Training for joint health and safety committee members
Learn about mandatory joint health and safety committee (JHSC) certification training and find an approved training provider.
Overview
In Ontario, most workplaces with 20 or more workers must have a joint health and safety committee (JHSC), made up of at least one worker and one employer member. The committee's primary role is to identify workplace health and safety issues and bring them to the attention of the employer.
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, at least one worker and one employer on a JHSC must be certified.
JHSC members who successfully complete all parts of an approved training program are eligible to be certified by the Chief Prevention Officer.
Learn more about joint health and safety committees and representatives.
Resources
Resources for training providers:
Find an approved training provider
Joint health and safety certification training is delivered by a number of providers across the province who are approved by the Chief Prevention Officer.
Learn about the types of training available.
The ministry's Marketplace lists approved joint health and safety training providers and available classes. You can browse and register for a course in your area. You can also search the following list of current training providers, or find a provider that was previously approved or offers in-house training only.
Types of training available
Joint health and safety committee certification training is delivered either:
- in a classroom setting
- online via distance learning – instructor and learner are separated by location, but training still happens in real-time, allowing for instant feedback and clarification
- online via eLearning (available only for Part One) – this training is not led by an instructor and the learner sets their own pace
Proof of certification
Workers must have a valid record issued by the Chief Prevention Officer as proof that they are certified.
There are 3 ways employers can check that a worker's certification is valid.
- Accept a certification record issued by the Chief Prevention Officer
- Access a worker's proof of certification, with the worker's consent, by creating a free and secure account through the ministry’s certification management system.
- With the worker's consent, contact the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development to confirm that the worker’s certification record is valid.
Workers can also get a digital copy of their proof of JHSC certification by setting up a free and secure account through the ministry’s certification management system. You will need your:
- address provided when you registered for training
- year of birth
- email address and phone number (mobile if possible)
To replace a lost or damaged record
If your certification record was lost or damaged, you can either:
- get your digital record online from the ministry’s certification management system—it can be shared and printed
- contact your training provider to obtain a copy of your training records or proof of successful completion document
Validity period
In general, your joint health and safety committee certification is valid for 3 years after the successful completion of an approved JHSC Part two training program.
You must successfully complete a refresher program within 3 years of the date of certification, or the date of successfully completing a refresher program, to keep your certification valid.
To be eligible for refresher training, workers must have successfully completed both parts of an approved JHSC certification program. You can check eligibility status using our eligibility checker tool.
1996 standards
If you were certified under the 1996 standards set out by the Workplace Safety Insurance Board, you don't have to refresh your certification.
Request an exemption
If your JHSC certification is about to expire and you are an active certified member, you may apply for a one-time exemption to extend your certification for another three years without taking refresher training.
Your request must be approved by the Chief Prevention Officer before your certification expires.
To apply for a one-time exemption request, please please log in to your CMS account and click on the Create Exemption Request button to submit your request.
Find an approved training provider who delivers refresher training.
Employer duties
As an employer, you must keep proof of your workers' JHSC certification and make it available to a Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development inspector on request.
Learn more about health and safety inspections.
Apply to be an approved training provider
The Chief Prevention Officer has revoked the JHSC Certification Distance Learning Standard that was announced on June 1, 2020. As of June 30, 2021, requirements for JHSC distance learning are included in the JHSC Certification Training Program and Training Provider Standards. The changes to the standards are summarized at the top of each standard, available below.
We are now using the updated standards to evaluate all training providers and training programs.
Training providers who were approved under the JHSC Certification Distance Learning Standard do not need to reapply for approval.
Applications for all JHSC programs can be submitted through the ministry’s certification management system.
Before you can offer joint health and safety committee certification training, the provider and proposed training program must be approved by the Chief Prevention Officer.
To apply for approval:
- make sure that your program content and delivery meet both training standards:
- if your program includes an eLearning component, make sure it follows the eLearning instructional design guidelines
- create a provider profile in the ministry’s certification management system
- once you’ve logged in, complete the joint health and safety committee certification training in the Application for new training program delivery page and upload your training material in the areas provided
There is no fee to apply.
Applications are assessed on a first-come, first-served basis. The length of time it takes to complete a full assessment of a training program depends on the quality of the application and associated training materials, as well as the number of existing applications in the review process.
The ministry will contact you with any questions or concerns as we review your application.
For more information about the application process and tips on how to complete the application package, read the application guidelines.
No longer approved and in-house only training providers
Find a provider that is no longer approved or offers in-house training only.
Contact us
Please contact the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development at
- more information about Chief Prevention Officer training programs and requirements (for example, lost card or learner ID, training provider applications, etc.)
- support with technical questions or concerns about accessing your digital training record