WSIB's Rod Cook explains why existing first aid credentials remain valid through the transition period
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) rolled out a modernized First Aid Program across Ontario earlier this summer, updating workplace first aid training requirements and formalizing a stronger network of approved providers. Months into the rollout, Rod Cook, vice-president of workplace health and safety services at the WSIB, spoke with Canadian Occupational Safety about what changed, why the program now includes provider badges and what it means for employers who trained under the old rules.
Why the program needed a refresh
Cook said the WSIB's first aid program had run largely unchanged for years and needed a structural update. "We had been running first aid for a number of years, and I would say that it was time to give it a refresh, to make sure that we had proper structure to it, that there was clear guidelines around what was required," he said, adding that the board also wanted a stronger provider network to support better occupational health and safety outcomes.
The updated program aligns Ontario with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Z1210:24 standard, the current national benchmark for first aid curriculum and training-provider quality management. "We've successfully refreshed the program, meaning that we are now aligned to the Canadian Standards Association Z1210:24," Cook said. "We have also expanded our provider network. So we had 40-some providers, we're now at 65, and that means better representation across the province."
The overhaul also more than doubled the WSIB's French-language provider count and introduced tighter records management and mandatory customer-satisfaction reporting, giving the board better data on how the program functions. That builds on the WSIB's initial announcement of the modernized program in June.
Why the new provider badges matter
Approved providers now carry a digital badge confirming their WSIB status, a change Cook frames as a confidence measure rather than a response to widespread poor-quality training. "I wouldn't say that I can claim that there was a lot of providers out there [offering substandard service], but this does contribute to improved confidence in our system, the digital badge," he said. "This does add improved credibility and safety with respect to a business understanding who is a WSIB provider."
The program applies to the roughly 76 per cent of Ontario businesses covered under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. Cook said the remaining employers still have first aid obligations, just not under this regulation. "There's lots of opportunity, of course, for those businesses to engage with any first aid provider," he said.
What harmonization could mean nationally
Cook was cautious about speaking for the provincial and federal ministries leading Canada's broader push to harmonize safety training, an effort Canadian Occupational Safety has tracked as it advances across jurisdictions. But he said Ontario's position is a strong one. "The fact that Ontario is now modernized to the highest standard in the country certainly puts Ontario in a good place with respect to any decisions that are made around harmonization," he said. "Not every jurisdiction in Canada is at this standard, but I'd say most are."
For safety leaders whose teams trained under the previous program, Cook said there is no need to worry about existing credentials. "Anyone who's currently accredited under the old program, that remains in play," he said. "I think they're going to be pleasantly surprised with the quality that we've updated, with both the standard and the new providers that we've added to our network." Workers will move to the new standard when their current certification comes up for renewal.
Carrie Briley, director of health and safety program design at the WSIB, said in a statement that the changes are meant to simplify access for employers. "By bringing our program up to national standards and expanding our network of approved providers, we're breaking down barriers for businesses," she said. "We're also making it easy for people to spot and access WSIB-approved providers, so it's easier than ever for workplaces to get the training they need."
For most Ontario employers, the takeaway is straightforward: confirm current providers carry the new WSIB badge and expect recertification to reflect the CSA Z1210:24 standard going forward.
This article is part of our Monthly Spotlight series, which in August focuses on Facility Safety, Signage & Ergonomics.
