With the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions and the reopening of shuttered workplaces, employers are taking stock of mandatory and essential health and safety training.
 
What many are finding are significant voids relating to training obligations for joint committee members, supervisors, those working at heights, COVID-19 training for the general workforce and many others.

WHSC supports quick compliance

To support employers needing to meet these obligations, Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) is expanding scheduled training opportunities over the coming weeks and into the fall.    
 
Most of this training continues to be offered in our virtual classroom to ensure the safety of participants and instructors during the COVID crisis, as well as the integrity of WHSC training itself.
 
Our schedule of training includes:

• Virtual classroom training
  • JHSC Certification Training Part I
  • JHSC Certification Training Part II General Stream
  • JHSC Certification Refresher
  • Federal Committees and Representatives
  • COVID-19
  • Globally Harmonized WHMIS
  • Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Mental Health
  • Workplace Violence and Harassment
  • Lockout
  • Personal Protective Equipment
• In-class training
  • Working at Heights
  • Working at Heights Refresher
• Online training
  • Supervisor Training.

With classes filling quickly, we encourage you to soon register and secure your seat.

Beyond scheduled classes, and where participant numbers warrant, we can also work with you to coordinate almost any of our training courses in a virtual or physical classroom for all workers, workplace representatives and supervisors.

Employer training obligations

If your workplace employs 20 or more workers or a designated substance is onsite, a joint health and safety committee (JHSC) is required. In this case, employers must "carry out" Certification training for at least two members of the JHSC, one worker representative and one management representative, including approved JHSC Certification Part I, JHSC Certification Part II and JHSC Certification Refresher. 
 
Most Ontario employers covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) or the Canada Labour Code are legally required to provide workers with general and workplace-specific WHMIS training. They must also ensure supervisors complete training within one week of performing work as a supervisor and be competent.
 
Ontario health and safety law also requires employers to ensure all construction workers in their employ secure Working at Heights (WAH) training before working at heights and using a fall protection system. Like JHSC Certification, WAH training must also meet strict standards, be approved and refreshed every three years.  
 
WHSC’s Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Mental Health is the latest in our suite of Mental Health at Work Training. It examines the workplace as a source of potential mental injury and illness, but also as the best place to seek lasting solutions to workplace psychosocial hazards. WHSC’s Workplace Violence and Harassment training will help workplaces understand and address the high incidence of workplace violence and harassment and meet legal requirements.
 
Finally, significant changes to federal health and safety laws came into effect January 1, 2021. WHSC’s new Federal Committees and Representatives program incorporates all of these important changes and helps workplaces meet their many requirements.
 
Need more information still?
Call a WHSC training services representative in your area.
Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca
Visit: www.whsc.on.ca
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