What Is Health and Safety Awareness Training?

Health and safety awareness training is a short, general course about how safety works at a Canadian workplace. It does not teach you one machine or one task. Instead, it gives you the base that all other safety training builds on.

After the training, you should be able to answer simple but important questions. Who is responsible for safety here? What are my rights? What counts as a hazard? What do I do if I see one, or if someone gets hurt? When can I say no to a job that feels unsafe?

Employers across Canada must make sure workers have this kind of basic safety knowledge. Many employers and staffing agencies ask new workers to show a health and safety awareness certificate before their first shift, so they know the worker already understands the basics.

Health and safety laws in every province and territory are built on three basic worker rights. Learning these is a big part of any awareness course.

Rights come with duties. Employers must provide a safe workplace, training and supervision. Supervisors must make sure workers follow safe procedures and know about hazards. Workers must follow the rules, use the protective equipment they are given, and report hazards and injuries. When everyone does their part, this shared approach is often called the internal responsibility system.

Every province and territory has its own occupational health and safety (OHS) law. Federally regulated workplaces, such as banks, airlines and interprovincial trucking, fall under federal rules instead. The details differ, but they all expect employers to make sure workers are informed, trained and supervised for the work they do.

That means the exact training you need depends on where you work and what your job involves. A general awareness course is a common way to cover the basics. Ontario also has its own mandatory worker awareness program, so if you work in Ontario, ask your employer which training they accept.

One thing no online course can replace: your employer must still give you a site-specific orientation. That covers the hazards, equipment, emergency exits, first aid kits and procedures at your actual workplace.

Anyone starting work in Canada can benefit, but it is especially useful for:

• New hires and newcomers to Canada starting their first job here.
• Young and student workers, who are new to workplace rules and less likely to speak up.
• Temporary, contract and agency workers who move between job sites.
• Workers returning to work after time away.
• Experienced workers who want a refresher.

It fits almost any industry, including:

Gama Safety’s online Health & Safety Awareness course has nine short modules:

1. Introduction to Health & Safety: why safety matters and how the safety system works in Canadian workplaces.
2. Rights and Responsibilities: the rights of every worker and the duties of employers, supervisors and workers under provincial OHS laws.
3. Hazard Recognition and Control: how to spot physical, chemical, biological and ergonomic hazards and control them.
4. Emergency Response and First Aid: what to do in an emergency, how to report incidents and where to find first aid help.
5. WHMIS: an overview of labels, safety data sheets and how hazardous products are identified.
6. Occupational Diseases and Illnesses: how long-term exposure at work can cause illness, and how to prevent it.
7. Safety Policies and Procedures: how written rules protect workers and why following them every day matters.
8. Getting Involved in Health & Safety: how safety committees and representatives work, and how you can take part.
9. Refusal of Unsafe Work: when and how to refuse unsafe work, what happens next, and how you are protected.

The WHMIS module is an overview only. If you work with or near hazardous products, you will usually need a full WHMIS course too.

A hazard is anything at work that could hurt you or make you sick. Awareness training sorts them into four common groups:

• Physical: slippery floors, moving machinery, noise, heat, cold, electricity and working at heights.
• Chemical: cleaning products, fuels, solvents, dusts and fumes.
• Biological: bacteria, viruses, mould, and contact with blood or body fluids.
• Ergonomic: heavy lifting, awkward postures and repetitive motions that strain muscles and joints.

You also learn how hazards are controlled. The best fix is to remove the hazard completely. If that is not possible, the next steps are to swap it for something safer, add barriers or guards, change how the work is done, and finally use personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE is the last line of defence, not the first.

There is no single national expiry date for health and safety awareness training. It depends on your province and your employer. Many employers ask for a refresher every 1 to 3 years, and you should get new training when your job, equipment or workplace changes.

1. Enrol in the online Health & Safety Awareness course and start right away on your phone, tablet or computer.
2. Learn at your own pace. The course takes about 2.5 hours, and your progress saves automatically.
3. Pass the final exam with 80% or better. Retakes are unlimited and free.
4. Download your certificate right away. A physical wallet card is mailed to you free.

The course is available in English, French, Spanish, Punjabi, Hindi, Mandarin and more, and it is recognized by employers across Canada. Training a team? Team pricing starts at 2 seats, with an admin dashboard to track who has finished. Questions? Call 1-866-661-9803 or email info@gamasafety.ca.