Covid-19: First Aid Programming Guidelines
All training agencies that provide first aid training is required by the Government of Alberta to implement a process to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. All Lifesaving Society Affiliate Delivery Partners must follow public health advice regarding workplaces and mass gatherings when planning to resume in-person training courses.
Guidance may change as new information becomes available and this position statement will be updated. In the event of a conflict between information provided in this position statement and current public health guidance the current public health guidance will prevail.
Covid-19 is generally thought to be transmitted through person-to-person spread by larger droplets, like from a cough or sneeze, or touching contaminated objects or surfaces, then touching someone’s eyes, nose, or mouth. Covid-19 can survive on surfaces for hours to days.
Affiliate Delivery Partners must be aware that guidance may change and that courses may still need to be canceled after it has been scheduled if directed by public health authorities or by Occupational Health and Safety. If the request is made to cancel a course Affiliate Delivery Partners must comply.
General Direction:
- Anyone (instructors or candidates) who is sick with cold-like symptoms such as cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat or shortness of breath, even if minor, MUST NOT attend the course. The Affiliate Delivery Partner must ensure course candidates are informed they will be turned away if they exhibit these symptoms. Instructors must be made aware they must cancel the course if they exhibit symptoms and no alternate instructor is available.
- Persons (including the instructor) who meet the criteria for self-isolation as outlined by the Public Health MUST NOT attend the course.
- Delivery Partners must set clear rules with students on COVID-19 controls and communicate these at the beginning of in-person training sessions. Instructors and registration staff must make sure students understand that anyone not following rules will be asked to leave the course.
- All instructors and students must be familiar with proper hand hygiene.
- The Delivery Partner must develop a plan of action in case an individual who is ill or who meets the criteria for self-isolation is present at a training course, if this information does not come to light until after the training course has begun. If a student or instructor presents to a course sick or becomes ill during the course, refer to guidance from the Government of Alberta Workplace Health and Safety under “Sick staff and volunteers”
- The Delivery Partner must keep a record of who attended the course and their contact information, and maintain these records for a six-week rolling period. This must be available to provide to public health authorities on demand. Delivery Partners must be aware of and adhere to all relevant information and privacy legislation in the collection and storage of these records.
Additional Guidance For Specific Activities
Public Health Principle | Controls |
General public health measures |
Encourage participants with signs and symptoms of illness to cancel their course and rebook. Institute flexible rebooking policies.
Provide instruction on respiratory etiquette (e.g., coughing or sneezing into a bent elbow, promptly disposing of used tissues in the trash).
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Hand hygiene |
Provide a means to sanitize hands at points of entry/exit, and next to shared equipment. Have participants clean their hands before entering and before exiting the classroom.
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Enhanced cleaning of shared and high touch surfaces |
Follow Alberta Health Services Public Health guidelines for cleaning and disinfection. Use a “wipe-twice” method to clean and disinfect. Wipe surfaces with a cleaning agent to clean off soiled surfaces and wipe again with a disinfectant. Use a disinfectant that has a Drug Identification Number (DIN) and a virucidal claim (efficacy against viruses). Alternatively, use a bleach water solution with 100 ml of bleach to 900 ml water.
Frequently clean and disinfect high-touch/shared surfaces such as:
Provide disinfectant wipes for attendees to use on equipment and hands (if possible). Make disposable towels and spray cleaners, or disposable wipes, available to instructors and students to regularly clean commonly used surfaces.
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Social Distancing |
Ensure students have enough space to adhere to the requirement for social distancing. Adhere to public health guidance regarding maximum number of people in a gathering.
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Avoid use of shared equipment when possible. Disinfect shared equipment if single-use equipment is not feasible |
Encourage participants to bring their own equipment where feasible.
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Demonstrating/practicing ventilation |
Use appropriate barrier device to ensure students are not breathing directly into mannequins (e.g. face shield-lung bag combination). |
Scenario practice (skill demonstration) |
Maintain a distance of at least 2 meters between all students during scenarios.
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Cleaning bandaging material |
Give students their own set of bandages for practice and demonstration.
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Covid-19: First Aid Programming Guidelines