New Requirements For Certification Training

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires most workplaces to have either a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) or a health and safety representative. Where a JHSC is required, at least two JHSC members—one management and one worker—must be certified by the Ministry of Labour (MOL).

As of March 1, 2016, all certification training must be approved by the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) of Ontario. IHSA has now been approved by the CPO as an approved training provider and this JHSC Certification Refresher training program is a CPO approved training program under the JHSC Certification 2014 training program standard.

All approved certification programs must have a generic Part One and a sector-specific Part Two. A Refresher training course is also required and must be taken by Certified Members every three years.

Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification—Part One is an in-class instructor-led program. The learning outcomes provide a framework that will allow participants to become familiar with a wide range of workplace hazards. In addition, participants will learn how to recognize, assess, control, and evaluate any potential hazards that they may encounter at the workplace.

This program is available at your facility, IHSA reserves the right to apply discretion to deliver the program at your facility with participant numbers less than 50% of the course maximum as outlined below.

Program Content

• Introduction to occupational health and safety legislation
• Introduction to occupational health and safety resources
• Rights, duties, and roles of workplace parties including JHSC members
• Powers of the Certified Member
• Introduction to the recognize, assess, control, and evaluate (RACE) system of hazard management
• Communication

Participants must bring a valid piece of photo ID to the training program to confirm their registration (e.g., Driver’s License, Permanent Resident Card, Passport, Student Card).

To obtain a certificate of completion for this program, participants must complete a written evaluation and achieve a grade of 75% or better. Participants must attend the full program and not be late.

Those who want to become Certified Members must complete one of four sector-specific Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification—Part Two courses within one year of successfully completing Part One.

• 1. Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification—Part Two (Construction)
• 2. Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification—Part Two (Aggregates)
• 3. Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification—Part Two (Transportation)
• 4. Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification—Part Two (Utilities)

If more than one year has passed, participants must either take a JHSC Refresher course before taking Part Two OR apply to the MOL for an exemption.

Certification is awarded by the MOL after Part One and Part Two have been completed. To maintain their certification, Certified Members must take a one-day JHSC Refresher course every three years.

Please note that all participants must arrive to the program at the designated start time and must attend the program in full to successfully complete the program.

Who Should Attend?

Those with no previous training in health and safety, those who are working toward their NCSO designation, health and safety representatives, members of a JHSC, and members of a JHSC who want to become Certified Members