In Ontario, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requires that every worker and supervisor complete an occupational health and safety awareness training program that provides a basic understanding of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including rights, roles, and responsibilities under the Act.

The Basic Awareness Training Program for Workers must include Instruction on the:

• Duties and rights of workers under OHSA
• Duties of employers and supervisors under OHSA
• Roles of health and safety representatives and Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs) under OHSA
• Roles of the Ministry of Labour, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and entities under OHSA Section 22.5
• Common workplace hazards
• Requirements in Regulation 860 – Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) regarding information and instruction on controlled products and
• Occupational illness, including latency. [O. Reg. 297/13, Subsection 1(3)]

The Basic Awareness Training Program for Supervisors must include Instruction on the:

• Duties and rights of workers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA)
• Duties of employers and supervisors under OHSA
• Roles of Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs) and health and safety representatives under OHSA
• Roles of the Ministry of Labour, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and entities under OHSA Section 22.5
• How to recognize, assess and control workplace hazards, and evaluate those controls
• Sources of information on occupational health and safety [O. Reg. 297/13, Subsection 2(3)]

The Ministry of Labour (MOL) has developed basic occupational health and safety awareness training programs for workers and supervisors which are available for free online at
https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/training/index.php