A CPR Certification Does Not Mean Workplace Emergency Ready

New Study on Examination Data Shows What’s Missing Can Be Very Costly.

Coast2Coast First Aid, an authorized Canadian Red Cross Training Partner operating 37+ locations across Ontario, Alberta, and Nova Scotia, today published an analysis of more than 20,000 written first aid exams. The standout finding: certified responders fail bone, muscle, and joint injury questions 27.7% of the time. CPR has the lowest failure rate at 8.6%.

Across Canada, millions of workers carry a CPR certificate as their primary workplace credential. CPR training covers cardiac arrest, choking, and major bleeding, but entirely omits bone, muscle, and joint injuries–the most likely workplace emergencies.

Coast2Coast First Aid digital testing platform, July 2025 – May 2026. 

These omitted injuries are Canada’s most expensive. Sprains and strains accounted for 38% of all 2023 Ontario WSIB claims. A single workplace injury carries direct costs of $39,000 to $78,000. The injury workers are least trained for is the one that costs employers the most. 

“A CPR course is a cardiac arrest course–it was never designed to handle a broken bone, a torn muscle, or a bad fall,” said Ashkon Pour-Heidary, Founder of Coast2Coast First Aid. “Standard First Aid closes the gap in one working day. There is no longer a good reason to treat a CPR card as enough.” 

Standard First Aid (renamed Intermediate First Aid under WSIB’s updated program effective June 22, 2026) covers these injuries in a blended format, costing employers just a single working day. Coast2Coast is calling on provincial regulators across Ontario, Alberta, and Nova Scotia to make Standard First Aid the minimum workplace standard. 

About Coast2Coast First Aid 

An authorized Canadian Red Cross Training Partner operating 37+ locations since 2014. Having certified over 150,000 people, it operates North America’s first digital first aid testing platform built by Co-founder Aryan Sekhavati. Founder Ashkon Pour-Heidary is a certified Instructor Trainer for the Canadian and American Red Cross. 

Full report: c2cfirstaidaquatics.com/canada-first-aid-knowledge-gap-report 

Source : Coast2Coast First Aid

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