How to get JHSC certification in Ontario
How to get JHSC certification in Ontario: who must be certified, choosing an approved provider, Part One and its evaluation, Part Two, what you pay and who pays, online and eLearning options, proof of certification and the refresher. Sources: ontario.ca.
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- Checked October 17, 2026
JHSC certification is the status the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) grants to a joint health and safety committee member who completes both parts of an approved training program: Part One, the same for every workplace, and Part Two, which applies the skills to hazards in your own workplace. Certified members then keep their status with refresher training.
This guide sets out the steps in the order the CPO's training requirements set them, with what the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development says about delivery options, the Part One evaluation, pay during training, proof of certification and keeping it valid. Every fact links to the ontario.ca page it comes from. To prepare for the Part One evaluation, use the practice questions and mock exam linked below.
Step by step
Check whether your workplace needs certified members
Most workplaces that regularly employ 20 or more workers must have a joint health and safety committee, and at least two members, one representing workers and one representing management, must be certified. Certified members are not required at workplaces that regularly employ fewer than 20 workers, at construction projects that regularly employ fewer than 50, or at projects expected to last less than 3 months.
Source: Ontario — Guide for health and safety committees and representativesFind a CPO-approved training provider
Only training delivered by providers approved by the Chief Prevention Officer counts. The ministry's Marketplace lists approved providers and their classes, and you can browse and register for a course in your area. Training is delivered in a classroom, by live distance learning, or by self-paced eLearning for Part One only.
Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee membersComplete Part One and pass the final evaluation
Part One runs at least three days, or 19.5 hours, in a classroom, by distance learning or in a hybrid class; a self-paced eLearning version must be at least 13 hours and finished within 30 days. It ends with a standardized final evaluation, with at least one hour allotted, and you need at least 75 per cent to pass. The provider marks the evaluation, and the program must give you the chance to receive feedback on your results.
Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program Standard (sections 6 and 9.1)Complete Part Two within 12 months
Part Two, also called workplace-specific hazard training, must cover at least 6 hazards relevant to your workplace and be completed within 12 months of finishing Part One. It runs at least two days, or 13 hours, in a classroom, by distance learning or in a hybrid class; eLearning is not permitted for Part Two.
Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program Standard (section 6 and Appendix B)Receive your certification from the Chief Prevention Officer
The CPO is advised when you have successfully completed Part One and Part Two, reviews the training you received and may then grant you certification. Your proof is a record issued by the CPO, and you can get a digital copy through a free account in the ministry's certification management system.
Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program StandardTake refresher training every three years
A certified member must complete an approved refresher program within 3 years of being certified and then within 3 years of each refresher. Refresher training runs at least one day, or 6.5 hours, and cannot be done by eLearning. If you miss the deadline you are no longer certified, but you can become certified again by completing refresher training.
Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program Standard (section 6 and Appendix B, part C)
Who can get it
- Certification is for joint health and safety committee members: members who successfully complete all parts of an approved training program are eligible to be certified by the Chief Prevention Officer. Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee members
- Worker members are selected by the workers they represent, or by the union in a unionized workplace; at least half the committee must be workers who do not exercise managerial functions, and the employer selects the rest from people who do. Source: Ontario — Guide for health and safety committees and representatives
- Both parts must come from CPO-approved programs and providers, and Part Two must be completed within 12 months of Part One. Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program Standard (Appendix B)
- Members who passed Part One under the 1996 certification standards before March 1, 2016 may submit proof of that training and then complete an approved Part Two. Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program Standard (Appendix B, part B)
- To be eligible for refresher training you must have successfully completed both parts of an approved certification program; the ministry's online eligibility checker shows your status. Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee members
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Part One, Part Two and refresher course fees | Not confirmed by an official source; check with the provider | Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee members |
| Your time in certification training | Counts as work time: the employer pays your regular or, where applicable, premium rate (unless the WSIB pays you to become certified) | Source: Ontario — Guide for health and safety committees and representatives (subsections 9(36) and 9(37)) |
| Digital proof of certification (certification management system account) | Free | Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee members |
Fees change. Check the amount on the official page or with the provider before you pay.
Where to take the test
With any training provider approved by the Chief Prevention Officer. The ministry's Marketplace lists approved providers and available classes so you can register for a course in your area, and ontario.ca also lists current providers, including those that offer in-house training only. Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee members
What to bring or have ready
- To set up your account in the certification management system: the address you gave when you registered for training, your year of birth, and an email address and phone number (mobile if possible). Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee members
- To your employer: a valid certification record issued by the Chief Prevention Officer. The employer must keep proof of your certification and show it to a ministry inspector on request. Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee members
- To Part Two: knowledge of the hazards in your own workplace. The program must cover at least 6 hazards relevant to your workplace and includes drafting recommendations and an action plan for the employer. Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program Standard (section 8.2)
After you pass
Passing the Part One evaluation completes only the first part. Complete Part Two within 12 months; the CPO is then advised that you have finished both parts, reviews your training and may grant certification, and you can download your record from the certification management system. Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program Standard
Validity and renewal
Certification is generally valid for 3 years after you complete Part Two, and you keep it valid by completing a refresher within 3 years of certification or of your last refresher. An active certified member whose certification is about to expire may apply once, through the certification management system, for an exemption that extends it 3 more years without refresher training; the CPO must approve it before the certification expires. Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee members
Common mistakes
- Stopping after Part One. Part One alone does not make you a certified member; you need Part Two as well, and the CPO grants certification only after both. Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program Standard
- Leaving more than 12 months between Part One and Part Two. The certification requirements set that deadline for Part Two. Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program Standard (Appendix B)
- Looking for a self-paced online Part Two or refresher. eLearning and blended learning are permitted only for Part One; Part Two and refresher training can be live distance learning but not eLearning. Source: Ontario — JHSC Certification Training Program Standard (section 6.3)
- Booking a course that is not CPO-approved. Only programs approved by the Chief Prevention Officer and delivered by approved providers count; check the ministry's Marketplace or provider list. Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee members
- Applying for the one-time exemption after the certification has expired. The exemption must be approved by the CPO before the expiry date. Source: Ontario — Training for joint health and safety committee members
Prepare for the test
Free practice written from the official material: full practice tests, a study guide, a printable sheet and a timed mock exam.
- JHSC Part One practice tests186 original practice questions with explanations
- JHSC Part One practice test (printable PDF)50 JHSC Certification Part One questions on the OHSA, worker rights, committee duties, work stoppages, violence and harassment, hazards and incident reporting, with a separate answer key. Free.
- JHSC Part One study guideFree JHSC Part One study guide: 181 key points from the Guide for health and safety committees and representatives (Ontario) in plain words, organised by topic, each topic linked to its practice questions.
- JHSC Part One Mock Exam 1 – 40 QuestionsTimed practice · 60 minutes · answers explained
- JHSC Part One exam simulator40 new random questions every time, full screen, no hints
We last checked the official pages on October 17, 2026. Rules and fees can change; the official source always wins.
FAQ
How to get JHSC certification: common questions
How much does JHSC certification cost?
The ministry does not publish course fees; each approved training provider sets its own, and the Marketplace lists available classes. A committee member in certification training is considered to be at work, so the employer must pay their regular or premium rate for that time, unless the WSIB pays them to become certified.
Can I get JHSC certification online?
Partly. Part One can be taken by self-paced eLearning, of at least 13 hours finished within 30 days, or by live distance learning. Part Two and refresher training can be taken by live distance learning but not by eLearning.
What is the pass mark for JHSC Part One?
At least 75 per cent on the standardized final evaluation, which must be given at least one hour. The approved training provider marks it.
How long is JHSC certification valid?
Generally 3 years after you complete Part Two. You keep it by completing refresher training within 3 years of certification and every 3 years after that, or by a one-time exemption approved before it expires.
How do I prove I am JHSC certified?
With a valid record issued by the Chief Prevention Officer. You can get a digital copy, which can be shared and printed, through a free account in the ministry's certification management system, and employers can check it there with your consent.
Does my workplace need certified JHSC members?
Usually if it regularly employs 20 or more workers; on construction projects, if 50 or more are regularly employed and the project is expected to last 3 months or more. Then at least one worker member and one management member must be certified.
Keep practising
- JHSC Part One practice test (printable PDF)50 JHSC Certification Part One questions on the OHSA, worker rights, committee duties, work stoppages, violence and harassment, hazards and incident reporting, with a separate answer key. Free.
- JHSC Part One study guide
- JHSC Part One Mock Exam 1 – 40 QuestionsTimed practice · 60 minutes · answers explained
- JHSC Part One Mock Exam 2 – 40 QuestionsTimed practice · 60 minutes · answers explained
- JHSC Part One Practice Test 130 questions with explanations
- JHSC Part One Practice Test 230 questions with explanations
- JHSC Part One Practice Test 330 questions with explanations
Practice by topic
- Certification and the internal responsibility systemHow JHSC certification works (Part One, Part Two, refresher, Chief Prevention Officer), what certified members do, and the internal responsibility system behind Ontario's law.
- The OHSA and how the law worksHow the Occupational Health and Safety Act, regulations, standards and guidelines fit together, key sector regulations, enforcement under Part VIII and penalties.
- Duties of the workplace partiesDuties of employers, supervisors, workers, owners, suppliers and corporate directors, the competent person, and the health and safety policy and program.
- Worker rights: know, participate, refuseThe right to know, the right to participate and the right to refuse unsafe work, the two-stage work refusal process, and protection from reprisals.
- When a JHSC is required and how it runsWhich workplaces need a committee or a representative, membership, co-chairs, meetings, minutes, postings, paid time and worker trades committees.
- JHSC powers and recommendationsWhat the committee may do: identify hazards, obtain information, recommend improvements, the employer's 21-day written response, consensus and co-chair recommendations, and inspector visits.
- Certified members and dangerous circumstancesWhat dangerous circumstances are, investigating complaints, bilateral and unilateral work stoppages, cancelling a direction and complaints of reckless use.
- Workplace violence and harassmentLegal definitions, policies, programs, risk assessments, the committee's role, reporting incidents, domestic violence and the Human Rights Code.
- Hazard recognition and categoriesHazard, injury and illness, the six hazard categories, the five contributing factors, states of matter, routes of entry and acute versus chronic effects.
- Workplace inspectionsWho inspects, how often, preparing and doing an inspection, reporting hazards to the committee and other ways to find hazards.
- Hazard assessment and exposure limitsMethods for assessing how serious a hazard is, exposure monitoring, the committee's right to be at the start of testing, and TWA, STEL and ceiling limits.
- Hazard control and evaluating controlsControlling hazards at the source, along the path and at the worker, the hierarchy of controls with examples, qualities of good controls and evaluating them.
- Reporting and investigating incidentsNotices of death, critical injury, lost-time injury and occupational illness, the critical injury definition, preserving the scene, and committee investigations.