The short answer to your question is no. If you are using any of these types of PPE, they are still allowed to be used as long as they are properly maintained and in good condition to provide the protection they were originally designed for. However, when equipment needs to be replaced, any new equipment is required to meet the new standard.

Harmonization will simplify regulatory requirements for employers who operate in more than one Canadian province and avoid having to purchase new equipment to comply with another jurisdiction’s requirement for PPE. As enforcement of the harmonized PPE standards will vary across provinces, if you have workers using them in other provinces you may want to focus on updating the PPE of these workers first.

Yes, the new cited standards are available at no cost to view (read only) on the CSA website.  A copy of the standard can be purchased from the same web page. 

WorkSafeNB has developed a summary document that highlights key changes. 

PPE Comparison Table

Anyone who wants to use PPE certified by an alternative standard setting agency other than CSA or other agencies cited in the regulations is responsible to confirm that the equipment provides equal or better protection. Determining equal or better protection may not be straight forward but a good place to start could be to ask the supplier or manufacturer.  Contacting CSA or other standard setting agencies cited in the regulation may also provide the required information. If alternate PPE is used, the employers or users must be able to provide evidence that the equipment provides equal or better protection.

If you have a kit that was in compliance with the regulation before May 29, 2020 you do not need to purchase a new kit. WorkSafeNB will allow workplaces to continue using existing kits that meet the repealed Schedule C.  To help you maintain these kits, see the Schedule C- First Aid Kit Content Table. If you plan on purchasing a new kit, you must purchase a CSA compliant first aid kit. 

The only marking requirement for suppliers is to include the word “first aid” or the symbol for “first aid” on the first aid kit container. Unfortunately, this will not be enough to determine if the kit meets the CSA requirements. As a purchaser, you can ask for a CSA-compliant kit and if you are not sure it meets the regulation, compare its contents with the CSA standard requirements. 

First Aid kits that meet the CSA standard are widely available from safety equipment suppliers, first aid training agencies and online.

As of May 29, the legislation references the CSA standard for first aid kit content only.  All the other requirements (first aid training, emergency first aid protocol, first aid room, first aid refresher, etc.) are unchanged.

The CSA standard lists three types of kits: personal, basic (for lower hazard work) and intermediate (for higher hazard work). The basic and intermediate kits come in small, medium and large sizes, based on the number of employees per shift. Schedule A of the New Brunswick First Aid Regulation cites only two types of first aid kits – a personal kit and a first aid Kit.

Going forward, when purchasing CSA kits, employers must follow the requirements of Schedule A for the number of first aid kits and CSA standard kit requirements with respect to the type and size.

To help clarify kit selection to comply with Schedule A, please see the First Aid Kit Selection Table

Furthermore, employers have flexibility in choosing a combination of kit sizes to best suit workplace needs. For example, an employer required to have two medium kits could comply by having four small kits or one large kit.