Health and Safety Awareness Training​

What is health and safety awareness training​? 

Health and safety awareness training prepares workers to identify hazards and follow safety protocols, helping organizations comply with Canadian legislation. This training is designed to create a safer, more efficient workplace by preventing accidents and reducing risks before they occur. Key areas of focus include hazard assessments, safety inspections, and enforcement of procedures. Depending on the industry, an organization might be required to provide specialized training for high-risk tasks like working at heights or in confined spaces. These sessions ensure your team has the knowledge and resources to work safely while meeting all regulatory standards. 

Does health and safety awareness training expire?​ 

While basic health and safety awareness training usually doesn’t expire, specialized training and safety certifications do. For example, credentials for working at heights or joint health and safety committee (JHSC) certification often expire every three years. These certificates require retraining to remain valid, ensuring workers have up-to-date knowledge. It’s the employer’s responsibility to track these expiry dates and to maintain compliance. Also, although some training doesn’t formally expire, employers have a duty to ensure workers are as prepared as possible to work safely. This means providing retraining after incidents occur to remind workers of health and safety standards, and reviewing training records and retraining as needed to ensure important workplace safety information remains top of mind for employees. 

Is health and safety awareness training mandatory?​ 

Basic health and safety awareness training is mandatory for all workers and supervisors in Ontario under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). This training covers rights and responsibilities, hazards, and WHMIS. Employers must ensure it’s completed as soon as possible. Similar requirements exist in other jurisdictions, often mandated by law, to help employees understand essential safety concepts and workplace hazards. Employers also have a duty to provide information and instruction to workers and to take every reasonable precaution to protect their health and safety while at work. In this regard, training is often the best option to meet these legislative requirements. 

Canadian-made health and safety training from Citation Canada 

Our live health and safety advice services and online safety training were built to serve organizations of any size. And our flexible packages are conveniently priced to meet the needs and budgets of companies in any industry. 

Or, get started now with our guide, Ontario Health and Safety Program Planning Guide. Start improving your health and safety program today with actionable tips from our experts. 

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE HERE 

And check out these blogposts for more information on trending health and safety topics in Canada: 

• Keeping Employees Engaged During Health and Safety Awareness Training 
• Safety and Health Week: Creating Safer Workplaces 
• What are employers’ responsibilities for workplace health and safety?