Did you know employers of federally regulated workplaces have a legal obligation to train their joint health and safety committee (JHSC) members and health and safety representatives?

Although they don’t benefit from a specific Certification training standard as Ontario regulated JHSCs do, the Canada Labour Code specifies federal JHSCs must receive from their employer “the necessary training in health and safety and are informed of their responsibilities” under Part II of the Code. With this requirement in mind Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) offers quality training designed to help federal JHSCs secure safer, healthier work.






Workplaces that fall under federal jurisdiction include:

• air transportation, including airlines, airports, aerodromes and aircraft operations
• banks, including authorized foreign banks
• grain elevators, feed and seed mills, feed warehouses and grain-seed cleaning plants
• most federal Crown corporations, for example, Canada Post Corporation
• postal and courier services
• port services, marine shipping, ferries, tunnels, canals, bridges and pipelines (oil and gas) that cross international or provincial borders
• uranium mining and processing and atomic energy
• railways that cross provincial or international borders and some short-line railways
• road transportation services, including trucks and buses, that cross provincial or international borders
• telecommunications, such as, telephone, Internet, telegraph and cable systems
• radio and television broadcasting
• any business that is vital, essential or integral to the operation of one of the above activities.

What legal role do JHSCs serve under the Federal Code?

While the Canada Labor Code Part II requires all federally regulated employers take steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees, workplace and policy JHSCs have a right to fully participate in health and safety programs.

To this end, employers must provide training for members of both workplace and policy JHSCs as well as health and safety representatives. By law JHSCs must play a significant role in developing policies and programs, also comprising of workplace hazard prevention and workplace violence and harassment programs, their implementation and monitoring. Other legal duties include workplace inspections, investigation of worker concerns, record keeping and participation in the implementation of workplace changes that might affect occupational health and safety.

How can you comply?

Comprehensive training helps ensure employers and workplace representatives alike fully exercise their considerable rights and responsibilities. WHSC, Ontario’s official OHS training provider delivers a Federal Committees and Representatives training program that meets and exceeds legal requirements.

This two-day program is conveniently delivered virtually and is instructor led for greater understanding and effective learning. Participants review:

• rights and duties under federal health and safety laws and regulations with special focus on the role and responsibilities of workplace and policy committees.
• methods for conducting workplace inspections and incident investigations are discussed along with strategies aimed at fostering active and confident members of workplace and policy committees.
• employer obligations to prevent workplace violence and harassment, stemming from changes to the Canada Labour Code regulations. 
• beyond legal considerations, how the two levels of health and safety representatives – employer and worker can communicate and work together effectively for change.  

For more information about on-site delivery to more than a few, please contact a training services representative in your area.

For Ontario regulated workplaces, be sure to check out Certification Part I, Part II and Refresher training. Properly trained, certified joint health and safety committee members can play a critical role in building physically and psychologically safe and healthy workplaces.

Need more information?
Contact a WHSC training services representative in your area.
Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca
Visit: whsc.on.ca
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