Ontario JHSC Part One Study Guide 2026

How JHSC certification works

A certified member has completed an approved training program and been certified by the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO). Where a committee is required, at least one worker member and one employer member must be certified (s. 9(12) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act). Certification is not required in workplaces with fewer than 20 workers or construction projects with fewer than 50.

Program	Minimum length	eLearning?
Part One	3 days (19.5 hours) face-to-face, distance or hybrid	Yes: at least 13 hours, finished within 30 days
Part Two	2 days (13 hours)	No
Refresher	1 day (6.5 hours)	No

Part One is general training for all workplaces. It ends with a standardized evaluation, in a form acceptable to the ministry, with a 75% pass mark. At least one hour is allotted.
Part Two must be finished within 12 months of Part One. It covers at least 6 hazards in your workplace, chosen by the employer with the committee.
Refresher training is due within 3 years of certification and within 3 years of each refresher. Miss it and you are no longer certified.
Face-to-face classes have 6 to 25 learners.

The July 31, 2026 changes

Hybrid delivery (in-person and virtual learners together, live) is allowed.
Members whose certification expired can recertify through Refresher, without retaking Parts One and Two.
The one-time exemption process is removed.
Violence and harassment and occupational illness content is stronger.
Members certified under earlier standards keep their certification.

Find courses in the ministry's Marketplace of CPO-approved courses. Employers keep proof of certification for inspectors.

Health and safety law and the internal responsibility system

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) sets duties for every workplace party. Regulations add detailed rules for sectors and hazards. Part One teaches you to find the sections you need.

The internal responsibility system means everyone shares responsibility for safety, according to their authority. The employer has the greatest responsibility. The committee does not replace the employer's duties: it helps find problems and checks that the system works.

Three worker rights

The right to know about hazards.
The right to participate, including through the committee.
The right to refuse unsafe work.

Key duties

Party	Examples of duties
Employer	Take every precaution reasonable; help the committee do its job (s. 25(2)(e)); share health and safety reports with it (s. 25(2)(l)); written policy if more than 5 workers, reviewed yearly
Supervisor	Make sure workers follow the law and use required equipment; warn workers of known dangers
Worker	Follow the law; use required equipment; report hazards and defects
Officers and directors	Take all reasonable care that the corporation complies

Enforcement (Part VIII)

Inspectors may enter a workplace without a warrant or notice. A worker representative must get the chance to go with them.
Inspectors issue written orders, including stop work orders for dangerous contraventions.
Orders must be posted and given to the committee.
A notice of compliance goes to the ministry within 3 days, with a statement from a worker member or representative.
Orders can be appealed to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) within 30 days.

How the committee works

Rule	Requirement
When required	Generally 20 or more regular workers; construction projects with 20 or more workers expected to last 3 months or more; or by order or designated substance rule
Size	At least 2 members (under 50 workers); at least 4 members (50 or more)
Worker members	At least half; non-managerial; chosen by workers or the union
Co-chairs	Two: one chosen by each side
Meetings	At least once every three months
Minutes	Kept and available to an inspector
Posting	Members' names and work locations posted or available electronically
Paid time	One hour to prepare for each meeting, plus meetings, inspections, investigations and training

The committee's main powers (s. 9(18)) are to identify hazards, make recommendations to the employer and be consulted before certain workplace testing. It cannot discipline workers or fine the employer.

Smaller workplaces with more than 5 workers have a health and safety representative instead. On construction projects, a worker trades committee may tell the joint committee about the concerns of trades workers. The WSIB will send an annual injury and illness summary on request, which the employer posts.

Workplace inspections and recommendations

A worker member chosen by the worker members inspects the workplace at least once a month. This person should be certified if possible. If a full monthly inspection is impractical, part of the workplace is inspected each month so all of it is covered at least once a year. Video calls cannot replace these physical inspections.

Prepare: review past reports, injury records and the areas to visit.
Inspect: look, listen and talk to workers.
Report: write down hazards found.
Follow up: make recommendations and check they are acted on.

Inspections are not the only way to find hazards. Worker concerns, observation and records such as injury reports also help.

Recommendations

The committee sends recommendations in writing. If it cannot agree after good-faith efforts, either co-chair may send written recommendations (s. 9(19.1)). The employer must reply in writing within 21 days: with a timetable if it agrees, or reasons if it disagrees.

Work refusals and stopping work

Work refusals (s. 43)

A worker who refuses unsafe work tells the supervisor or employer right away. The investigation happens with the worker and a worker representative, usually a committee worker member. If the worker still has reasonable grounds, a ministry inspector is called and gives a written decision.

Dangerous circumstances (s. 44)

Certified members can stop work only in dangerous circumstances. All three must be true:

The Act or regulations are being broken.
This poses a danger or hazard to a worker.
Any delay in controlling it may seriously endanger a worker.

Bilateral stop (s. 45)

A certified member asks a supervisor to investigate promptly, with the member present.
If the danger continues, a certified member from the other side investigates.
If both agree, they direct the employer to stop the work or equipment. The employer must comply right away, safely.
Only those members or an inspector can cancel the direction. If they disagree, either may call an inspector.

The unilateral procedure (s. 47), where one certified member can stop work alone, applies only after an OLRB declaration or if the employer adopts it in writing. Misuse of these powers can lead to an OLRB complaint within 30 days and even decertification. Stop work powers do not apply to police, firefighters or correctional workplaces.

Workplace violence and harassment

Employers must have violence and harassment policies, reviewed at least once a year, and programs to carry them out.
The employer must share the results of the violence risk assessment with the committee or representative.
The written harassment program is developed in consultation with the committee or representative.
Harassment investigation results do not have to be given to the committee.
Reasonable action by management to direct work is not harassment.

From July 2026, Part One gives more time to employer duties on violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, and to the Ontario Human Rights Code's protection against racial discrimination and harassment in employment.

Hazard recognition and assessment

Part One is built on one process: recognize, assess, control and evaluate. You apply it with a Hazard Management Tool.

Six hazard categories	Examples
Physical	Noise, heat, vibration, radiation
Chemical	Solvents, dusts, fumes
Biological	Bacteria, viruses, mould
Musculoskeletal	Lifting, awkward postures, repetition
Psychosocial	Stress, workplace violence and harassment
Safety	Unguarded machines, slips and falls

Hazards come from five contributing factors: people, equipment, materials, environment and process. Chemicals enter the body by routes of entry: inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion and injection. An occupational illness often appears long after exposure, while an injury usually comes from a sudden event.

Assessing hazards

Methods include inspections, investigations, job hazard analysis, interviews, measurement and comparison with standards. Exposure limits use these terms:

TWA: time-weighted average over a work shift.
STEL: short-term exposure limit for brief periods.
C: ceiling, a level never to be exceeded.

Controlling hazards and evaluating controls

Hazards can be controlled at three points: at the source, along the path, and at the worker. Control at the source is best.

Elimination: remove the hazard.
Substitution: use something less hazardous.
Engineering controls: guards, ventilation, isolation.
Administrative controls: procedures, training, job rotation.
Personal protective equipment: the last line of defence.

Good controls are effective, reliable and do not create new hazards. After a control is in place, evaluate it: check that it works, that workers use it, and that it still protects them. If not, go back to the start of the process.

Reporting and investigations

Event	Employer must
Death or critical injury (s. 51)	Notify an inspector, the committee and the union immediately; written report to a Director within 48 hours
Accident, fire, explosion or violence needing medical attention (s. 52)	Written notice to the committee and union within 4 days
Occupational illness (s. 52)	Written notice to a Director, the committee and union within 4 days, including for former workers

After a death or critical injury, designated worker members investigate, may inspect the scene (subject to the rules on preserving it) and report findings to a Director and the committee. Part One includes a case study where you write an investigation report.

Members also need good information: the right to information, when to call in experts, how to stay current, and how to use injury and illness data such as WSIB reports.

Study tips

Know the numbers: 20 and 50 workers, 2 and 4 members, 3 months, 21 days, 48 hours, 4 days, 3 days, 30 days, 12 months, 3 years and 75%.
Learn the three conditions for dangerous circumstances word by word.
Practise the hazard process on a real task at your workplace.
Know which delivery methods are allowed for each part.

Key terms

The 16 words and rules to know for this test. Read the list or study them as flashcards: flip each card, then mark it "Know it" or "Still learning".

Certified member: A committee member who has finished approved training and been certified by the Chief Prevention Officer. At least one worker and one employer member must be certified.
Chief Prevention Officer: The CPO, who certifies committee members and sets the program standard that approved JHSC training follows.
Part One training: General JHSC training of at least 3 days (19.5 hours), ending with a standardized evaluation with a 75% pass mark.
Refresher training: Due within 3 years of certification and of each refresher. Missing it means you are no longer certified.
Occupational Health and Safety Act: Ontario's OHSA, which sets the duties of every workplace party, with regulations adding detailed rules for sectors and hazards.
Internal responsibility system: Everyone in the workplace shares responsibility for safety according to their authority, with the employer holding the most.
Three worker rights: The right to know about hazards, the right to participate, and the right to refuse unsafe work.
Joint health and safety committee: Generally required with 20 or more regular workers. At least half its members are non-managerial workers, and it meets at least every three months.
Health and safety representative: Used instead of a committee in smaller workplaces with more than 5 workers.
Monthly inspection: A worker member inspects the workplace at least once a month, or part of it monthly so all is covered yearly.
Written recommendations: Committee advice sent to the employer, who must reply in writing within 21 days with a timetable or reasons.
Work refusal: Under s. 43, a worker refusing unsafe work tells the supervisor right away. If concerns remain after investigation, an inspector decides.
Dangerous circumstances: When the law is broken, this poses a danger to a worker, and delay may seriously endanger a worker. All three must be true.
Bilateral stop: Under s. 45, two certified members, one from each side, agree to direct the employer to stop dangerous work.
Hierarchy of controls: Ways to control hazards from best to last: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment.
Critical injury reporting: After a death or critical injury, notify an inspector, the committee and union immediately, with a written report within 48 hours.