Given challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, WHSC is now offering our newly updated Worker Health and Safety Awareness program in safe and effective virtual classrooms.
 
Unlike self-guided online programs, our worker awareness training program is designed to ensure learning is achieved. Two hours in length, this comprehensive program introduces participants to the basics of occupational health and safety (legislation, hazards and controls) and provides them with a solid foundation upon which to exercise hard-won worker rights and participate in building healthier, safer workplaces.

Meeting mandatory training requirements

This training program is perfectly suited to new workers or as a regular review for existing employees. With this program, employers will meet a specific legal duty to ensure workers complete legally-mandated occupational health and safety awareness training as set out in Ontario’s training regulation  (Regulation 297/13) that came into force July 1, 2014. Further, it assists employers in fulfilling their general duty to provide health and safety information and instruction to workers.

As the province’s only designated health and safety training centre, the Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) is uniquely qualified to offer new worker awareness training. We have been offering this kind of training since 1988.
 
Courses in our virtual classrooms begin Wednesday, January 27 and run weekly until the end of March. Register today to secure your spot in one of our virtual classrooms.

Worker awareness program details

The Worker Health and Safety Awareness training program reviews the key elements of an effective workplace health and safety program and the important roles of workers, supervisors, employers and health and safety representatives.
 
The goal of any successful health and safety program is to control and eliminate hazards. An effective workplace health and safety program includes:

• reporting,
• inspecting,
• assessing,
• controlling,
• communicating,
• learning, and
• re-evaluating actions implemented.

The WHSC training program discusses these elements and prompts discussion and understanding of whose responsibility it is to carry out these important roles in an effective workplace program.
 
Safety hazards may be the most obvious hazards and often more simple to address. However, these hazards are not responsible for most workplace injuries or deaths. WHSC participants learn to identify all hazards including the less visible hazards, such as violence and harassment, hazardous chemicals and poor ergonomics. Just as important, they learn there is much that can be done about these hazards and many more.
 
Training participants will also take away a handy resource booklet perfect for ready access in the workplace and for sharing with others.

WHSC virtual training

Like all of our training, WHSC’s virtual classroom training (including Worker Health and Safety Awareness) applies adult learning principles to ensure learning is engaging, relevant and achieved. The WHSC virtual classroom allows for live, real-time learning, providing most of the benefits of traditional in-person training. In this space, training participants can interact and communicate with fellow participants and a highly qualified WHSC instructor, view and discuss learning resources and complete individual and group exercises. All is designed to ensure demonstrated learning so necessary to resolving real-world, workplace health and safety concerns.
 
To ensure essential training integrity and validate the learner, all that is required of training participants is a high-speed internet connection and a computer with a properly functioning camera and audio.
 
Through virtual classrooms we also offer Globally Harmonized WHMIS training, plus training to help employers meet mandatory training and competency requirements for supervisors, joint health and safety committees and worker health and safety representatives, all of whom play essential roles in the pursuit of healthier, safer workplaces, including recommending measures to protect workers from the COVID-19 virus.  
 
Recognizing the toll the pandemic has had on many workers, we have also expanded our virtual classroom offerings to include training programs such as Stress in the Workplace and Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Mental Health.
 
Don’t see what you need? Beyond scheduled classes, and where participant numbers warrant, we can work with you to coordinate almost any of our training courses in a virtual classroom for all workers, workplace representatives and supervisors.
 
To learn more:
Contact a WHSC training services representative near you.
Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca
Call: 1-888-869-7950
Visit: www.whsc.on.ca
Follow us too on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.