OFA Level 3 (Advanced First Aid) Courses in Vancouver
Occupational First Aid Level 3 (OFA 3) is an Advanced Workplace First Aid course designed and approved by WorkSafeBC.
Available at our Vancouver and Surrey training centres, or on-site at your workplace.
2 week course
900.00
Pay as little as $43.17/month - available at checkout
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OFA Level 3 (Advanced First Aid) Schedule
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Train your staff at your workplace with a private first aid course built around your schedule, team size, and workplace risks. Fundamental First Aid brings the instructors, mannequins, AED trainers, materials, certification, and paperwork, so your team gets trained with less disruption.
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AT FUNDAMENTAL FIRST AID, YOU'RE IN GOOD COMPANY
When a serious injury happens at a remote or high-risk worksite, the first aid attendant may be the only medical care available for a long time. OFA Level 3 is the highest first aid certification WorkSafeBC issues, and it prepares you to assess, treat, and stabilise a patient for as long as it takes to get them to definitive care.
Seventy hours of training over ten days, taught by working medical professionals, with a practical examination that proves you can do the job under pressure.
$900 plus GST, or from $43.17 a month with Klarna at checkout. Ten days of training and the highest first aid certification in the province, without paying for it all at once.
What is OFA Level 3?
OFA Level 3 is the most advanced certification under WorkSafeBC’s Occupational First Aid Regulation. It is a 10-day course for designated workplace first aid attendants responsible for care at large, high-risk, or remote worksites.
The course covers advanced emergency medical procedures for trauma, illness, and environmental exposure. You will learn to assess, manage, and stabilise patients until professional medical services take over, or until transport to a medical facility can be arranged.
What separates Level 3 from the lower certifications is time and independence. A Level 1 or Level 2 attendant is usually managing a patient for minutes until an ambulance arrives. A Level 3 attendant may be managing that patient for hours, making treatment decisions alone, monitoring vital signs, administering oxygen, and preparing the patient for transport. The training reflects that responsibility.
Who Needs OFA Level 3 Training?
OFA Level 3 certification is required for first aid attendants at high-risk or less accessible worksites as defined by WorkSafeBC. That typically means:
- Construction sites and major industrial projects
- Forestry and logging operations
- Mining, utilities, and marine worksites
- Oil and gas operations
- Remote worksites without quick access to hospitals or ambulance service
- Film and television production operating in remote locations
Employers are required by law to ensure an appropriately trained Occupational First Aid Attendant is on site. For high-risk or remote locations, that means an OFA Level 3 attendant.
Three factors determine what your site requires under Schedule 3-A of the WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation: the number of employees working at the same time, the distance to the closest hospital by ambulance, and the worksite’s risk rating. If you are not sure which level applies to your site, we can work through it with you.
What You’ll Learn in OFA Level 3
The course combines classroom instruction, skill stations, and simulated worksite emergencies. You will practise every skill repeatedly over the ten days rather than seeing it demonstrated once.
Assessment and scene management
- Scene assessment and hazard management
- Advanced patient assessment and ongoing patient care
- Vital sign monitoring and interpretation
- Record keeping to WorkSafeBC standards
- Managing multiple casualties
Airway, breathing, and circulation
- Critical airway management and rescue breathing
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and AED use
- Oxygen therapy and suction devices
- Shock recognition and management
- Major bleeding control and wound care
Injury and illness management
- Head, neck, and spinal injury management
- Fracture and dislocation management with splints and traction
- Burns, eye injuries, and environmental exposure
- Medical emergencies including diabetic emergencies, seizures, and strokes
Transport and handover
- Safe patient packaging for transport
- Coordination with emergency medical services
- Communication and clinical handover
By the end of the programme you will be able to perform a comprehensive patient assessment, manage multiple casualties, provide extended care, and document your findings to the standard WorkSafeBC requires.
Course Duration and Certification Details
OFA Level 3 runs 70 hours over 10 days, scheduled across two weeks. It is a full-time commitment, which is why we run it as consecutive weekdays rather than spreading it over months.
| Course length | 10 daysMonday to Friday for two weeks |
|---|---|
| Price | $900 + GSTOr from $43.17/month with Klarna at checkout |
| Certification | WorkSafeBC Advanced First AidPreviously known as Occupational First Aid (OFA) Level 3 |
| Valid for | 3 years from the date of your course |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Examination | Written and practical evaluationAssessed by a WorkSafeBC examiner |
| Certificate issued | On your last day of class |
| Location | 1868 Glen Drive, VancouverFree parking, steps from Main Street-Science World SkyTrain |
| Included | Textbook, all equipment, examinationNo hidden fees |
OFA Level 1, 2 and 3 Compared
Choosing the right level comes down to the size and risk profile of your worksite, and how far you are from emergency medical care. Level 3 is the right choice when an attendant may be providing care for an extended period rather than waiting a just few minutes for an ambulance.
| OFA Level 1 | OFA Level 2 | OFA Level 3This course | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Also called | Basic First Aid | Intermediate First Aid | Advanced First Aid |
| Length | 1 day | 2 days | 70 hours over 10 days |
| Price | $115 + GST | $225 + GST | $900 + GST |
| Best for | Low-risk workplaces and small teams | Moderate to high-risk worksites | Large or remote worksites with significant hazards |
| Patient assessment | Basic | In-depth primary and secondary survey | Advanced, including ongoing patient care |
| CPR and AED | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spinal immobilisation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Packaging patient for transport | No | No | Yes |
| Oxygen therapy | No | No | Yes |
| Written exam | Yes25 questions | Yes66 questions | Yes113 questions |
| Practical exam | No | No | Yes |
| Valid for | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years |
Why OFA Level 3 Matters
High-risk worksites require more than basic first aid knowledge. When an injury occurs far from emergency medical services, the first aid attendant becomes the critical link between the patient and professional care.
OFA Level 3 training means an attendant can:
- Provide advanced medical care while awaiting transport
- Manage multiple patients during complex emergencies
- Recognise and respond to life-threatening conditions
- Monitor a patient’s condition over hours, not minutes
- Maintain accurate records and hand over clearly to paramedics
In serious incidents, what the attendant does in the first hour shapes the outcome. This course gives you the skills, the judgement, and the confidence to meet that responsibility.
Why Choose Fundamental First Aid for OFA Level 3 in Vancouver
Ten days is a significant investment of time and money. Here is what you get for it with us.
- Pass or your money back. If you don’t pass, you get a full refund
- Instructors who are working medical professionals, not career classroom trainers
- Free parking for all ten days, which saves most students over a hundred dollars in parking fees over 10 days
- Flexible payment with Klarna, from $43.17 a month
- Modern, upscale facilities with current equipment, including the oxygen therapy and transport equipment you’ll be examined on
- Convenient location near Science World, with easy SkyTrain access
- WorkSafeBC-approved training school offering OFA Levels 1, 2, and 3
OFA Level 3 Across the Lower Mainland
We deliver OFA Level 3 training to individuals and businesses across Metro Vancouver from our Vancouver centre at 1868 Glen Drive, serving Downtown Vancouver, Mount Pleasant, East Vancouver, Fairview, Kitsilano, Commercial Drive, Richmond, and North Vancouver.
We also run the course at our Surrey centre, and deliver private OFA Level 3 training on-site at workplaces anywhere in the Lower Mainland.
Our Glen Drive location is accessible by SkyTrain, bus, or car, with free parking for all students.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jump to: Course basics · Certification and exams · Requirements · On the day · For employers
Course basics
How long is the OFA Level 3 course?
70 hours of instruction over 10 days, run across two weeks. It’s a full-time commitment, which is why we schedule it as consecutive weekdays rather than spread over months.
How much does OFA Level 3 cost in Vancouver?
$900 plus GST. That covers your textbook, all equipment, instruction, and the WorkSafeBC examination. There are no additional fees.
Can I pay for OFA Level 3 in instalments?
Yes. Klarna is available at checkout, which breaks the cost into monthly payments from $43.17. You book your seat and start the course as normal; only the payment is spread out.
Do I need OFA Level 1 or Level 2 before I can take OFA Level 3?
No. There are no prerequisites. OFA Level 3 covers everything from the lower levels and builds on it, so you can start here even with no previous first aid training.
Does OFA Level 3 include CPR training?
Yes. OFA Level 3 includes CPR, AED use, advanced airway management, and rescue breathing, along with oxygen therapy and suction devices that the lower levels don’t cover.
Can I take OFA Level 3 online?
No. WorkSafeBC requires Occupational First Aid courses to be delivered in person with a qualified instructor present, because your practical skills are formally evaluated. Any provider offering a fully online OFA Level 3 certificate is not issuing a valid WorkSafeBC certification.
What is the difference between OFA Level 2 and OFA Level 3?
OFA Level 2 is a two-day course for moderate to high-risk worksites. OFA Level 3 runs 70 hours over 10 days and adds oxygen therapy, patient packaging and transport, ongoing patient care, and a practical examination. Level 3 is what remote and large high-risk sites require. See the full comparison table above.
Certification and exams
Is there an exam in OFA Level 3?
Yes, two. A 113-question written exam and a practical evaluation, both assessed by a WorkSafeBC examiner rather than by your instructor. The course is built around preparing you for both, with skill stations and simulated scenarios throughout the 10 days.
How long is an OFA Level 3 certification valid?
Three years from the date of issue.
How do I renew an expiring OFA Level 3 certificate?
We currently offer OFA Level 3 as the full 10-day course rather than a shortened recertification. Book a date a month or two before your certificate expires so you don’t have a gap in coverage at work. Get in touch if you’d like us to let you know when recertification becomes available.
Is OFA Level 3 recognized outside British Columbia?
WorkSafeBC certification is specific to BC, though many employers in other provinces recognise it as equivalent to advanced occupational first aid. Each province sets its own standards, so confirm with your employer if you’ll be working outside BC.
Who issues the certificate?
Fundamental First Aid will issue an official WorkSafeBC Certificate following your written and practical examinations. Like Level 1 and Level 2, you leave with your certificate on the same day, once you final exam has been completed.
Requirements
How do I know if my worksite needs an OFA Level 3 attendant?
Three factors decide it under Schedule 3-A of the WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation: how many employees work at the same time, how far the site is from a hospital by ambulance, and the worksite’s risk rating. Level 3 is generally required at large, high-risk, or remote sites where ambulance response is delayed. Email us and we’ll work through your specific site with you.
Which industries require OFA Level 3?
Most commonly construction and heavy industrial projects, forestry and logging, mining, oil and gas, utilities, marine worksites, and film production operating in remote locations. Any site far enough from emergency medical services that the attendant may be providing care for an extended period.
What first aid kit does an OFA Level 3 worksite need?
Schedule 3-A sets out the required kit and equipment for each level, and a Level 3 site needs considerably more than a Level 1 or 2 site, including oxygen therapy equipment and a means of transporting an injured worker. Our first aid resources page has the reference material, and we can help you spec what your site needs.
Do I need the Transportation Endorsement as well?
OFA Level 3 already includes patient packaging and transport as part of the curriculum, so the separate Transportation Endorsement is generally taken by Level 1 and Level 2 attendants rather than Level 3. Check Schedule 3-A for your site, or ask us.
On the day
What should I bring to class?
Government-issued photo ID, comfortable clothing you can kneel and move in, and something to take notes with. We supply all training materials, equipment, and manuals. Over 10 days, most students also bring their own lunch and snacks.
Is parking available?
Yes, free parking for all students at our Glen Drive location. Over a 10-day course that saves most students several hundred dollars in downtown parking. We’re also a short walk from Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station.
What are the daily hours?
Classes are scheduled like regular 8 hour work-days, with two 15 minute coffee breaks, and a 30 minute lunch break.
How bit are the classes?
We cap our OFA Level 3 class at 12 students maximum.
For employers
Can you deliver OFA Level 3 for my company?
Yes. We run private OFA Level 3 courses for groups, either at our Vancouver centre or on-site at your workplace. For a 10-day course, scheduling around your operation matters, and we can work around shift patterns and shutdown periods. Contact us for a group quote.
Can my employer be invoiced?
Yes. We invoice employers directly for group and corporate bookings, and can accommodate purchase orders and standard payment terms. Get in touch and we’ll set it up.
How many OFA Level 3 attendants does my site need?
That depends on crew size, risk rating, and distance to hospital under Schedule 3-A. Most employers certify more than the minimum so coverage holds when the primary attendant is on holiday, off shift, or away sick. With a 10-day course, having a backup attendant matters more than it does at the lower levels.
Do you offer OFA Level 3 in Surrey?
Yes. We run the same course with the same instructors and equipment at our Surrey centre.
Register for Your OFA Level 3 Course in Vancouver
Get certified with WorkSafeBC-approved Advanced First Aid training at Fundamental First Aid. Seventy hours over ten days, $900 plus GST, or from $43.17 a month with Klarna.
Whether you are stepping into a designated attendant role, meeting a regulatory requirement at your site, or moving up from Level 2, you will leave able to handle what the job actually demands.
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