2026 Workers Health & Safety Summer School

The Niagara Regional Labour Council is offering the Workers Health & Safety Centre and Prevention Link Courses from July 20-24, 2026

Courses will be offered at the Best Western St. Catharines Hotel & Conference Centre, 2 North Service Rd, St. Catharines, Ontario

WHSC 5 Day Level 1 Occupational Health & Safety Training
July 20-24, 2026 – 30 Hours including 3 optional subjects
$575.00 per participant

Course Description:
The WHSC Occupational Health & Safety Level 1 program is intended for use by unions to train new joint committee members and health and safety representatives. Through the level 1 program, participants learn and practice skills needed to promote and achieve prevention in the workplace. Upon completion of the program, learners receive a Level 1 certificate. The Level 1 program trains worker representatives to identify and fight off behavioral-based management approaches and establish real prevention programs that identify, assess, and control hazards. The WHSC Level 1 is a certificate program and the prerequisite for entering Level 2 programs and Instructor Training. To earn a Level 1 certificate a participant must complete seven core modules and three additional electives. The seven core modules are:
1. Staying Alive While Earning a Living
2. The Body in the Workplace
3. Toxic Substances
4. Principles of Control
5. It’s the Law
6. The Myth of Worker Carelessness
7. Making Work Fit the Worker

WHSC 3 Day Bundle
July 22 – 24, 2026 – 18 Hours
$500 per participant for the 5 courses

Ergonomics: Basic Principals (6 hours)

From 1996 – 2004, Ontario’s workers compensation system approved more than 382,000 MSD lost-time claims. These claims led to nearly 27 million lost-time days and direct costs of more than $3.3 billion. This makes MSDs the number one reason for lost-time claims reported by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). This program, “Ergonomics” was developed to empower workplace parties with the skills to recognize, assess, and control or eliminate the job demands that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders through the application of egronomical principals. Observing awkward postures, forceful movements or repetitive job tasks are clear signs that the presence of occupational MSD hazards exist. Listening to what workers say will provide signals about how the job demands are affecting them. The first part of this program, Module 1, “Ergonomics: Recognizing Injuries and Risk Factors” explains what MSDs are, how the body is affected, and provides participants with the information necessary to recognize the risk factors that contribute to MSDs. The second half of the program, Module 2, “Ergonomics: Design Principles” deals with the principles of work design. Workers who do the work are often the people who know best when the work activity is causing strain, stress, or pain. They are often the same people who have ideas or suggestions about changes that can be used successfully.

Documenting Health & Safety (3 hours)

This three-hour program takes a strong practical approach to documenting health & safety. Participants will examine six basic areas: (1) why documenting health and safety is critical, (2) ways to document, (3) specific types of documents to use (4) what to document (5) when to document, and (6) how to organize their documents. It provides various methods using forms that are perforated for easy and quick use. Participants will have multiple opportunities to practice documenting by sitting in a JHSC meeting practice documenting by sitting in a JHSC meeting to practice their note taking skills when listening to interactive audio-led worksheets and take part in a work refusal. The goal of this program is to ensure participants can walk away prepared to bring health and safety issues to the forefront in their workplaces.

Psychosocial Hazards & Workplace Mental Health (3 hours)

This program provides a basic understanding of psychosocial hazards and how they may impact a worker’s mental health. It outlines the health effects associated with psychosocial hazards, explains workplace and contributing factors and discusses methods for their identification, assessment and control. The program concludes with a discussion on preventative and protective measures for a safer and healthier workplace.

Stress in the Workplace (3 hours)

Evidence is mounting clearly showing that stress is a serious workplace hazard affecting workers health and well-being. The effects may not be so obvious at first. Symptoms take the form of worry, headaches, chest pain, tension in the neck and shoulders, fatigue, and depression. Over a period of time, workplace stress wreaks havoc on our bodies resulting in illness and disease. This module is intended to provide participants with an understanding of the hazards of workplace stress. Using the principles of recognition, assessment and control, the participant gains knowledge about:

• What workplace stress is and the magnitude of the problem
• The body’s reaction to it and its health effects
• Workplace stressors
• Methods of assessment and the principles of control as they relate to workplace stress
• Workplace Strategies

Strategies require the collaboration of the workplace parties to come together to find solutions. The joint health and safety committee’s role, a key part of this process, is therefore emphasized in this program.

Workplace Violence and Harassment (3 hours)

Workplace violence and harassment are serious health and safety hazards. Canadian workers report some of the highest rates of assaults in the world. Harassment is often a precursor to violence. Workplace violence can have detrimental impacts not only on the victim but also on the victims’ family and friends, co-workers and others who may have witnessed the incident or been targeted. Incidents of workplace violence can result in serious injuries, psychological trauma, and in some cases, fatalities. This three-hour module reflects legislative amendments made to the Act to include workplace violence and harassment. In this module, participants will explore what workplace violence and harassment are, risk factors associated with workplace violence, how to assess the workplace and specific risk factors, requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, what should be included within required policies and programs and how to control risk factors when elimination of same is not possible.

Prevention Link Level 1 & 2 WSIB
July 20-24, 2026
$650 per participant

Level 1 & 2 foundation courses that teach participants the workers’ compensation system in Ontario (WSIB). They learn about the principles of workers compensation, how to report and file a WSIB claim, types of injuries, regulations and policies, benefits and services, and much more.

Firm registration deadline is June 26, 2026

Payment is by cheque, please make it out to:
Niagara Regional Labour Council
PO Box 42, Thorold, Ontario
L2V 3Y7

For application forms and to reserve our spot please email NRLC.CLC@gmail.com