Asbestos - Virtual
Participants learn about the nature of asbestos and the different types found in the workplace as well as the circumstances where worker exposure may occur. Participants review the Regulation Respecting Asbestos and other relevant legislation. Various methods of identifying and assessing asbestos exposure risks in the workplace are explored including workplace inspections and air sampling. Mandatory asbestos management programs are discussed along with practical methods for controlling worker exposure.
VIDEO: Hazards of Asbestos [12 minutes]
Biological Hazards - Virtual
This program introduces participants to the specific characteristics of biological hazards and the circumstances where worker exposure can occur. A wide range of health risks are discussed including hepatitis and respiratory disorders. Participants will be introduced to many different pieces of legislation relevant to biological hazards in the workplace along with various hazard assessment tools. The program also focuses on the various control measures and strategies joint committee members and others in the workplace can use to help ensure maximum protection for workers.
Certification Part I - Virtual
The Workers Health & Safety Centre developed this program to help workplaces meet their legal responsibility to provide the first phase of Certification training to members of joint health and safety committees in Ontario. This program, critical to securing safer, healthier work, is applicable to workplaces in all sectors. Delivered over a three-day period, this program gives participants a complete understanding of occupational health and safety legislation, including rights and responsibilities of workplace parties and certified representatives on joint health and safety committees in particular. This will include a full discussion about the Internal Responsibility System (IRS) and the purpose and requirements of workplace health and safety policies and programs. Equally important, participants learn how to identify, assess and control, or better yet eliminate, workplace hazards. For further details, see our product sheet library.
Certification Part II - Adult Probation and Parole - Virtual
Certification Part II - Correctional Facilities - Virtual
Before joint health and safety committee (JHSC) members in Ontario-regulated workplaces can become fully certified, they are required to complete a second round of training commonly known as Certification Part II training. This training is designed to help certified representatives identify, assess and control, or better yet eliminate, hazards specific to their workplace.
The WHSC correctional facilities sector program meets the needs of workplaces typical in this sector. This program allows workplaces to get into compliance fast. For further details, see our product sheet library.
Certification Part II - General - Virtual
This program offers a convenient option for Ontario workplaces who want to quickly comply with the second phase of Certification training for members of joint health and safety committees (JHSC). Part II training must address at least six hazards relevant to the JHSC’s workplace. Delivered over two days and now virtually, the general stream for WHSC Certification Part II training explores six of the most common workplace hazards through the following modules: Safety Hazards; Physical Hazards, Chemical Hazards, Ergonomics and MSDs; Biological Hazards; and Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Mental Health. For each hazard, participants will learn how to identify, assess and control, or better yet eliminate, exposures.
Certification Part II - Health Care & Social Services - Virtual
Before joint health and safety committee (JHSC) members in Ontario-regulated workplaces can become fully certified, they are required to complete a second round of training commonly known as Certification Part II training. This training is designed to help certified representatives identify, assess and control, or better yet eliminate, hazards specific to their workplace. The WHSC health care and social services sector program meets the needs of workplaces typical in this sector. This program allows workplaces to get into compliance fast. For further details see our product sheet library.
Certification Refresher - Virtual
Certified members of joint health and safety committees (JHSC) in Ontario must complete a Certification Refresher program approved by the Ministry of Labour’s Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) within three years of completing Certification Part II and every three years thereafter. Like WHSC Certification Refresher training delivered in traditional classrooms, this virtual version is also CPO-approved. This program revisits key concepts from Certification training, including the information and tools essential for identifying, assessing and controlling, or better yet eliminating, workplace hazards. The program further affords participants the opportunity to share and discuss new or amended legislation/guidelines/standards, current or emerging issues, plus best practices for hazard elimination and control. This program is applicable to all Ontario workplaces.
Chemical Hazards - Virtual
In this three-hour program participants discuss the characteristics of chemical hazards, their various physical states, and review key terms like acute, chronic, latency and synergistic effects. To ensure learning is relevant participants create a list of chemicals in their workplaces for reference throughout the course, for example, when discussing health effects and control measures. Learners explore how WHMIS can be used to identify and assess chemical hazards and they will generate a list of questions to help determine if WHMIS is working. With practice using safety data sheets to find information about chemicals, participants will discuss what to do if information is lacking. Upon successful completion learners will be better equipped to make strong recommendations that will protect workers from exposure to chemical hazards.
Critical Incident and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Virtual
Participants review the many causes of critical incident stress (CIS) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) including major catastrophes, violent situations and hazardous exposures. How the body responds to stressful situations or events is explored in terms of acute and chronic health effects. Equally important is a focus on primary prevention in order to eliminate or limit exposure to stressors along with methods for coping with CIS and PTSD such as counseling provided through Employee Assistance Programs. Participants will also discuss the development and implementation of policies and programs dealing with CIS and PTSD.
Ergonomic Toolbox - Virtual
Ergonomics and MSDs - Virtual
Poorly designed work and work environments can contribute to painful and life-altering musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). These account for more than 40 per cent of all approved lost-time injury claims in Ontario. This program provides joint health and safety committees with the knowledge and skills to recognize, assess and control, if not eliminate, factors that contribute to MSDs. Participants will review types of MSDs, their symptoms and health effects, explore how job demands and workplace components can contribute to MSDs, and learn how to identify and assess tasks that increase the risk of injury. Participants will also learn how ergonomics can be used to reduce job demands allowing workers to complete tasks more comfortably and safely.
Ergonomics in Health Care and Social Services - Virtual
This program was developed to provide health care and social service workers with the skills to recognize, assess and eliminate or control musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) risk factors. This module examines MSDs, common types and health effects. Participants will explore the two categories of risk factors that lead to MSDs—job demands and workplace components. With an understanding of what causes MSDs, participants will examine the sciences behind ergonomics and the importance of making the work fit the worker. Participants will learn how to identify and assess tasks that may cause workers to adopt awkward postures, require forceful exertions or are repetitive in nature. The program includes several valuable resource sheets, many of which are specific to health care workers.
Ergonomics: Applying Prevention Principles at Work - Virtual
This program builds on the knowledge obtained from Ergonomics: Basic Principles training program. The information presented helps prepare participants to play a more hands-on role in the prevention of MSDs. The program begins with an introduction to ergonomics and a detailed review of relevant legislation, its shortfalls and the characteristics of work and the workplace responsible for the development of these disorders. Participants then take a more detailed look at the science of designing work for workers. They will look at specific ergonomic assessment tools including Anthropometric and Snook tables.
Federal Committees and Representatives - Virtual
This program reviews participants' rights and powers under federal health and safety laws and regulations with special focus on the role of workplace and policy committees. Most importantly, participants are equipped with an understanding of federal requirements for a hazard prevention program and a violence prevention program. Among other things, methods for conducting workplace inspections and accident investigations are also discussed, along with strategies aimed at fostering active and confident members of workplace and policy committees. Beyond legal considerations, the program further demonstrates how the two levels of health and safety representatives can communicate and work together effectively for change.
GHS WHMIS (2 hours) - Virtual
Intended for workers, supervisors and other workplace parties, this program offers an overview of the new GHS WHMIS. Participants will explore new standardized information, classification and communication requirements for hazardous products used, stored, handled or disposed of in the workplace. This includes new GHS-modified WHMIS labels, safety data sheets and pictograms. Like all WHSC programs, this training applies adult learning principles to ensure learning is achieved.
*French program available
Heat and Cold Stress - Virtual
Participants explore how the body reacts to temperature extremes and specific situations where workers may be exposed to dangerous levels of heat or cold. The lack of specific legislation protecting exposed workers is discussed along with measures for identifying and assessing potential health risks from temperature extremes. Participants will consider specific methods of controlling worker exposure to temperature extremes and discuss the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of each.
Indoor Air - Virtual
Indoor air pollution is two to five times higher than outdoor pollution. Moreover, workers today often find themselves in closed buildings with outdated HVAC systems that recirculate polluted air. This three-hour module is designed to help workplace representatives proactively recognize, assess and make recommendations to control or better yet eliminate indoor pollution sources. Taking into account new research and developments, this program covers hazards such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone, formaldehyde, pesticides, legionella and now the virus that causes COVID-19. Relevant legislation and measures to combat these hazards now notably also include those needed to mitigate against the transmission of COVID-19 too.
Infectious Diseases - Virtual
Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Mental Health - Virtual
This program provides a basic understanding of psychosocial work hazards and how they may impact workers’ mental health. It outlines the health effects associated with psychosocial hazards and explores a range of workplace factors from job demands/job control and worker engagement to civility and respect. Equally important, participants will discuss a host of methods to identify and assess psychosocial hazards including policies and programs, physical and cognitive demands analysis and workplace surveys. The program concludes with a discussion on preventative and protective measures for a safer and healthier workplace. The use of video clips and case studies also engages learners and helps them identify and understand contributing and workplace factors and gain a basic understanding of the accommodation process.
Stress in the Workplace - Virtual
Mounting evidence shows workplace stress is a serious hazard posing significant risk to workers’ health and the financial well-being of businesses. This program is designed to equip participants with information helping them to understand the tell-tale signs in those suffering stress-related health impacts. The many aspects of work that can be stressful to workers are explored along with strategies to eliminate or reduce exposure. This program includes several practical tools participants can use in their workplace for assessing harmful working conditions and related health impacts, including the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ).
Supervisor Health & Safety Training - Virtual
This informative one-day program is designed to help supervisors understand and fulfill all of their legal duties and responsibilities including the consequences of noncompliance. Under Ontario’s Occupational Health & Safety Act and Regulations, employers must ensure supervisors complete basic occupational health and safety awareness training in addition to knowledge and competency-based training specific to the workplace. Participants will learn about the Internal Responsibility System (IRS), the concept of due diligence and the rights and functions of the joint health and safety committee (JHSC). Detailed attention is paid to the supervisor's role in work refusals, Ministry of Labour workplace inspections and JHSC or health and safety representative inspections and investigations, all governed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The program also reviews relevant case law and provisions of the Criminal Code to give participants a clear understanding of their duties under this Federal statute.
Work Organization - Virtual
This program explores how hours of work, scheduling, technological change, pace of work and other elements of work organization affect the health and well-being of workers. Relevant legislation is reviewed along with hazard recognition and assessment tools. Flextime, job enrichment and job rotation are just a few of the measures explored that look to overcome the hazards associated with poor work organization and lessen the risk to health faced by workers.
Worker Health and Safety Awareness (3 hours) - Virtual
This program enables employers to meet a specific legal duty to ensure workers complete basic occupational health and safety awareness training. It further helps employers fulfill their general duty to provide health and safety information and instruction to workers and is an ideal regular review for existing employees. Participants will be introduced to Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, the rights and responsibilities of employers, supervisors and workers, functions of health and safety representatives, joint health and safety committees and certified committee members and workers’ right to know, to participate and refuse unsafe work. Participants will review the most common workplace hazards and discuss how to apply effective controls based on the hierarchy of controls. Lastly, the program emphasizes the requirement of and need for a policy and program to guide hazard control and protect worker health and safety.
Workplace Violence and Harassment - Virtual
This program is designed to raise awareness about the serious risk to physical and mental health posed by workplace violence and harassment. It is also intended to help workplace parties understand and comply with the legal requirements mandated by the Occupational Health and Safety Act to address violence and harassment (including domestic violence). Employers, for instance, are required to develop workplace-specific violence and harassment policies and programs. Essential elements of these will be explored including procedures for workers to report incidents along with worker training. Participants will discuss workplace-specific strategies for identifying and assessing potential for workplace violence and harassment and observing for evidence of domestic violence. Also discussed will be specific control measures for eliminating or controlling potential exposure to violence and harassment.