Emergency Transport Vehicles
Total Group provides Emergency Transport Vehicles (ETVs) for worksite transport requirements. ETVs serve a transport role, separate from Mobile Treatment Centres used for on-site medical support. Discuss the worksite, access routes, expected transport needs and emergency response arrangements with our team before deployment.
Transport planning starts before work begins
A vehicle is one part of the worksite’s emergency transport plan. The plan must also address how the vehicle is requested, where it can access the site, the route to the receiving health-care facility and how the site coordinates with medical personnel and external emergency services.
For remote or changing work fronts, review travel distance, road conditions, weather, gates, security restrictions and communication coverage. Confirm the receiving facility and escalation arrangements rather than assuming the nearest building provides the level of care the incident may require.
ETVs and Mobile Treatment Centres have different roles
An ETV is intended for transport. A Mobile Treatment Centre provides a location for on-site medical support. The two should be planned as separate resources: arranging a treatment location does not, by itself, establish a transport capability, and arranging a transport vehicle does not replace the site’s medical staffing or first-aid arrangements.
Define the vehicle’s role, assigned responsibilities and connection to the wider emergency response plan in the agreed project scope.
Alberta emergency transportation requirements
For Alberta worksites, section 180 of the Occupational Health and Safety Code requires the employer or prime contractor to develop an emergency transportation plan before workers are sent to the worksite. The plan addresses transport to the nearest health-care facility and considers travel distance, likely illnesses or injuries, protection from weather, vehicle availability, stretcher and accompanying-person capacity, and communication with the receiving facility. Read Alberta OHS Code Part 11, including section 180.
These are Alberta requirements, not a universal Canadian vehicle specification. Confirm the law and project requirements that apply where the work takes place, then assess whether the proposed transport arrangement meets those needs.
Ambulance services are subject to separate requirements. Alberta’s Emergency Health Services information addresses operator licensing and ambulance vehicle approval. Confirm the applicable service classification and requirements when arranging transport; the term ETV alone does not establish ambulance status. Review Alberta Emergency Health Services provider and operator information.
Information to prepare for an ETV inquiry
- Location and access: Worksite address or coordinates, access points, road conditions, terrain and driving restrictions.
- Project schedule: Planned dates, shifts and work locations that may move during the assignment.
- Transport needs: The vehicle’s intended role, expected destinations and any project-specific capacity or access requirements.
- Site coordination: Who requests the vehicle, who controls site access and how medical personnel and external emergency services are contacted.
- Contingencies: Weather, road closures, communication gaps and alternative arrangements if the planned route or resource is unavailable.
CCOHS guidance on working alone also highlights communications, transportation, route planning, emergency supplies and missed check-in arrangements for remote work. Review CCOHS working-alone guidance.
Discuss your worksite transport requirements
Share your location, operating schedule and emergency transport plan with Total Group. We can discuss the ETV requirement and the information needed to define a transport-only service scope for your project.
