Mandatory Health and Safety and Awareness Training for Workers in Ontario

Effective July 1, 2014 every person working in Ontario (regardless of province or country of residence) will be required to have the new Ontario Occupational Health and Safety and Awareness Training certification (O. Reg. 297/13) under theOccupational Health and Safety Act(OHSA).

MOL SW OHSA Poster English

The regulation:

  • Requires that all workers and supervisors (those who may supervise the work of another team member) must complete the Safety Awareness training program as soon as practicable;
  • Requires employers to maintain a record of training, and provide workers and supervisors with proof of completion, on request, for up to six months after the worker or supervisor stops performing work for that employer.

To help Ontario workers comply with the new requirements, TheMinistry of Labour has developed awareness training programs and materials for both workers and supervisors, which are free, publicly available online and in many languages. For more information and to access the on-line courses, please go to:www.Ontario.ca/LearnToWorkSafe. The courses take approximately 45 – 60 minutes to complete. The module is unable to keep track of your progress, so each course must be completed in one sitting. You cannot start a course and then go back to it later.

Required steps:

  1. Please ensure that you take both of the online courses (worker and supervisor).
  2. You will receive a ‘Proof of Completion’ certificate once you complete the online training. Be sure to print the certificate before exiting the online training module and before closing your internet browser. Please note: You must use one of the following browsers to receive a valid certificate, Internet Explorer 9 or later / Safari 5.1 or later / Google Chrome 17 or later. 
  3. Keep copies of your certificates with all other documents that you need to provide upon being hired by a production.
  4. Be sure to forward a copy of your certificates to the Local 411 office once you have completed the courses.
  5. You will be required to comply with this regulation, failure to do so will affect your employment opportunities in Ontario.

KEEP A COPY OF THE ‘PROOF OF COMPLETION’ CERTIFICATE FOR YOUR RECORDS. This certificate will
be required for all work in Ontario, once the regulation comes into full force on July 1, 2014. The Ministry of Labour will not store your certificate, or keep a record of your training.

 

Disclaimer: This training introduces Workers, Supervisors to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It focuses on the health and safety rights and responsibilities of workers, supervisors and employers. It also serves as a general introduction to workplace health and safety. The Occupational health and safety awareness training provides a basic understanding of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), and does not replace any sector specific, hazard specific, or competency
specific training.

Link to Supervisor training module*: http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/elearn/supervisor/index.php

Link to Worker training module*: http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/elearn/worker/index.php

*You must use one of the following browsers to receive a valid certificate: Internet Explorer 9 or later / Safari 5.1 or later / Google Chrome 17 or later.