Industry update: WSIB renamed first aid certificates

What WSIB changed on June 22, 2026

WSIB launched an updated First Aid Program on June 22, 2026. WSIB announced the launch in a June 22, 2026 news release.

The WSIB First Aid Program page, updated July 22, 2026, lists the new names:

• Emergency First Aid is now Basic First Aid.
• Standard First Aid is now Intermediate First Aid.

WSIB used the same names as the national standard CSA Z1210:24. The workplace levels did not change. Only the names changed.

The same First Aid Program page is also WSIB's FAQ for this update. It covers who needs which level, how long a certificate lasts, and how to check a training provider.

The law still uses the old names

WSIB says it is not updating Regulation 1101 at this time. The regulation still says Emergency First Aid and Standard First Aid.

WSIB states that Basic First Aid equals Emergency First Aid. Intermediate First Aid equals Standard First Aid. Businesses still meet Regulation 1101 when they use the new certificate names.

WSIB's July 2026 Regulation 1101 booklet repeats that match.

Your old certificate is still valid

WSIB says first aid certificates issued on or before June 21, 2026 stay valid until they expire. In Ontario, workplace first aid certificates are valid for three years from the date of issue.

If a previous provider issued your certificate, check WSIB's list of previously-approved first aid training providers. EMT: Emergency Medical Training Canada is on that list.

You can recertify an eligible Standard First Aid certificate once in the updated program. Recertify before it expires. After that one recertification, you need a full Intermediate First Aid course.

WSIB also accepts current workplace first aid certificates from elsewhere in Canada if they meet CSA Z1210. You can recertify those certificates in Ontario if they are eligible.

CPR is not first aid

WSIB's First Aid Program FAQ states that CPR training is not first aid training. A CPR component inside Basic First Aid or Intermediate First Aid can meet the CPR part of Regulation 1101. A stand-alone CPR or BLS certificate does not replace a workplace first aid certificate.

WSIB lists CPR A, CPR B, CPR C, and healthcare-provider CPR as accepted CPR components inside an approved first aid program.

Who needs which level

WSIB's news release says the program covers about 76 per cent of Ontario businesses under Regulation 1101.

For a workplace covered by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act:

• Five or fewer people on a shift: at least one person needs Basic First Aid.
• Six or more people on a shift: at least one person needs Intermediate First Aid.

WSIB says there is no fixed ratio of first aiders to staff. The first aider should be able to reach an injured person quickly.

If you are not sure, book Intermediate First Aid. Most workplaces with six or more people on a shift need that level.

College students: read your placement letter. ECE and child-care placements usually need Intermediate First Aid with infant and child CPR, not Basic First Aid. WSIB administers Regulation 1101. It does not administer child-care licensing. If your letter names a specific training agency, follow the letter.

Healthcare students who need BLS still need that card. BLS is not a WSIB first-aid rename.

Para course names after the update

Para teaches in Mississauga. Start the theory online. Finish the skills in class. Use the new name when you book. Your form may still use the old name.

Workplace first aid

• New name: Intermediate First Aid & CPR C. Old name: Standard First Aid. Book Intermediate First Aid & CPR C.
• New name: Intermediate First Aid CPR BLS. Old name: Standard First Aid with BLS. Book Intermediate First Aid CPR BLS.
• New name: Basic First Aid. Old name: Emergency First Aid. Book Basic First Aid.

CPR only (not a WSIB first-aid rename)

• CPR C is adult, child, and infant CPR. It is not a workplace first aid certificate. Book CPR C.
• BLS is healthcare-provider CPR. It is not a WSIB first-aid rename. Book BLS.

Not sure which path to open? Use the Blended course finder.

Who issues the certificate

WSIB says only approved training providers may offer workplace first aid in Ontario. Some of those providers work with affiliates. Affiliate names are not on WSIB's public list. WSIB tells you to get the approved provider's name, check the WSIB list, then confirm the affiliate on the approved provider's website.

Workplace first aid certificates are issued by EMT: Emergency Medical Training Canada, a WSIB-approved training provider. We teach the in-class skills in Mississauga as their affiliated partner. Confirm EMT Canada on WSIB's list of approved training providers. Confirm Para on EMT Canada's authorized-provider listing.

WSIB warns that some providers claim approval in all Canadian provinces. Check the Ontario list before you buy.

There is no approved online-only workplace first aid program in Ontario. Blended courses use online theory plus a required in-class skills session.

Book in Mississauga

See in-class dates on the course calendar. Training a team? See group discount rates.

Need a side-by-side of the two workplace levels? Read Basic vs Intermediate First Aid. That page is a chooser. This page is the name-change news.

We run classes in Mississauga.