What safety training does Ontario actually require?
Three questions, no email, no sign-up. You get the courses and written policies that apply to your workplace, and the regulation behind each one. Ontario law — we work with employers across Canada, so ask us if you operate elsewhere.
What safety training is required for an Ontario employer?
Two requirements apply to every Ontario employer regardless of size or sector: health and safety awareness training for every worker and supervisor under O. Reg. 297/13, and a first aid station with trained attendants under WSIA Regulation 1101. Beyond those, requirements are triggered by headcount — a written health and safety policy at five workers or more, a health and safety representative from six to nineteen, and a joint health and safety committee with certified members at twenty or more — and by the work itself: Working at Heights for construction workers using fall protection, WHMIS wherever a hazardous product is present, demonstrated competency for lift truck operators, and confined space training for anyone entering a confined space.
Check your workplace
Answer question 2 to see what applies to your workplace.
Every requirement, and what triggers it
The complete set the checker draws on. Requirements that apply to everyone are listed first, then those that switch on at a headcount threshold, then those triggered by the work being done.
| Requirement | Applies to | Regulation | How Syon covers it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health and safety awareness training for every worker and supervisor | Every Ontario employer | O. Reg. 297/13 | Health and Safety Awareness |
| First aid station and trained first aid attendants | Every Ontario employer | WSIA Regulation 1101 | First Aid and CPR |
| A written health and safety policy and a program to implement it | 5 or more workers | OHSA s. 25(2)(j) | Consulting |
| A health and safety representative selected by the workers | 6 to 19 workers | OHSA s. 8 | Consulting |
| A joint health and safety committee with certified members | 20 or more workers | OHSA s. 9 | JHSC Certification |
| Written policies on disconnecting from work and electronic monitoring | 25 or more workers | Employment Standards Act, 2000 | Consulting |
| Workplace violence and harassment policies, program and investigations | Every Ontario employer | OHSA ss. 32.0.1–32.0.7 | Consulting |
| CPO-approved Working at Heights training before the worker starts | on a construction project, does anyone work at height using a harness, lifeline, travel restraint or safety belt | O. Reg. 297/13 s. 6–7 | Working at Heights |
| Fall protection and elevated work platform training | outside construction, does anyone work at height, or use a scissor lift, boom lift or elevated work platform | O. Reg. 851 s. 85 and O. Reg. 213/91 | Fall Protection |
| WHMIS education and workplace-specific training | are there any labelled chemicals, cleaning products, fuels, solvents, paints or compressed gases in the workplace | O. Reg. 860 (WHMIS) | WHMIS |
| Demonstrated lift truck operator competency | does anyone operate a forklift, order picker, pallet stacker or other powered lift truck | O. Reg. 851 s. 51 and CSA B335 | Forklift Operator |
| Confined space entry training and a written entry program | does anyone enter tanks, vessels, pits, silos, sewers, vaults or crawl spaces | O. Reg. 632/05 | Confined Space |
Ontario headcount thresholds at a glance
- Any number of workers
- Awareness training, first aid station, violence and harassment policies
- More than 5 workers
- Written health and safety policy, reviewed annually, plus a program to implement it
- 6 to 19 workers
- Health and safety representative selected by the workers
- 20 or more workers
- Joint health and safety committee with certified worker and management members
- 25 or more employees
- Written policies on disconnecting from work and on electronic monitoring
Why the answer depends on the work, not the industry
Ontario’s duties attach to activities. A landscaping company that sends one person up a boom lift has the same fall-protection obligation as a roofing contractor, and a dental office storing sterilising chemicals has the same WHMIS obligation as a chemical plant. This is the most common reason an employer is caught short at an inspection: they benchmarked against what businesses like theirs usually do, rather than against what their own workers actually did that week.
It is also why the checker asks about activities rather than trusting the sector answer. The sector only decides which questions are worth putting in front of you first.
What this does not cover
- Sector-specific regulations. Mining, health care, farming and diving each carry their own regulation with additional duties.
- Designated substances. Asbestos, lead, silica and the other designated substances trigger control programs, assessments and medical surveillance beyond training.
- Federally regulated workplaces. Banking, telecommunications, interprovincial transport and others fall under the Canada Labour Code rather than the OHSA.
- Equipment-specific training. Cranes, hoists, pressure vessels and powered elevating work platforms may each require their own competency training.
A health and safety gap analysis is the exercise that closes those out properly — it reviews your actual workplace against the regulations that apply to it, which no questionnaire can do.
Frequently asked questions
What safety training is legally required for every Ontario employer?
Health and safety awareness training is mandatory for every worker and every supervisor in Ontario under O. Reg. 297/13, with no exemption for business size or sector. Every employer covered by WSIB must also maintain a first aid station with trained attendants under Regulation 1101. Everything beyond those two follows the work being done and the number of workers.
How many employees before I need a joint health and safety committee?
Twenty. A workplace that regularly employs twenty or more workers must have a joint health and safety committee under section 9 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and at least one worker member and one management member must be certified. Between six and nineteen workers, a health and safety representative is required instead.
Does my small business really need a written health and safety policy?
If you have five or more workers, yes. Section 25(2)(j) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires a written occupational health and safety policy reviewed at least annually, together with a program to implement it. An inspector asks for the written record first, so a program that exists in practice but not on paper is treated as one that does not exist.
Is WHMIS training required if we only have cleaning products?
Usually yes. WHMIS applies wherever a hazardous product is used, handled or stored, and most commercial cleaning products, aerosols, solvents and shop supplies are hazardous products carrying supplier labels and safety data sheets. The test is whether the product is hazardous, not whether the workplace considers itself industrial.
Is this checker a compliance audit?
No. It covers the requirements that apply most commonly to Ontario employers and shows the regulation behind each one, but it cannot see your workplace. A designated substance, a construction project, a federally regulated workplace or a sector-specific regulation all change the analysis. Treat the result as a starting point for a gap analysis, not as a determination.
All 8 courses we deliver
Every course below is delivered on site across the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. Call 647-261-7805 if you would rather talk it through than fill in a form.
Working at Heights
Working at Heights is a Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) approved program required for construction workers who use fall protection equipment in Ontario.
WHMIS
WHMIS training teaches workers to identify hazardous products, read supplier labels and safety data sheets, and follow safe handling procedures.
Forklift Operator
Forklift operator training combines classroom theory with a hands-on practical evaluation carried out on your own equipment, in the aisles and conditions your operators actually work in.
JHSC Certification
JHSC certification training qualifies committee members to act as certified members on a Joint Health and Safety Committee under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
First Aid and CPR
Standard First Aid with CPR/AED is a two-day program covering casualty assessment, CPR, AED operation, choking, bleeding control and medical emergencies.
Confined Space
Confined space entry training prepares entrants, attendants and supervisors to work safely in confined spaces under a written entry plan and permit system.
Health and Safety Awareness
Health and safety awareness training is mandatory for every worker and every supervisor in Ontario under O. Reg. 297/13.
Fall Protection
Fall protection and elevated work platform training certifies workers to select, inspect and use fall protection systems and to operate scissor and boom lifts safely.