Workplace first aid training is important since it is the distinction between employees who can only watch in case of a medical emergency and those who know how to react before the paramedics arrive. In Ontario, workplace first aid certification is also a mandatory requirement. Our Heart Starters courses are certified by WSIB, meaning that your employees will be prepared for any situation.
The training takes place at your company’s premises without you having to bring your employees to any other location. You just have to provide us with 10 or more employees.
What Workplace First Aid Certification Actually Covers
First aid certification at work in Ontario usually takes place via one of two recognized course levels, which include Basic (Emergency) First Aid with CPR/AED Level C (previously known as Emergency First Aid) and Intermediate (Standard) First Aid with CPR/AED Level C (previously called Standard First Aid). These courses are certified by the WSIB, and they cover first aid response, along with CPR and AED certification.
In addition to recognizing a health emergency, first aiders will be able to address lacerations, burns, bone fractures, and choking and perform CPR and AED on the spot. Remember, you won’t just pass the course test but develop muscle memory for this.
Why Certification Is More Than a Legal Checkbox
In Ontario, there is a requirement for a specified minimum number of employees with a first aid certificate to be present at work based on the size and risk of the workplace. However, it appears that many organizations see it as just the minimal effort required to comply; yet, the true benefit of having a first aider on site is the ability of a person to make a difference during a workplace emergency before any medical assistance arrives. The certification affects other aspects aside from compliance. An employee feels valued when his/her organization spends money on safety.
How Heart Starters Delivers Certification On-Site
Without a dedicated classroom, every certification training session will take place in the place where your team operates—be it in an office, warehouse, retail floor, or anywhere else in the workplace environment. You won’t spend time traveling, scheduling training somewhere else, and disrupting your operation.
All that is required is a minimum of 10 employees. If your team does not have that many employees certified at once, we will gladly help you get paired with another team to avoid delays.
What to Expect From a Certification Session
The sessions integrate both instruction and practical practice of CPR compressions, AED usage, wound management, and choking response—the skills are learned in practice rather than in theory. The duration of the course is dependent upon the certification level required by your company, and the content can be adjusted to fit the risks that your industry faces, from construction sites to daycares or hotels. At the end of each session, employees will be provided with a valid certificate for a certain period of time.
Keeping Your Team’s Certification Current
It is not an occurrence that happens just once. In Ontario, most CPR and first aid certificates are valid for 3 years; after this period, employees must get recertified to be within legal standards. Companies that plan for their renewals prevent the chaos of discovering certificates that have expired before an audit or in an emergency.
Get Your Team Certified
An uncertified team is an unprepared team. Heart Starters delivers WSIB-certified workplace first aid training right to your door throughout Ontario, using a training program designed for groups of 10 or more. Book on-site first aid certification for your team today.
1. What is the content of workplace first aid certification?
It includes training on CPR, AEDs, and common workplace injuries such as cuts, burns, choking, and broken bones, provided through a WSIB-approved Basic (Emergency) First Aid with CPR AED Level C or Intermediate (Standard) First Aid with CPR AED Level C course.
2. How long is a first aid certificate valid for?
In Ontario, all CPR and first aid certificates, including those of the two levels offered by Heart Starters, are valid for 3 years.
3. Is attendance at a facility needed to get the certificate?
No. Heart Starters conducts your training right at your workplace.
4. What is the smallest group size that can undergo certification at your facility?
The answer is 10 people. Certification classes are taken by groups, not individuals—if you have fewer than 10, we can assist you in grouping with someone else.
5. Are you able to change the certification program to fit our industry?
Yes. The material taught is adjusted to the hazards of your specific workplace—office, construction site, daycare, or hotel.
6. Is Heart Starters’ first aid certification approved by WSIB?
Yes. All our first aid and CPR certification courses are approved by WSIB and meet Ontario workplace requirements.