CSA Z1220 First Aid Kit Requirements in Canada: Types, Sizes and Provincial Rules (2026)

CSA Z1220 sorts workplace first aid kits into three types: Type 1 Personal, Type 2 Basic, and Type 3 Intermediate. Types 2 and 3 are further divided into small, medium and large based on how many workers are on site per shift. Which combination you need depends on your workplace risk level and headcount, not on the size of your building.

There is a widespread misconception worth clearing up first. Buying a CSA-compliant kit does not automatically make your workplace compliant, because provincial and territorial first aid legislation still differs across Canada and some jurisdictions add requirements on top of the standard. This guide covers the classification system, how to work out what you need, and where the provincial layer changes the answer.

What is CSA Z1220?

CSA Z1220-17, reaffirmed in 2021, is the Canadian standard for first aid kits in the workplace. It sets general requirements for kits, defines the classification system, and establishes minimum contents for each classification. It also covers how kits should be selected for different workplace environments, requirements for the containers and their marking, and ongoing kit maintenance.

It came out of a specific gap. Following a joint workshop in October 2014 between CSA Group's Occupational Health and Safety Standards Program and the Canadian Red Cross, a technical committee identified the need for national guidance on what workplace kits should actually contain, to bring consistency to organizations across the country. The result is CSA Z1220-17, First aid kits for the workplace, the first edition of the standard.

The design principle is scalability. Rather than prescribing one kit for everyone, the standard's classification system follows a scalability approach giving organizations flexibility to meet the needs of specific worksites while still holding minimum requirements tied to the number of workers.

The three kit types

Type is about risk and access. Size, within Types 2 and 3, is about headcount.

Type	Intended for	Sizes
Type 1: Personal	Workers in isolation, or anyone without access to a workplace kit	Single size
Type 2: Basic	Low-risk work environments	Small, medium, large
Type 3: Intermediate	Moderate and higher-risk work environments	Small, medium, large

A Type 1 Personal kit is the one for lone and isolated workers: fleet vehicles, delivery drivers, independent contractors, snow removal crews, anyone who cannot reach a fixed kit quickly. It is a portable kit carrying the basics rather than a scaled-down version of a workplace kit.

Type 3 is not a different kit from Type 2 so much as a superset. A Type 3 kit contains everything in a Type 2 kit plus additional items intended for environments with a greater likelihood of first aid events. That relationship matters when you are pricing an upgrade, because you are paying for the additional contents rather than replacing the kit concept entirely.

The Redi-Medic WorkSafeBC Basic first aid kit and the Redi-Medic WorkSafeBC Intermediate kit map to Types 2 and 3 respectively, in the BC-specific configuration covered further down.

How many kits do you need?

The sub-classifications of small, medium and large correspond to the number of workers at the worksite per shift, so that larger organizations have proportionally more supplies available. The determination comes from three things together: number of workers per shift, the workplace hazard rating, and the likelihood of harm.

The bands work in roughly this pattern. A lone or isolated worker gets a Type 1 Personal kit. From two to twenty-five workers per shift, one small kit of the appropriate type. From twenty-six to fifty, either two small kits or one medium. From fifty-one to one hundred, a combination reaching the equivalent of one large kit, whether that is four smalls, two mediums, or a mix.

Above one hundred workers, kits should be proportionally distributed through the workplace rather than concentrated in one location. Different sizes may be combined across a site so that kits are genuinely accessible given how the workplace is laid out, which matters more than hitting a total on paper. A single large kit locked in a supervisor's office serves nobody on the far side of a plant.

Underpinning all of it is a workplace first aid risk assessment. Organizations are expected to conduct one to determine the level of first aid services and equipment their particular workplace requires. That assessment is what tells you whether you are a low-risk Type 2 environment or a moderate-to-high-risk Type 3 one, and it is the same hazard-assessment logic that drives the rest of your PPE decisions, as covered in our complete PPE checklist for Canadian workers.

The provincial layer: where a CSA kit is not enough

This is the part most guides get wrong. At least one Canadian first aid supplier states that the standard replaces a patchwork of provincial regulations with a single national framework. It does not, and treating it that way is how organizations end up with a compliant-looking kit and a compliance order.

Workplace first aid legislation differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction in Canada. Some provinces reference the CSA standard directly in their regulations, and others build on it. Alberta references CSA Z1220-17 directly in its OHS Code, which makes the standard the operative requirement there.

British Columbia is the clearest example of the layered approach. WorkSafeBC requires the CSA standard plus BC-specific additional items, set out in a WorkSafeBC equipment information sheet updated in October 2024. A generic CSA Z1220 kit bought off a shelf will not contain those BC additions, which is precisely why WorkSafeBC-configured kits are sold as their own product category.

The practical rule: confirm your own jurisdiction's requirement before buying. A kit marked CSA Z1220-17 tells you it meets the national minimum. It does not tell you whether your provincial regulator has asked for more, and the regulator is the one holding the clipboard.

Certified, compliant, and what a kit label actually means

First aid kits carry the same wording problem as the rest of the PPE category. A kit described as meeting the minimum requirements of CSA Z1220-17 is making a contents claim, and the useful question is whether the contents list actually matches the standard for the type and size stated.

The failure mode inspectors find most often is not a wrong kit but a depleted one. Expired supplies, missing items pulled out over months and never replaced, and a contents list that no longer matches anything are common findings, and none of them are visible until someone opens the box. The standard covers ongoing maintenance for exactly this reason.

Build inspection into a schedule rather than leaving it to whoever notices. Check expiry dates, confirm the contents against the list for your kit type, restock immediately after any use, and keep the container marked and accessible. Our guide to CSA certified versus CSA compliant covers why the label wording deserves scrutiny across every product category.

Kits are one part of a first aid program

A kit is equipment. A first aid program is equipment, trained people, and documented procedures, and the standard sits within a broader series on workplace first aid that includes companion work on training and competencies.

Attendant identification is the piece most often overlooked. In an emergency on a large or noisy site, workers need to find the trained person quickly, and a dedicated first aid vest solves that in a way a generic hi-vis vest does not. The Big K professional first aid vest in 1000D nylon and the 1000D mesh version are built for that role, the mesh being the warmer-weather option.

Conspicuity requirements still apply to whatever the attendant wears, and our guides to high visibility workwear and PPE requirements for Canadian construction sites cover how that fits with site rules.

Matching kit type to workplace

Risk rating drives the type, and it is worth being honest about where your workplace actually sits rather than defaulting to the cheaper option.

Low-risk environments, where activities with a low likelihood and severity of harm predominate, are Type 2 Basic territory. Offices, retail, light administrative work. Even here, specific hazards can warrant additions: a restaurant kitchen is often classed low-risk overall while having a burn exposure that a standard kit does not address well.

Moderate and higher-risk environments call for Type 3 Intermediate. Construction, manufacturing, heavy industrial, and trades work involving tools, heights, or heavy materials all sit here. If your workers need hard hats, safety glasses and cut-resistant gloves to do the job, the workplace is not low risk.

Mobile and remote crews need separate consideration. A vehicle-based crew that leaves the yard is functionally isolated regardless of how many kits sit in the shop, which is what Type 1 Personal kits exist for. The same logic applies to footwear and the rest of the kit those crews carry, covered in our complete guide to CSA work boots in Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three types of CSA first aid kits?

Type 1 Personal, for workers in isolation or without access to a workplace kit. Type 2 Basic, for low-risk work environments. Type 3 Intermediate, for moderate and higher-risk environments. Types 2 and 3 are further classified into small, medium and large based on the number of workers per shift.

Does a CSA Z1220 kit meet my provincial requirements?

Not necessarily. Workplace first aid legislation differs by jurisdiction in Canada. Alberta references CSA Z1220-17 directly in its OHS Code, while British Columbia requires the CSA standard plus BC-specific additional items set out by WorkSafeBC. Confirm your own province or territory's requirement before purchasing.

What size first aid kit do I need?

Size follows the number of workers per shift alongside your workplace hazard rating. Broadly: one small kit for two to twenty-five workers, two smalls or one medium for twenty-six to fifty, and the equivalent of one large for fifty-one to one hundred. Above one hundred workers, kits should be distributed proportionally through the workplace.

What is the difference between a Type 2 and Type 3 kit?

A Type 3 Intermediate kit contains everything in a Type 2 Basic kit plus additional items for workplaces with a greater likelihood of first aid events. Type 2 suits low-risk environments; Type 3 is intended for moderate and higher-risk ones. Your workplace risk assessment determines which applies.

Who needs a Type 1 Personal kit?

Workers who work in isolation or who do not otherwise have access to a workplace first aid kit. In practice that means fleet vehicles, delivery drivers, independent contractors, snow removal crews and similar mobile or remote roles where a fixed kit is not reachable.

How often should a workplace first aid kit be checked?

CSA Z1220 includes requirements for ongoing kit maintenance, and the practical approach is a scheduled inspection rather than an ad hoc one. Check expiry dates, verify contents against the list for your kit type and size, and restock immediately after any use. Depleted and expired kits are among the most common inspection findings.

This guide is general workplace safety information, not medical or legal advice. First aid requirements vary by province and territory. Confirm your obligations with the occupational health and safety authority in your jurisdiction.