WHSC has scheduled joint health and safety committee (JHSC) certification training across Ontario through the winter months to help employers meet compliance obligations.  
 
Ministry of Labour (MOL) is in the midst of inspection activities, visiting workplaces across the province seeking to ensure internal responsibility systems (IRS) are functioning effectively.
 
IRS is a framework of authority, responsibility, and accountability for workplace health and safety. Though employers and supervisors have the most significant legal obligations to protect workers, the MOL (and in fact, Occupational Health and Safety Act) also recognizes well-trained JHSC members, in particular certified members, play a critical role within the IRS.    
 
Consequently, as part of their IRS inspections the MOL will be seeking to ensure employers are aware of, and complying with obligations relating to JHSCs, including certification training compliance.  

WHSC Training opportunities

For those yet to provide Certification training, or for those with new JHSC members in need of this critical training, Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) has scheduled Basic Certification Training to start Tuesday, January 15 and run through to Friday, January 18 in several Ontario communities.
 
Next on the schedule, in February and March, are various Certification Part II programs, designed to meet common, significant hazards in specific sectors.
 
While WHSC Certification Refresher Training is scheduled for Monday, March 25.
 
With courses filling fast, be sure to register soon.

Certification requirements

Most workplaces employing 20 or more workers, or using a designated substance must have a JHSC. Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) also requires employers to ensure the certification of at least two JHSC members, one representing workers and one management. 

To become certified, a JHSC member must complete a Ministry of Labour-approved Basic Certification Training (Part I) and Workplace-Specific Hazard Certification Training (Part II). These programs must be delivered by an approved provider and must be completed within six months of each other.
 
Further still is the need to complete approved Certification Refresher Training every three years to maintain certified member status. Those who don’t maintain certification status are required to retrain in all three parts of Certification Training to regain status. 

Employers are required to carry out and pay for all Certification Training.

WHSC Part I, Part II and Certification Refresher Training are MOL-approved.

More WHSC training opportunities

Beyond the various JHSC Certification training programs listed above, WHSC can also assist workplaces in meeting many additional training obligations ranging from Working at Heights and Transportation of Dangerous Goods to GHS WHMIS and general Worker Awareness. Further still, are hundreds of additional health and safety training opportunities. For details, please review the entire WHSC training catalogue.

Don’t see the training you need or unsure of your workplace training obligations? Call us at 1‑888‑869‑7950 and ask to speak to a training services representative.