A core interactive course that puts committee members through their real work: running effective inspections and investigations, handling concerns and refusals, and closing out recommendations. Its 11 interactions and 7 competencies help a Manitoba joint committee drive improvement rather than just meet its meeting quota.
The workplace safety and health committee — and, in smaller workplaces, the worker safety and health representative — is the engine of the internal responsibility system: the joint forum where workers and the employer cooperate to find and resolve hazards. This course explains, for both committee members and the workers they represent, how the system works: the internal responsibility system and why a committee or representative is required (generally a committee at 20 or more workers, a representative at 5 to 19); how a committee is structured and functions (a joint body with worker members making up at least half, two co-chairs, regular minuted meetings, terms of reference, and trained…
Equip committee members and workers to understand and use the internal responsibility system — how the committee is structured, what it does, how recommendations work, and the four worker rights at s.2(2)(e) including work refusal — so that safety concerns are raised and resolved jointly.
At a glance
Format: Online, self-paced and interactive
Length: about 1 hour 10 minutes, 5 modules
Pass mark: 80% on the final test
Certificate: QR-verified, valid for one year
Jurisdiction: Manitoba law and standards
Who this course is for
Worker and employer committee members who carry out the duties of a Manitoba joint workplace safety and health committee.
Workplace safety and health committee members (worker and employer)
Worker safety and health representatives
Co-chairs and new committee members
All workers — to understand the committee and their four rights
Supervisors and managers who work with the committee
What you will learn
Explain the internal responsibility system and the committee's purpose
Know when a committee vs a worker representative is generally required and the joint composition
Describe committee functioning (worker members at least half, co-chairs, meetings, minutes, terms of reference)
Identify the committee's duties and powers and how written recommendations and employer responses work
Explain the four worker rights (know, participate, refuse, and freedom from reprisal) and the work-refusal process
Participate effectively and bring safety concerns to the committee or representative
Course outline
The Internal Responsibility System & Why Committees Exist — The internal responsibility system, the committee's purpose, and when a committee or a representative is required.
Committee Structure & Functioning — How a committee is composed and run: worker majority, co-chairs, meetings, minutes, terms of reference, training.
Committee Duties & Powers — What the committee does — concerns, inspections, investigations, program review — and the recommendation loop.
Worker Rights, Refusal & the Committee's Role — The four worker rights and how a work refusal is handled, with the committee's role.
The Committee in Practice & Your Site — Bringing it together: how to raise a concern, and the site-specific committee details you must know.
Laws and standards covered
Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act (C.C.S.M. c. W210)
Manitoba WSH Regulation MR 217/2006
SAFE Work Manitoba
CCOHS — Health and safety committees
CSA Z1000 — Occupational Health and Safety Management (the internal responsibility system and worker participation)
Certificate and renewal
Passing the final test issues a QR-verified certificate, valid for one year. Review training at least annually and whenever committee membership, terms of reference, or the workplace structure change. Committee members may require additional role-specific training. No exact mandatory theory-hour minimum is set in Manitoba law — industry/provider standard applies.
Common questions
How long does Joint Workplace Safety & Health Committee take?
About 1 hour 10 minutes online, over 5 modules, at your own pace. It ends with a final test that needs 80% to pass.
How long is the Joint Workplace Safety & Health Committee certificate valid?
One year from the day you pass. Review training at least annually and whenever committee membership, terms of reference, or the workplace structure change.
Which laws and standards does Joint Workplace Safety & Health Committee cover?
Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act (C.C.S.M. c. W210); Manitoba WSH Regulation MR 217/2006; SAFE Work Manitoba; and 2 more listed on this page.
Who should take Joint Workplace Safety & Health Committee?
Worker and employer committee members who carry out the duties of a Manitoba joint workplace safety and health committee.