Last reviewed 13 November 2026 against the sources linked in this post.
The meeting has run for an hour, the minutes will say "hazards discussed", and nobody is sure who was meant to follow up on the blocked fire exit. Joint health and safety committee training is meant to prevent that. In Ontario, the Ministry of Labour's guide says the Act generally requires that at least two members of the committee be certified, one for workers and one for management, so a named member should know the job.
This is a list of 7 ready-made courses for committee co-chairs, worker representatives and HR leads. It starts with the committee's role, moves to hazards and inspections, and ends with induction and evacuation. Each group ends with an Our pick.
A note on certification. If your law asks for approved committee training, these courses do not replace it. Ontario's Chief Prevention Officer sets the training requirements for certified members, and approved providers deliver them. These templates complement that: free, editable sessions that keep the committee sharp between certification courses.
All 7 courses at a glance
| Course | What it covers | Length | Rule behind the topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety law, committees, management systems and audits | Duties, how a committee runs, audits | 40 min | None cited here |
| Supervisor, manager and safety representative duties | Who is responsible for what | 45 min | None cited here |
| Safety meeting: a 30-minute monthly meeting kit | Planning and running the meeting | 30 min | None cited here |
| Hazard communication & GHS | Labels and safety data sheets | 40 min | US: 29 CFR 1910.1200 |
| Emergency action & fire prevention plans | Alarms, evacuation, fire prevention | 30 min | US: 29 CFR 1910.38 |
| Safety induction and annual refresher | Site rules for staff, contractors, visitors | 40 min | None cited here |
| Fire safety, fire wardens and emergency evacuation | Extinguishers, routes, head counts | 40 min | None cited here |
The committee's role
Three courses for the people who run the table.
Safety law, committees, management systems and audits
This 40-minute course has six lessons: why the law requires a safety system, employer, manager and worker duties, how a joint committee sets up and holds meetings and minutes, a management system in five steps, inspections and audits, and working with the regulator. It includes a committee scenario to practise. It is global, so add the law and the regulator for your site.
Supervisor, manager and safety representative duties
A committee only works if people know who owns what. This 45-minute course has six lessons, including who is responsible for what, consulting workers and working with the safety representative, incident and near-miss follow-up, and contractors under your control. It uses a worker who will not wear the right equipment as a scenario. Ask the group where the line between supervisor and committee sits at your site.
Safety meeting: a 30-minute monthly meeting kit with a 12-topic bank
CCOHS says a committee that does not meet on a regular basis will lose its drive. This 30-minute course has two lessons on planning the meeting and running it well, and a five-question final check. It shows how the 30 minutes run, how to keep the meeting optional and inclusive, and how to adapt it for different sites. The live deck has 15 slides, with audience Q&A. Ontario's guide sets the legal minimum at at least once every three months, so a monthly kit gives you room to spare.
Our pick: Supervisor, manager and safety representative duties. This course settles "whose job is this?" before the next meeting does.
Hazards and inspections
Two courses for what the committee reviews on the walk round.
Hazard communication & GHS
Your committee may review chemical hazards, so members should be able to read a label. OSHA's rule says employers must give employees effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area. This 40-minute course has eight lessons, from reading a GHS label with its six elements to finding key facts in a 16-section safety data sheet, plus a 12-question final check. It is based on US federal rules, so check the chemical rules that apply in your own province or state.
Emergency action & fire prevention plans
Your committee may review emergency plans, and this course teaches what to check and challenge. OSHA's rule says an employer must review the emergency action plan with each employee covered by the plan when it is developed or the employee is first assigned. The 30-minute course has seven lessons on raising the alarm, getting out, shelter in place, preventing fires and the role of evacuation wardens, with a 10-question final check. The rule is US federal, so use your own regulator's requirements as the test.
Our pick: Emergency action & fire prevention plans. It gives members a short checklist to hold the plan against, which is exactly what an inspection needs.
Induction and evacuation
Two courses for the first day and the worst day.
Safety induction and annual refresher for employees, contractors and visitors
Your committee can check the induction new staff, contractors and visitors receive, and this course gives you something to compare it with. The 40-minute course has six lessons: rights and duties at work, site rules, the hazards you will meet, emergency arrangements, reporting hazards and near misses, and rules for contractors and visitors. It opens with a first morning at a depot, so swap in your own gate.
Fire safety, fire wardens and emergency evacuation
If members help with evacuation drills, they need the warden's job clear. This 40-minute course has six lessons on the fire triangle, prevention, choosing an extinguisher, evacuation routes and assembly points, the warden's sweeps and head counts, and drills and records. Run its "match it" extinguisher activity before your next drill.
Our pick: Fire safety, fire wardens and emergency evacuation. A drill involves everyone on site, so a committee that understands wardens can help make it better.
How to roll the plan out
Start with the committee's role: the safety law course and the duties course for every member, and the meeting kit for the co-chairs. Then add the hazards courses where chemicals or emergency plans are on the agenda, and put induction and the fire warden course in the quarter before your next drill. After that, schedule annual refreshers. Add any province, state or country rule for your location, and any approved certification your law asks for, and check how often it must be renewed: Ontario's July 2026 changes let expired certification be renewed through Refresher training. For daily talk ideas, our workplace safety topics cover the ground, and our site safety supervisor courses suit the supervisors who report to you.
Anchor the first session to one fact: the Act requires at least two certified members on an Ontario committee, so check your own committee has them, and who is next in line.
Ways to run these courses on AhaSlides
You can offer all 7 as self-paced courses and live decks, and add surveys to each. Here is how:
- Self-paced courses. Use the AhaSlides course creator to send each new member a course before their first meeting.
- A live Q&A deck. Collect questions ahead of the session, then answer them in the meeting room or online. For running it well, see our 9 tips for a successful Q&A session.
- Surveys. Each template comes with a post-course survey, and most add a 30-day check-in. See how to track employee training completion.
Four slide types do most of the work:
- Pick Answer. Ask: "Which of these belongs in the minutes?" Show the split before you reveal the answer.
- Word Cloud. Ask: "What is the one hazard we keep talking about and never fix?" The biggest words set the next agenda.
- Rating Scale. Ask, before and after: "How confident are you that a hazard I raise will be followed up?" Rate from 1 to 5 and compare the averages.
- Open Ended. Ask: "What would make this meeting worth your hour?" Answers can be anonymous, so people say what they think.
FAQ
What training do safety committee members need?
Safety law, committee duties, hazard recognition, inspections, incident investigation and effective oral communication. CCOHS lists these among the topics members should be trained in, and the courses above are a free way to practise them.
Is joint health and safety committee training mandatory?
It depends on your jurisdiction. CCOHS says that in some jurisdictions, safety training or certification is required by law for employer and worker members. In Ontario, the Act requires at least two certified members. Check your regulator.
How often should a safety committee meet?
Follow your legislation. In Ontario, the committee must meet at least once every three months, and CCOHS notes some laws set a monthly, quarterly or set yearly number of meetings.
What does a worker safety representative do?
In Ontario, worker members select a worker member to inspect the workplace, and the guide says the workplace is normally inspected at least once a month. Duties differ elsewhere, so check your regulator.
This post is general information, not legal advice. For a decision about your own workplace, speak to a qualified lawyer or the regulator.
