Emergency First Aid with CPR + AED

EFA, SFA, OFA….What is the Difference?

Stuck figuring out which level of first aid you need? Here at Link2Life, we provide 4 distinct levels:

EFA with CPR + AED

This level of first aid is recommended or required for the following individuals:

Fitness professionals, health care workers/students, and those in the line of childcare. Further broken down, individuals who should take the class include dental assistants, pharmacists, personal trainers, group fitness instructors, camp leaders and teachers.

Course content includes:

  • Preparing to respond
  • The EMS system
  • Airway emergencies
  • Breathing and circulation emergencies
  • First aid for respiratory and cardiac arrest
  • Wound care
  • CPR-A + basic AED training

…Upgrade to CPR-C?

As CPR level A is CPR for adults only, it is generally recommended that you upgrade to CPR level C if you work with children or people of all ages.

The full 8-hour Emergency First Aid with CPR class is a recognized equivalent to the WorkSafeBC Occupational First Aid Level 1 class.

EFA Childcare with CPR-B/AED

This level of first aid is recommended or required for the following individuals:

Camp counselors, day camp leaders, daycare staff, teachers, parents, and anyone who works with or lives with children should take this certification class.

Course content includes everything in EFA, with the addition of a childcare-specific component.

…Upgrade to CPR-C?

As CPR level B is CPR for infants only, it is generally recommended that you upgrade to CPR level C if you work with children or people of all ages.

SFA with CPR + AED

Those interested in lifeguard training (NLS), camp leaders, registered massage therapists, and for students in nursing, physiotherapy and human kinetics programs.

Course content includes everything included in EFA, with coverage on the additional topics:

  • Head and spine injuries
  • Bone, muscle and joint injuries
  • Sudden medical emergencies
  • Environmental emergencies
  • Poisons
  • Secondary Emergencies
  • CPR-C + basic AED training

…Upgrade for CPR-HCP?

As HCP stands for Health Care Provider, the CPR-HCP upgrade is recommended for those working in the health care field – for example, those is nursing and naturopathic medicine.

OFA Level 1 with CPR-A + AED

Occupational First Aid Level 1 is a WorkSafeBC approved course. As such, it is a course that is recommended for those who mainly deal with work colleagues rather than patrons or clients. This introductory first aid course helps workers identify life threatening and common emergencies in the workplace. Upon successful completion the student will be considered a level 1 Occupational First Aid Attendant in British Columbia.

Course content includes:

Participants will use the Priority Action Approach with appropriate Critical Interventions to deal with and document the following first aid emergencies according to the Occupational First Aid Level 1 Training Manual:

  • Airway management with C-spine control for conscious patients and patients with a decreased level of consciousness
  • Soft tissue injuries including eye injuries and burns
  • Sprains and strains
  • Respiratory emergencies including asthma and anaphylactic shock
  • Circulatory emergencies including stroke and heart attack
  • Diabetic emergencies, poisoning, seizures, and fainting
  • First Aid for Respiratory and Cardiac Arrest
  • How to fill out a First Aid Record
  • MSDS sheets
  • Worksafe regulations and OFAA roles and responsibilities
  • CPR-A + basic AED training

Still confused? Contact us today for help in figuring out your best option!

26 comments on “EFA, SFA, OFA….What is the Difference?

  1. Jada on

    I need an OFA level 1 for my job in BC, but I already have Standard First Aid (CSA Intermediate) – Level C CPR and AED from St. Johns Ambulance in Alberta. Are these equivalent?

    Reply
  2. Milly on

    The job I’m looking at requires OFA 3, what would the equivalent for Red Cross? I’m not sure whether OSFA or OEFA would work for this requirement.

    Reply
    • Link2Life on

      Hi Milly,

      So Link2Life unfortunately does not provide OFA Level 3 equivalent courses. I would recommend just searching OFA Level 3 in your preferred web browser for a class.

      Kind regards,
      Debra

      Reply
  3. Raquel on

    I require to have Standard First Aid and CPR certificate for my work. I had the Occupational First Aid Level 1 certification, are these equivalent to eachother?

    Reply
  4. Kiera on

    Hi,

    I’m looking at a job posting that requires OFA level 1. I am certified SFA level 1 with CPR-C and AED from St Mark James Training. Do I need to do additional training? or does SFA meet the requirements?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  5. Jade on

    Is OFA 3 equivalent to SFA? I’m a lifeguard and have just gotten certified with work safe BC, but my SFA is expired. My employer is wondering if the SFA cert comes with the OFA 3 cert?

    Reply
    • Link2Life on

      Hi Jade,

      Thank you for the question. Now, while they are not considered equivalent, OFA Level 3 would generally be considered to be a higher level of certification than SFA. However, while the first aid content you cover in an OFA Level 3 class is beyond what you learn in a SFA class, SFA includes CPR level C (adults, infants + children), whereas OFA Level 3 only provides CPR level A (adults only). Depending on who you are lifeguarding with, you may just be able to get away then with taking a CPR level C class, but I would check in with them prior to registering in case they prefer you to take the whole Standard First Aid with CPR-C.

      Let me know if you have any further questions!

      Kind regards,
      Debra

      Reply
    • Link2Life on

      Hi Sean,

      Granted you attend a full certification EFA with CPR-C class, yes, this class is now considered equivalent to WorkSafeBC OFA Level 1.

      Kind regards,
      Debra

      Reply
  6. Tayler Whynott on

    Good day. I am going to be taking the First Aid & CPR Level C belended course. When booking my training I need EFA and SFA. On the calander there are both courses available in the same day. But what is confusing me is EFA is 9am-12pm and SFA is 9am-4pm. Can I book and do both in the same day or do I book them separate?

    Reply
    • Link2Life on

      Once you register and make payment, the online component will be emailed to you within 48 hours to complete anytime before the course.

      The online component can be completed in one sitting or multiple, whichever works best for you.

      Kind regards,
      Debra

      Reply
    • Link2Life on

      Hi Lachlan,

      While the OFA Level 3 class is more detailed than Standard First Aid, you cannot use an OFA Level 3 certification to attend a SFA recertification class. The classes would not be considered equivalent.

      Kind regards,
      Link2Life

      Reply
  7. Michelle on

    Could you please tell me what OFA level 2 would come out first aid wise for the Red Cross. I’m assuming it would be good for EFA, but was wondering if it would be equivalent to SFA?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Link2Life on

      Hi Michelle,

      If you are inquiring as to whether or not you could use an OFA Level 2 certification to take a Red Cross SFA or EFA recertification, unfortunately no, you would need to take a full SFA or EFA course.

      However, in terms of WorkSafeBC standards, Red Cross SFA and EFA are considered equivalent to OFA.

      Kind regards,
      Link2Life

      Reply
  8. Cole Crook on

    Is standard first aid a higher level of certification or is occupational first aid? I have my OFA1 and I am wondering if I need my SFA or not. Please email me with a reply, thanks

    Reply
    • Link2Life on

      Hi Cole,

      So while you cannot take a Standard First Aid recertification with an Occupational First Aid certification, the Red Cross version of SFA is considered equivalent to OFA Level 1, as of September 2018. Whether or not you need SFA will depend on what you need it for!

      Kind regards,
      Link2Life

      Reply
    • Link2Life on

      Hi Elora,

      As SFA with CPR-C/AED certification covers all the topics covered in EFA Childcare with CPR/AED and more, yes, SFA should cover the requirements for your work.

      Kind regards,
      Link2Life

      Reply
    • Link2Life on

      Hi Michael,

      In terms of recertification, no, Emergency First Aid (EFA) is not the same as Standard First Aid (SFA). SFA is a higher level of certification than EFA, so you can use an old SFA certificate for an EFA renewal, but you cannot use an old EFA certificate for a SFA renewal.

      Kind regards,
      Link2Life

      Reply

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