A respirator only protects you if it seals. We fit test N95, half-face and full-face respirators to the CSA Z94.4 standard, coach you through the seal, and hand you a same-day mask fit certificate before you leave. Walk-in appointments in Mississauga and Hamilton, onsite group testing across the GTHA.
Both centres run the same CSA Z94.4 qualitative fit test with the same respirator range and the same same-day certificate. Pick whichever is closer. Booking happens on the location page.
Cooksville · Port Credit · Erin Mills · Meadowvale · Malton
Downtown · Stoney Creek · Ancaster · Dundas · Waterdown
Testing a whole team? We bring the fit test kit to your site anywhere across Mississauga, Hamilton and the wider GTHA, with no travel time lost for your staff. Email info@fagt.ca or call (289) 890-2898 for a group quote.
A mask fit test proves that a specific respirator, in a specific model and size, forms a tight seal against your face. Two people can wear the identical N95 and get completely different levels of protection. The fit test is how you find out which one you are.
An N95 filters 95% of airborne particles that pass through the filter media. It does nothing about air that leaks around the edges. Face shape, nose bridge height, cheek width and jaw all change how a respirator sits, which is why respirator fit testing is a legal and practical requirement rather than a formality. The result is recorded against the exact make, model and size you were tested on, and that is the only respirator your certificate covers.
Qualitative fit testing is a pass/fail method. You wear the respirator inside a hood, the instructor releases a harmless test agent into the hood, and you carry out a short set of movements. If you cannot taste the agent at any point, the respirator sealed and you pass. If you can taste it, the seal failed and we move you to a different size or model and test again. This is the method named in CSA Z94.4 for negative-pressure respirators such as N95s and it is the method used across Ontario healthcare, construction and industry.
Denatonium benzoate, the same bitter compound added to household products to stop children swallowing them. Unmistakable if it reaches you, and food-safe in the tiny quantities used. This is our default agent.
An intensely sweet sugar substitute used the same way. We switch to saccharin when someone cannot detect Bitrex during the sensitivity check, or simply prefers it.
Whichever one you can reliably taste. Before the hood test begins we run a sensitivity check with the hood on and no respirator, to confirm you can detect the agent at a low concentration. Roughly one person in ten cannot taste Bitrex at all; if that is you, we simply switch to saccharin. Nobody fails a fit test for being unable to taste something.
Both are recognised. They answer the same question with different instruments.
| Qualitative (QLFT) | Quantitative (QNFT) | |
|---|---|---|
| Result | Pass or fail | Numeric fit factor |
| Method | Taste detection of Bitrex or saccharin inside a hood | Particle counting machine measures inside vs outside the mask |
| Suits | N95 and other negative-pressure half-face respirators | Any respirator, and required for some full-face and supplied-air work |
| Time | 15–20 minutes | 20–30 minutes |
| Accepted by | CSA Z94.4, Ontario employers, hospitals, colleges, WSIB-driven programs | CSA Z94.4 |
Our service is qualitative fit testing (QLFT), which satisfies the overwhelming majority of Ontario workplace, school placement and healthcare requirements for N95 respirators. If your employer specifically requires a quantitative fit factor number, ask us before booking and we will point you in the right direction.
These get confused constantly, and the difference matters at an audit.
We teach both. The positive and negative pressure seal check is part of every appointment, because a valid fit test certificate on a respirator you put on badly protects nobody.
Employers are not asking for a certificate to be difficult. Under Ontario law they carry a duty to protect workers from airborne hazards, and a fit test record is the evidence that the duty was met.
CSA Z94.4, Selection, use and care of respirators, is the Canadian standard that Ontario employers, hospitals and health units point to when they write a respiratory protection program. It sets out how respirators are chosen, how workers are trained, and how fit testing is carried out and recorded.
Name of the worker, date of the test, test method and agent used, the respirator make, model and size, the pass result, and the name of the person who conducted the test. Every one of those fields appears on the certificate we issue, so your file is audit-ready the day you hand it in.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act places a general duty on employers to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for a worker's protection. Where workers are exposed to airborne biological or chemical agents, O. Reg. 833 (Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents) requires exposure controls, and where respirators are part of those controls the program is expected to follow CSA Z94.4. Construction sites fall under O. Reg. 213/91, which likewise requires respirators to be properly selected and fitted.
Check your own policy first. Ontario law sets the floor, not the ceiling. Many hospitals, long-term care homes, colleges and general contractors require annual fit testing and name specific respirator models. Bring that requirement with you and we will test against it.
Nurses, PSWs, RTs, paramedics, physicians, dental staff, lab technicians, imaging techs and anyone entering airborne-precaution rooms. Usually paired with BLS HCP certification.
Drywall, demolition, concrete cutting, welding, insulation, painting, abatement support, foundries, food processing and warehousing: anywhere silica, dust, fume or mist is present.
Nursing, PSW, paramedic, dental hygiene, respiratory therapy, veterinary and med-lab students. Most Ontario colleges will not release you to placement without a valid fit test certificate on file.
Firefighters, EMS, security, corrections and industrial rescue teams who wear half-face or full-face respirators as part of their protective equipment.
Every appointment is a short piece of instruction followed by the hands-on test. You leave knowing not just that your mask fits, but how to keep it fitting.
Booking is digital, the test is not. You can book online and receive your certificate by email, but the fit test itself must be performed in person to meet CSA Z94.4. Anyone selling an online-only "fit test certificate" is not giving you a compliant record.
Fifteen to twenty minutes from walking in to certificate sent. Here is the whole sequence so there are no surprises.
We confirm your name as it should appear on the certificate, ask about anything that would make wearing a respirator uncomfortable (recent facial surgery, severe claustrophobia, breathing difficulty), and check what your employer or school has asked for. Two minutes.
We look at your face shape and start with the model most likely to seal. If your workplace has specified a model, we test that one. You put it on yourself while we coach strap position, nose clip moulding and cheek placement, because you will be doing this alone from tomorrow onward.
A positive pressure check (exhale gently, feel for outward leaks) and a negative pressure check (inhale gently, the respirator should collapse slightly against your face). Any obvious leak is corrected here before we spend time on the hood test.
Hood on, respirator off. We introduce a low concentration of the test agent and you tell us the moment you taste it. This calibrates the test to you. If Bitrex does not register, we switch to saccharin and repeat.
Respirator on, hood on, agent released at test concentration. You work through the exercise regimen while the instructor maintains the concentration in the hood:
Speak up the instant you taste anything. Tasting the agent is not a personal failure. It is the test doing exactly what it is designed to do.
We stop, adjust or change to a different size or model, and run the test again at no extra charge. Most people who fail their first mask pass comfortably on the second.
We record the exact model and size that passed, run through cleaning, storage and when to discard the respirator, and remind you to seal check every time you don it.
Your mask fit certificate is issued and emailed the same day, ready to forward to your employer, placement coordinator or health and safety officer.
Your certificate is only valid for the respirator you were tested on. Test on what you will actually wear at work.
The disposable, NIOSH-approved respirators used across healthcare, construction and industry. Available in cup, duckbill and flat-fold styles, and in more than one size, which is exactly why a fit test is needed.
Cup style, healthcare standard. The small (1860S) suits narrower faces.
Flat-fold with a three-panel design. Often seals well where cup styles fail.
Industrial cup style for dust and particulate work, with a small option.
Duckbill style, popular in dental and clinical settings.
If your employer issues a specific respirator, bring it. We will fit test the unit you were given so the model on your certificate matches the model in your locker. Bring a new, unworn one where possible.
Reusable rubber or silicone facepieces with replaceable cartridges, covering the nose, mouth and chin. Common in painting, abatement support, chemical handling and manufacturing. Fit tested the same way, with attention to strap tension and cartridge seating.
Cover the eyes as well, giving both respiratory and eye protection with a higher assigned protection factor. Used in emergency response, industrial maintenance and confined-space support work. We fit test full-face units qualitatively under CSA Z94.4.
Prescription glasses and full-face respirators. Standard glasses break the seal at the temples. Full-face units need a spectacle kit fitted inside the mask, so bring yours if you have one, and let us know when booking.
Two things decide whether your appointment goes smoothly: a clean taste and a clean seal surface. Both are entirely within your control.
The sensitivity check depends on your ability to taste a very small amount of the test agent. For 30 minutes before your appointment, please avoid:
Plain water is fine and actually helps. Coffee, energy drinks and strong mints are the usual culprits behind a muddled sensitivity check.
This is the single most common reason a fit test fails. A tight-fitting respirator seals against skin. Any hair crossing the sealing surface (the bridge of the nose, the cheeks, along the jaw and under the chin) creates a leak path that no amount of strap tension will close.
Where facial hair is kept for religious reasons or a shave is not possible for a medical reason such as pseudofolliculitis barbae, a tight-fitting respirator is not the right answer and no tester should pass you on one. The compliant alternative is a loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR), which does not require a face seal and therefore does not require a fit test. Speak to your employer's health and safety lead, and call us first so we do not book you into an appointment that cannot succeed.
Issued and emailed the day you test, formatted so a health and safety officer can file it without asking you follow-up questions.
Delivered as a PDF you can forward, print or upload to a placement portal.
CSA Z94.4 sets a minimum of one fit test every two years. In practice many Ontario hospitals, long-term care homes, colleges and general contractors require annual retesting. Your workplace policy always governs, so check it before you assume two years.
We keep a record. Email info@fagt.ca with your name and approximate test date and we will re-issue the PDF, provided the original test is still within its validity period.
Sending twenty staff across town costs more in lost hours than the testing itself. We come to you: clinics, construction sites, plants, warehouses, schools and offices across the GTHA and Golden Horseshoe.
We set up in a room you provide, work through your staff on a rolling schedule, and keep each person away from their post for around fifteen minutes. Shift work and early or late starts are no problem.
Hoods, nebulisers, Bitrex and saccharin solutions, a range of N95 models and sizes, sanitising supplies, and the paperwork. You provide a room, a table and access to a sink where possible.
Individual certificates for every participant plus a consolidated roster for your health and safety file, showing names, models, sizes, dates and results.
Individual fit tests are priced per person and booked through your location page. Group and onsite rates depend on headcount, travel distance and whether you need testing outside standard hours. Tell us your numbers and location and we will send a fixed quote, with no per-hour surprises.
Smaller teams are welcome at either testing centre with no minimum. For onsite visits a minimum group size applies and travel is included across Mississauga, Hamilton, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington and Stoney Creek. Ask about further destinations.
Over 25,000 participants trained across Ontario, and a Canadian Red Cross training partnership going back ten years.
Every test follows the standard your employer's respiratory protection program is written against, with a record that contains every field an auditor looks for.
N95 filtering facepieces, half-face and full-face elastomerics, in multiple models and sizes, so a first-mask failure is a two-minute detour rather than a wasted trip.
Hands-on guidance on strap position, nose clip moulding and seal checking. You leave able to repeat the fit yourself, every shift.
PDF in your inbox before the end of the day. No waiting a week for a placement deadline that was yesterday.
Mon–Sun, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM at both centres, so you can test around a shift rather than through one.
Mississauga and Hamilton run the identical protocol and issue the identical certificate. Book whichever is closer.
Most people who need a mask fit test also need a current first aid or BLS card. Both centres run them, so one visit can close two gaps.
Four-hour Basic Life Support for healthcare providers. Red Cross certified, one-year certificate. The usual pairing for clinical staff and students.
Blended, 14 hours, WSIB approved and valid three years. The workplace default across Ontario.
One-day blended option with CPR Level C and AED, WSIB approved, valid three years.
Standalone CPR Level C and AED certification for those who do not need full first aid.
Two fixed testing centres, plus onsite group visits throughout the region.
The questions we are asked most often at the Mississauga and Hamilton centres. If yours is not here, call (289) 890-2898.
Fifteen to twenty minutes from start to finish for one respirator, including the instruction, sensitivity check, exercise regimen and paperwork. Allow a little longer if you need to be tested on a second model after a first-mask failure, or if you are being tested on more than one respirator.
Booking is strongly recommended so we can have the right respirator models and sizes ready for you. Appointments are available seven days a week, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, at both centres. Book on your Mississauga or Hamilton page.
No. You can book online and receive your certificate digitally, but the fit test itself must be completed in person to comply with CSA Z94.4. There is no compliant way to confirm a face seal remotely. Any provider offering an online-only fit test certificate is selling a document your employer should reject.
Individual fit tests are priced per person and shown with live availability on the Mississauga and Hamilton booking pages. Group and onsite rates depend on headcount, travel and scheduling. Contact us at info@fagt.ca or (289) 890-2898 for a fixed quote.
Yes. Both centres are open Monday to Sunday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM. For onsite group testing we can work around shift changes, including early starts.
The same day. Your PDF certificate is emailed to you after the test, ready to forward to an employer, placement coordinator or health and safety officer.
A pass/fail method recognised under CSA Z94.4. A harmless test agent, either Bitrex (bitter) or saccharin (sweet), is released into a hood worn over your head while you wear the respirator and perform a set of exercises. If you cannot taste the agent, the respirator sealed and you pass.
Yes. Bitrex is denatonium benzoate, the bitter agent added to household products to deter accidental swallowing, and saccharin is a common sugar substitute. Both are used in very small quantities as a fine mist. Tell your tester in advance if you have a known sensitivity to either and we will use the alternative.
Nothing bad. We adjust the respirator or move you to a different size or model and test again during the same appointment, at no extra charge. Failing simply means that particular respirator is not the right one for your face, which is exactly the information the test exists to produce.
Not necessarily, as we stock a range of N95 models and sizes. However, if your employer has issued you a specific respirator, bring it, because your certificate is only valid for the model and size you were tested on.
Yes. We qualitatively fit test N95 filtering facepieces, half-face elastomeric respirators and full-face respirators under CSA Z94.4.
Not for an N95 or a half-face respirator, since glasses sit outside the seal. For a full-face respirator, standard glasses break the seal at the temples and you will need a spectacle insert kit fitted inside the mask. Bring yours and mention it when booking.
Most people find it straightforward. The hood is roomy and open at the bottom, the exercises are gentle, and the whole thing lasts a few minutes. If you feel unwell at any point, say so and we stop immediately.
CSA Z94.4 sets a minimum of once every two years. Many Ontario hospitals, long-term care homes, colleges and contractors require annual retesting, so follow your workplace policy. You also need a new test any time you change respirator model or size, or if your face changes through significant weight change, dental work, surgery or injury.
We conduct fit testing to the CSA Z94.4 standard, which is the standard Ontario respiratory protection programs are written against. If your employer has asked for "Red Cross mask fit testing," our CSA-aligned service typically satisfies that requirement, but always confirm against your own organisation's policy before booking.
In almost all cases, yes. Our certificate records every field a CSA Z94.4 record is expected to contain: name, date, method, test agent, respirator make, model and size, result, tester and standard. If your organisation requires a quantitative fit factor number instead, tell us before booking.
No, and this catches people out. A fit test certifies one make, model and size. If your workplace switches brands, or you are handed a different size, the certificate no longer applies to that respirator and you need to be retested.
Where workers rely on tight-fitting respirators for protection, yes in practical terms. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to take every reasonable precaution, O. Reg. 833 governs exposure to biological and chemical agents, and O. Reg. 213/91 covers construction. Respiratory protection programs under these are expected to follow CSA Z94.4, which requires fit testing.
Yes. Alongside individual certificates, group and onsite clients receive a consolidated roster listing every participant with their respirator model, size, test date and result, ready to drop straight into your health and safety file.
Yes, provided the original test is still within its validity period. Email info@fagt.ca with your name and approximate test date.
On the sealing surface, yes: the bridge of the nose, cheeks, jawline and under the chin, shaved the same day. A moustache or soul patch kept entirely inside the seal line is fine. Stubble across the seal will fail the test no matter how tight the straps are.
Then a tight-fitting respirator is not a safe option for you, and no tester should pass you on one. The recognised alternative is a loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR), which does not rely on a face seal and does not require a fit test. Raise it with your employer's health and safety lead, and call us before booking so we can advise.
Many people are, but that is a decision for you and your healthcare provider, not for us. Wearing a respirator increases breathing resistance. If you have a respiratory or cardiac condition, or you are pregnant, check with your doctor first and let your tester know on arrival.
Tell us at the start. The hood is open at the bottom and can be lifted off in a second, and we can take the exercises slowly with breaks. Most people who were worried about it get through comfortably.
Fit testing is intended for people entering a workplace or a clinical placement, so participants are generally 16 or older. Contact us if you are booking for a school program with younger students and we will advise.
Yes. If your role requires you to wear both an N95 and a half-face respirator, we can fit test both and issue a certificate covering each model and size. Mention it when booking so we can allow the extra time.
Fifteen minutes, a CSA Z94.4 qualitative fit test, and a certificate in your inbox before you get home. Choose your location, or ask us about testing your whole team onsite.
OPEN MON–SUN · 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Why Mississauga Boaters Choose Us
AFAGT is a Canadian Red Cross–authorized provider delivering Marine First Aid in Mississauga. Our instructors bring real on-water experience into every class, so you leave with skills not just a certificate.
Fully authorized Canadian Red Cross training centre. Your certification is recognized province-wide and meets Transport Canada requirements for commercial vessel operators.
Our training centre is centrally located in downtown Mississauga with easy access from Hwy 403, 401, and the QEW, near Cooksville and Square One. Free parking available on-site.
The entire course theory and hands-on skills is delivered in person at our Mississauga training centre. No online modules, just focused instructor-led learning from start to finish.
Train on current manikins and AED trainers in small-class settings. You'll practice every skill until you feel genuinely confident not just competent on paper.
Your Canadian Red Cross digital certificate is issued on the day of your course. Transport Canada recognized documentation is dispatched by mail shortly after.
Our Marine First Aid courses meet WSIB workplace compliance requirements in Ontario. Accepted by marinas, charter operators, and coast guard auxiliary programs.
What You'll Learn
Our curriculum covers every scenario you're likely to face on Ontario's waterways from cardiac emergencies to hypothermia structured to Canadian Red Cross standards.
Guaranteed best price · Small class sizes
Who This Course Is For
Whether you operate commercially or enjoy recreational boating on Lake Ontario, this course prepares you to respond confidently to any medical emergency on board.
Weekend sailors, powerboaters, and personal watercraft operators who want to be prepared.
Dockside teams, service technicians, and marina supervisors with on-water responsibilities.
Passenger vessel operators required to hold current Marine First Aid under Transport Canada regulations.
Club instructors, race officers, and committee boat crew who need recognized certification.
Commercial fishing guides and outfitters operating on Ontario's lakes and rivers.
Volunteers and auxiliarists who need current CPR and marine emergency credentials.
Register Online
Select your preferred date and complete your registration below. Spots fill quickly secure yours today.
Register in minutes. We'll send you a confirmation email with your course details, parking information, and everything you need for your in-class training day.
Select your preferred course date below. Need help? Call us at (289) 890-2898 - Mon–Sun, 8 AM–5:30 PM.
Need group or on-site training?
We bring the course to your marina or workplace. Contact us for a custom quote.
Request Group TrainingFrequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before you register. Don't see your question? Contact us or check our full FAQ page.
The course is delivered fully in-class at our Mississauga training centre. All theory and hands-on skills are covered in person by your instructor there are no online modules to complete. Check the booking calendar or call us for current course dates and start times.
Yes. AFAGT is an authorized Canadian Red Cross training provider. The Marine First Aid course satisfies WSIB workplace compliance requirements in Ontario and is recognized by Transport Canada for commercial vessel operators.
The course includes CPR Level C with AED. CPR-C covers adults, children, and infants, making it the most comprehensive level of basic CPR training recognized in Canada.
Your Canadian Red Cross Marine First Aid & CPR/AED certification is valid for three years. After that, you can take a recertification course to renew your credentials.
We train at 39 Dundas St E, Suite 206, Mississauga, ON L5A 1V9. The facility is near Cooksville and Square One with easy access from Hwy 403, 401, and the QEW. Street and lot parking are available nearby.
Your Canadian Red Cross digital certificate is issued on the day you complete your in-class course. The Transport Canada–recognized document is dispatched by mail shortly after your course is completed.
Wear comfortable clothes suitable for kneeling and floor work, and bring a valid photo ID. All equipment manikins, AED trainers, bandages, and splints is provided by AFAGT.
Absolutely. We offer group and on-site training for marinas, charter companies, sailing clubs, and corporate teams. We can bring the course to your location anywhere in the Mississauga, Burlington, or Niagara region. Contact us for a custom group quote.
Find Us
