J25 Infection Control and Medical First Response

Law. No bloodborne pathogen regulation; the general duty applies (Occupational Health and Safety Act [NS], 1996, s. 13). Source testing: Mandatory Testing and Disclosure Act, S.N.S. 2004, c. 29, and the Mandatory Testing and Disclosure Regulations, N.S. Reg. 75/2006, effective 2006-06-01 (Mandatory Testing and Disclosure Regulations [NS], 2011, s. 2). Medical response: the Emergency Health Services Act (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [NS], 2025, s. 4.1).

What must be covered.

• General duty. Exposure control, safety-engineered sharps by policy, hepatitis B vaccination, post-exposure procedures and confidential records.
• Source testing. A person who contacts another person’s bodily substance while providing emergency health care or emergency first aid may apply to the court for a testing order; the regulations define “emergency first aid” to include first aid given by a person trained to provide it, “including a registered pre-hospital first responder” under the Emergency Health Services Act (Mandatory Testing and Disclosure Regulations [NS], 2011, s. 2). Firefighters are not named in the regulations; whether firefighting duties are a separate ground in the Act, and the time limits, need checking.
• Medical first response. “Emergency health services” means services delivered by registered pre-hospital first responders and by paramedics and other medical professionals under the Emergency Health Services Act (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [NS], 2025, s. 4.1). A department doing medical first response registers its members and works under the provincial system’s protocols and its agency agreement.
• Naloxone. Follow the provincial program and the agency agreement.

Fire-service nuance.

• Some guidance says Nova Scotia has no responder testing statute. The official regulations index lists the Mandatory Testing and Disclosure Act and its regulations (Office of the Registrar of Regulations, 2026); the post-exposure protocol should name the court application route and its limits once the Act’s text is checked.
• A department that is the registered medical first response agency may also fall under the violence regulation’s emergency health services sector (see J26 Workplace Violence).

Status. Partly verified: N.S. Reg. 75/2006 read on the official site and the regulations index read on 2026-10-23; WHSR s. 4.1 read. The Act’s text, time limits and the medical response agreement were not read.

Law. No bloodborne pathogen regulation was found; the general duty applies (Occupational Health and Safety Act [PE], 1988, s. 12).

What must be covered.

• General duty. As for every jurisdiction: exposure plan, sharps, vaccination, post-exposure procedure, confidential records.
• Source testing. No statute found.
• Medical first response. Not researched.

Fire-service nuance.

• Use the first aid rules on blood and body fluid supplies and the Part 9 risk assessment to anchor the exposure plan (see J24 First Aid).

Status. Not verified.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012, s. 42 (hazardous substances, including a chemical and biological control program) (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012 [NL], 2026, s. 42).

What must be covered.

• Control program. Monitoring of hazardous substances and a chemical and biological control program commensurate with the risks (s. 42(1)-(2)).
• Source testing. No statute found.
• Medical first response. Not researched.

Fire-service nuance.

• The s. 42(2) program can carry the infection control plan; adopt the NFPA 1580 elements by policy.

Status. Partly verified: s. 42 read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to NLR 48/26). Other items not researched.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, ss. 6.33-6.40 (biological agents) and s. 31.5(1)(b) (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation [BC], 2026, ss. 6.33-6.40, 31.5). Source testing: Emergency Intervention Disclosure Act, in force 2013-03-02 (Emergency Intervention Disclosure Act [BC], 2012).

What must be covered.

• Fire procedure. Written procedures must be established and followed to manage exposure to bloodborne pathogens (s. 31.5(1)(b)).
• Exposure control plan. Where a worker has or may have occupational exposure to a designated biological agent, a plan based on the precautionary principle with a qualified person’s risk assessment, a list of exposed work activities, engineering and administrative controls, routine and transmission-based precautions, personal protective equipment, education and training, training records and a record of exposed workers (s. 6.34).
• Sharps. Needleless devices or safety-engineered hollow-bore needles for withdrawing body fluids, accessing veins, giving medications or fluids, and any medical sharp used to care for or treat a person must be safety-engineered, unless clinically inappropriate or not commercially available; the highest-protection device available; written safe work procedures before use (s. 6.36(1.1)-(1.6)).
• Vaccination. Hepatitis B vaccination offered to every worker at risk, and any vaccine listed in the BC Centre for Disease Control immunization manual for an agent workers are at risk from, without cost (s. 6.39).
• After an exposure. If a worker may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B or another designated agent, the employer must advise the worker to seek immediate medical evaluation (s. 6.40).
• Source testing. The statute lets an emergency worker or person giving emergency care apply to the Provincial Court for an order requiring a person whose bodily substance they contacted to give a sample, where it is not given voluntarily.
• Medical first response. Fire department first responders work within the provincial emergency health services system and its licensing of emergency medical assistants.

Fire-service nuance.

• Glucometer lancets and any other sharp used on a patient fall under s. 6.36, so the department’s medical kit must carry safety-engineered devices.
• Volunteer firefighters are workers, so the vaccination duty covers them.

Status. Partly verified: Part 6 and s. 31.5 read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to 2026-10-20). The source-testing statute’s in-force date comes from the official point-in-time record seen in search; its text and the medical response framework were not read.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Code, Part 35 (health care and industries with biological hazards, ss. 525.1-530) (Occupational Health and Safety Code [AB], 2025, ss. 525.1-530). Source testing: Mandatory Testing and Disclosure Act (Government of Alberta, n.d.-d).

What must be covered.

• Control. Exposure to bloodborne pathogens or other biohazardous material controlled under the Code’s hazard control rules (s. 525.1) and kept as low as reasonably practicable (s. 529).
• Sharps. Any medical sharp must be safety-engineered, unless clinically inappropriate or not commercially available (s. 525.2(2)-(3)); safe work procedures and training for using and disposing of sharps (s. 525.2(4)-(6)); sharps containers with a fill line, close to where sharps are used (s. 526); no recapping of waste needles (s. 527).
• Procedures. Policies and procedures for storing, handling, using and disposing of biohazardous material, and informing workers of the hazards (s. 528).
• After an exposure. Policies and procedures for post-exposure management of workers exposed to biohazardous material (s. 530).
• Source testing. A person who contacted a bodily substance while providing emergency assistance or performing duties as a firefighter, paramedic or peace officer may apply for a testing order; applications now go to the Court of Justice (Government of Alberta, n.d.-d).
• Medical first response. Fire departments that provide medical first response do so within the provincial health system’s program, with members registered as emergency medical responders or paramedics where they practise at that level.

Fire-service nuance.

• Part 35 is titled for health care “and industries with biological hazards”; a department that handles sharps or body fluids should treat ss. 525.1-530 as applying.

Status. Partly verified: Part 35 read on 2026-10-23 (Code consolidated to 2025-03-31). The testing statute was seen only on the government’s page in search, and the medical response program was not read.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, s. 6-22 (exposure control plan) (The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 [SK], 2021, s. 6-22).

What must be covered.

• Exposure control plan. Where workers handle, use or produce an infectious material or organism or are likely to be exposed, a written plan developed with the committee that identifies exposed workers, tasks and routes of entry, signs and symptoms, the infection control measures (vaccination, engineering controls such as sharps with engineered injury protection and sharps containers, personal protective equipment, safe work practices and universal precautions) and their limits, procedures after a spill, an exposure or a believed exposure, cleaning and disinfection of contaminated equipment, training, confidential investigation of exposure incidents, and investigation of occupational infections (s. 6-22(2)-(3)).
• Training first. No worker undertakes the identified tasks until trained in the plan (s. 6-22(5)).
• Review. With the committee, at least every two years or as advances in infection control require (s. 6-22(6)).
• Source testing. A testing statute for bodily substance exposures was reported in the medical press around 2005-2006; its name, enactment and current status were not confirmed.
• Medical first response. Not researched.

Fire-service nuance.

• The s. 6-22 plan is the closest fit in Canada to an NFPA 1580 infection control program and can be written as one document.

Status. Partly verified: s. 6-22 read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to 2021-04-01). Source testing and the medical response framework not confirmed.

Law. Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, s. 5.10 and Part 36 (Workplace Safety and Health Regulation [MB], 2026, ss. 5.10, 36.1-36.5). Source testing: The Testing of Bodily Fluids and Disclosure Act, in force 2009-09-15 (The Testing of Bodily Fluids and Disclosure Act [MB], 2009).

What must be covered.

• Biological substances. Part 36 applies to every workplace where a chemical or biological substance is present: assessment (s. 36.2) and controls (ss. 36.3-36.5).
• Clean-up. Blood and body fluid contamination is cleaned up or disposed of by a competent person who is protected from exposure (s. 5.10).
• Health care Part. Part 39 (safe work procedures for infectious materials, sharps) applies only to health care facilities (s. 39.1); use it as a model, not a legal requirement.
• Source testing. A person who contacted another person’s bodily fluid as a crime victim, while giving emergency medical assistance, or while working as a firefighter, emergency medical responder, paramedic or peace officer may apply for a testing order (The Testing of Bodily Fluids and Disclosure Act [MB], 2009).
• Medical first response. Not researched.

Fire-service nuance.

• Without a fire-specific exposure plan rule, the Part 36 assessment is the legal hook for the department’s infection control plan.

Status. Partly verified: ss. 5.10, 36.1-36.5 and 39.1 read on 2026-10-23 (current to 2026-10-20). The testing statute rests on a provincial health document and a news report seen in search.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Act, s. 25(2)(h); Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents, Reg. 833 (Occupational Health and Safety Act [ON], 1990, s. 25(2)(h); Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents [ON], 2026, s. 3). Source testing: Mandatory Blood Testing Act, 2006, and O. Reg. 449/07 (Mandatory Blood Testing Act, 2006 [ON], 2006).

What must be covered.

• Biological agents. Reg. 833 covers biological as well as chemical agents: substitution, engineering and administrative controls, hygiene and then protective equipment (s. 3).
• Guidance. Section 21 notes on infection prevention and exposure control practices (GN 4-14), reporting exposures to biological, chemical and physical agents (GN 2-7) and medication and drug exposure (GN 6-15) (MLITSD, n.d.).
• Source testing. Firefighters as defined in the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 are among those who may apply; the application goes to the medical officer of health for the respondent’s area no more than seven days after the incident.
• Sharps. The needle safety regulation applies to health care settings, not fire departments; use safety-engineered sharps by policy.
• Medical first response. Paramedic services operate under the Ambulance Act; fire medical response is set by local tiered response agreements and the medical oversight the agreement provides.

Fire-service nuance.

• The seven-day application window is short; the post-exposure protocol must start the application process at the hospital visit.

Status. Partly verified: OHSA s. 25 and Reg. 833 read on 2026-10-23. The testing statute and regulation were seen on e-Laws in search; their text and the tiered response framework were not read.

Law. Act respecting occupational health and safety, s. 51 (employer’s general obligations) (Act respecting occupational health and safety [QC], 2026, s. 51). No bloodborne pathogen regulation was found.

What must be covered.

• General duty. The employer must take the measures necessary to protect workers’ health and physical well-being, including identifying and controlling risks and supplying protective equipment (s. 51).
• Source testing. No statute found.
• Medical first response. First responder services are organized under the provincial pre-hospital emergency services legislation and its medical direction.
• Immunization and post-exposure. Follow the provincial immunization protocol and the provincial post-exposure guidance.

Fire-service nuance.

• The CNESST and the municipal-sector joint association publish fire-service prevention material that can anchor the exposure plan (APSAM, n.d.).

Status. Not verified beyond the general duty: the Act read on 2026-10-23; health legislation not read.

Law. No bloodborne pathogen or sharps provision was found in General Regulation 91-191 (searched); the general duty applies (Occupational Health and Safety Act [NB], 1983, s. 9).

What must be covered.

• General duty. Exposure control, protective equipment, vaccination and post-exposure procedures as part of taking every reasonable precaution.
• Source testing. No statute found.
• Medical first response. Not researched.

Fire-service nuance.

• Patient care records from medical first response may be personal health information; check whether the department is a custodian (see J10 Privacy and Health Information).

Status. Not verified: only the absence of a regulation was checked (regulation consolidated to 2026-06-30).

Law. Workplace Health and Safety Regulations, Part 11, s. 11.04(2)(b) (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [YT], 2022, s. 11.04(2)(b)).

What must be covered.

• Fire procedure. Written procedures or a documented training plan to manage blood-borne pathogens (s. 11.04(2)(b)).
• First aid capability. Fire departments must hold oxygen therapy and other equipment, and every firefighter holds standard first aid, CPR and oxygen therapy certificates (s. 18.12) (see J24 First Aid).
• Source testing. No statute found.
• Medical first response. Not researched.

Fire-service nuance.

• The Part 11 procedure applies to volunteer firefighters in municipal service.

Status. Partly verified: Part 11 read through the research (consolidated to 2022-09-30). Other items not researched.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, s. 88 (exposure control plan) (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NT], 2024, s. 88).

What must be covered.

• Exposure control plan. Where workers handle, use or produce, or could be exposed to, an infectious material or organism, a plan developed with the committee or representative covering the same elements as Saskatchewan’s, including vaccination, engineering controls such as engineered sharps protection, procedures after a spill, an exposure or a believed exposure, cleaning and disinfection, training, and confidential investigation (s. 88(2)-(3)).
• Training first. No worker undertakes the identified tasks until trained (s. 88(4)).
• Review. At least once every two years, with the committee or representative (s. 88(5)).
• Code of practice. The firefighter code of practice expects decontamination and exposure procedures (WSCC, 2017).
• Source testing. No statute found.
• Medical first response. Not researched.

Fire-service nuance.

• A volunteer department exempted from Part 32 is still bound by s. 88.

Status. Partly verified: s. 88 read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to 2024-09-26). Other items not researched.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, s. 88, the same in substance and numbering as the Northwest Territories (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NU], 2021, s. 88).

What must be covered.

• Exposure control plan. As in the Northwest Territories, reviewed at least every two years.
• Source testing. No statute found.
• Medical first response. Not researched.

Fire-service nuance.

• Post-exposure evaluation may require medical travel; the protocol should name the health centre contact and the travel arrangement.

Status. Partly verified: provision checked against the Nunavut text through the research (consolidated to 2021-09-28). Other items not researched.

Law. Canada Labour Code, Part II, where “hazardous substance” includes “a chemical, biological or physical agent” (Canada Labour Code [CA], 1985, s. 122(1)); Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, Part X (hazard investigation and controls) (Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [CA], 2026, Part X).

What must be covered.

• Biological agents. Investigated and controlled as hazardous substances under Part X.
• Vaccination. The Canadian Immunization Guide recommends hepatitis B vaccine for people at occupational risk of exposure to blood and body fluids (Public Health Agency of Canada, n.d.).
• Source testing. Federal law has no testing statute; provincial statutes apply to incidents in their territory.
• Medical first response. No federal framework; Department of National Defence and airport services follow their own directives and agreements.

Fire-service nuance.

• With no biological hazard rule written for fire services, federal departments should adopt the NFPA 1580 infection control program by directive (NFPA 1580, 2025).

Status. Partly verified: the Code definition read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to 2026-09-30). Part X sections for biological agents not confirmed.