaces. Under ANSI Z358.1, the station should be reachable within 10 seconds from any point where a worker could be exposed to a hazardous substance. That’s about 55 feet (or 17 meters) for a person moving at a normal pace.

• Station is within 10 seconds’ travel time from hazard exposure points
• Station is unobstructed and clearly signed
• Plumbed stations: weekly activation flushing has been performed and logged
• Portable stations: solution is within expiry date and fill level is correct
• Water temperature is tepid (16-38°C) for plumbed stations
• Dust covers are in place on nozzles
• Flushing log is current and on-site
• Flow rate meets required minimum (typically 0.4 gallons per minute for 15 minutes)
• Station is free of corrosion, scale buildup, or visible contamination

Eye Wash Station Flushing Requirements

ANSI Z358 requires plumbed eyewash stations to be activated and flushed regularly, and many workplace programs require weekly flushing for at least 3 minutes. Stagnant water in the supply line can harbor bacteria, including Legionella, in systems that don’t see regular flow. The flush needs to be logged with the date, duration, and the name of the person who performed it.

I’ve seen facilities where the log card on the station had three entries for the entire previous year. Three flushes across 52 weeks. That’s both a compliance and a practical problem.

Signage and Accessibility Checklist

• First aid kit location is marked with a recognized first aid symbol (green cross on white background)
• Eye wash station sign is visible from the hazard exposure area
• Signs are not obscured by shelving, equipment, or temporary materials
• Emergency contact information is posted at or near the first aid station
• Nearest hospital route information is posted (required in some jurisdictions)
• First aid room (if applicable) is clearly identified and accessible

Documentation and Program Records

• Written record of last kit inspection on file
• Eye wash station flush log is current
• Restocking log shows items replaced after each use
• Names and certification expiry dates of designated first aiders are on file
• First-aider certification is current (typically 3-year renewal)
• Records are available for OHS officer review on demand

How Does First Aid Inspection Connect to Emergency?

Relying on battery-powered fire safety plans and an inspection schedule that covers several adjacent fire and life-safety systems, and coordinating them under one program, is significantly more efficient than managing them separately.

Emergency lighting is the clearest overlap. If a worker is injured and power fails simultaneously, both the path to the first aid station and the exit depend on emergency lighting that operates on battery power. NFPA 101 requires an annual 90-minute battery-duration test. Monthly 30-second functionality on its own is also required.

An emergency light inspection done at the same time as your first-aid kit review identifies the relevant locations of first-aid stations; the station needs to be illuminated. The eyewash station needs to be illuminated. First-aid kits don’t cover those locations; that’s a life-safety gap that neither an inspection nor anything else would catch on its own.

Fire safety plans are the third piece. A complete fire safety plan documents emergency procedures, including where first aid stations are located and which staff members are designated as first aiders. When the plan is out of date, it typically means the first aid program information in it is also out of date. A fire safety plan consultant who understands how these systems connect can catch those gaps during a combined review.

Read more: Emergency Lighting Inspection Services at Activate Fire Safety

How Activate Fire Safety Handles First Aid Compliance in Alberta

We added first aid kit and eyewash station inspections to our service program because our clients kept asking us to. Property managers who trust us to inspect their fire alarms, sprinklers, and emergency lighting don’t want to coordinate a separate provider for first aid. It makes sense to handle it on the same visit.

Our team inspects first aid kits against OHS Regulation requirements for the facility’s worker count and hazard class, checks eyewash stations for function, flow, and flushing documentation, and communicates with communities in Alberta with a restocking recommendation. Everything goes into the same BuildingReports digital record as the fire system inspection, so you have one compliance file for the full building.

We serve commercial workplaces across Calgary, Edmonton, Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Leduc, Nisku, Spruce Grove, Fort Saskatchewan, and surrounding Alberta communities. If your first aid program has been running on autopilot, a combined inspection is usually the fastest way to find out where it actually stands.

Conclusion

A first aid safety inspection is a documented, dated review of kit contents, eyewash station condition, signage, and program records. It’s straightforward to conduct when you know what to check, and it connects directly to the emergency lighting and fire safety plan programs your building is already required to maintain. The checklist above covers the core items for Canadian commercial workplaces under Alberta OHS requirements. Confirm specifics with your local OHS authority.

If you want a certified team to handle first aid inspections alongside your building’s fire and life-safety systems, contact Activate Fire Safety for a combined compliance review.