Understanding Canadian OH&S Legislation
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Our online OH&S legislation training helps supervisors, managers and safety staff understand how health and safety law works across Canada’s 14 jurisdictions, and what it expects of them at work. This self-paced course covers how OH&S Acts, regulations and codes fit together, general duties and due diligence, the duties of employers, supervisors, directors, workers, contractors and owners, workers’ rights, committees and programs, core legislated requirements, incident reporting, inspections and enforcement, penalties and criminal liability, and how to stay current across jurisdictions.
Need training for your team? For online group training, buy your enrolments here, then complete our Group Training Student Information form so we can set up each learner’s account. For live leadership sessions built around your own workplace, see our OH&S leadership training.
Learn more about how our online safety training works.
When leaders understand the law, safety decisions get easier and faster. Supervisors know what they must do before the work starts, managers can show due diligence when an inspector or auditor asks, and the whole organization spends less time reacting to orders, claims and incidents. This course gives your leadership team a shared, practical understanding of OH&S legislation, so compliance becomes part of how work gets planned rather than something you scramble to prove afterwards.
This is awareness-level training. It explains how OH&S law generally works and points to the requirements in each jurisdiction, but it isn’t legal advice and it doesn’t replace the current legislation, your employer’s policies and procedures, or advice for your specific situation. It isn’t approved by any regulator.
Online OH&S Legislation Training Course at a Glance
Delivery: 100% online and self-paced
Course format: 40 narrated video lessons in ten modules, with written lesson notes, workplace examples and knowledge checks
Course length (estimated): About 11 to 12 hours, including about 9.5 hours of lesson video plus the knowledge checks and final exam
Assessment: A three-question knowledge check after every lesson (100% to continue) and a 10-question final exam (80% to pass), with unlimited retries
Includes: Downloadable Student Reference Guide with jurisdiction reference tables, and a Certificate of Completion
Audience: Supervisors, managers, safety staff, committee members and business owners across Canada
Price: $45.99 CAD plus GST
What Does Online OH&S Legislation Training Cover?
This OH&S legislation training starts with how the law is built, then works through who carries which duties, what workers are entitled to, what the law requires day to day, and what happens when things go wrong. Each lesson connects the law to decisions supervisors and managers make on the job.
You’ll learn how to:
- Explain why OH&S law exists and how the federal, provincial and territorial systems divide responsibility.
- Find and read the Acts, regulations, codes and standards that apply to your workplace.
- Apply the internal responsibility system, general duty clauses and the due diligence defence, and keep the records that show it.
- Describe the legal duties of employers, supervisors, directors and officers, workers, prime contractors, owners, suppliers and self-employed persons.
- Respect workers’ rights to know, to participate and to refuse unsafe work, and prevent reprisal.
- Set up and support joint committees, health and safety representatives and legislated safety programs.
- Meet core legislated requirements for hazard assessment, WHMIS, harassment and violence, first aid, emergency response and working alone.
- Report serious incidents, investigate them, and respond to inspectors, orders and appeals.
- Understand prosecutions, administrative penalties, the Westray amendments to the Criminal Code and the link to workers’ compensation.
- Work in federally regulated workplaces, in Quebec and across several jurisdictions, and build a plan to stay current.
Every lesson includes written notes, a real-world workplace example, a decision point and a knowledge check, so learners practise applying the law rather than memorizing section numbers.
OH&S Legislation Across Canada
Canada has 14 OH&S jurisdictions: the federal government, 10 provinces and 3 territories. Most workplaces fall under the law of the province or territory where the work is done, while federally regulated employers, such as banks, airlines, interprovincial trucking and telecommunications, follow Part II of the Canada Labour Code wherever they operate. The core ideas are shared, including general duties, due diligence, workers’ rights and committees, but the details differ from one jurisdiction to the next.
This course teaches the common foundations and shows where the jurisdictions differ, with examples checked against official government, regulator and legislative sources in October 2026. The Student Reference Guide includes jurisdiction reference tables for quick comparison. Laws change, so always confirm the current requirements for your own workplace. Our OH&S legislation safety guide is a good place to start.
Who Should Take This OH&S Legislation Course?
This course is built for the people who direct work and make safety decisions, from a new supervisor learning their legal duties to an experienced manager responsible for sites in more than one province.
It’s suitable for:
- Supervisors, forepersons and crew leads
- Managers, superintendents and department heads
- Safety coordinators, advisors and HR staff with safety responsibilities
- Business owners, directors and officers
- Joint health and safety committee members and health and safety representatives
- Anyone preparing for a leadership role or a safety audit
Employers often use the course for supervisor and manager orientation, as a common foundation before a COR or SECOR audit, or as refresher training for leaders who work across jurisdictions.
Online OH&S Legislation Training Course Features
Our online OH&S legislation training is designed to be practical, thorough and easy to follow.
Course features include:
- 100% online and self-paced learning
- 40 narrated video lessons, each about 12 to 18 minutes long
- Written lesson notes with learning objectives, examples, decision points and key takeaways
- Downloadable Student Reference Guide with lesson summaries, reflection questions and 19 jurisdiction reference tables
- Realistic examples from many Canadian industries, provinces and territories
- A three-question knowledge check after every lesson, with feedback and unlimited retries
- A 10-question final exam covering all ten modules
- Certificate of Completion
- Group enrolment for employers training several leaders
The course focuses on what leaders need to do: when a duty applies, who holds it, what reasonable precautions look like, and how to show that you met them.
Online OH&S Legislation Training Course Modules
The course is organized into ten modules of four lessons each. Each lesson is one complete narrated video with written notes and a knowledge check.
Module One: How OH&S Law Works in Canada
Module One explains why OH&S legislation matters to leaders, who regulates your workplace among Canada’s 14 jurisdictions, how Acts, regulations, codes, standards and guidance differ in legal force, and how to find and read the law that applies to you.
Lessons:
- Lesson One: Why OH&S Legislation Matters to Leaders
- Lesson Two: Fourteen Jurisdictions: Who Regulates Your Workplace
- Lesson Three: Acts, Regulations, Codes, Standards and Guidance
- Lesson Four: Reading and Finding the Law
Module Two: The Foundations of Canadian OH&S Law
Module Two covers the foundations that run through every Canadian OH&S law: the internal responsibility system, the general duty to take reasonable precautions, and due diligence, both as a legal defence and as a record you build every day.
Lessons:
- Lesson Five: The Internal Responsibility System
- Lesson Six: General Duty Clauses and Reasonable Precautions
- Lesson Seven: Due Diligence as a Legal Defence
- Lesson Eight: Building a Due Diligence Record
Module Three: Employer and Leadership Duties
Module Three sets out the duties of employers, supervisors, directors, officers and managers, including personal liability, supervisor competence, and the legal requirements for orientation, training and supervision.
Lessons:
- Lesson Nine: Workplace Roles and Employer Duties
- Lesson Ten: Supervisor Duties and Competence
- Lesson Eleven: Directors, Officers and Managers: Personal Liability
- Lesson Twelve: Orientation, Training and Supervision Requirements
Module Four: Workers and Other Duty Holders
Module Four looks at the other duty holders: workers, prime contractors and constructors, owners, contractors, suppliers and self-employed persons, and how the law treats agency workers, students, volunteers and remote work.
Lessons:
- Lesson Thirteen: Worker Duties and Accountability
- Lesson Fourteen: Prime Contractors, Constructors and Multi-Employer Sites
- Lesson Fifteen: Owners, Contractors, Suppliers and Self-Employed Persons
- Lesson Sixteen: Agency Workers, Students, Volunteers and Remote Work
Module Five: Workers’ Rights and Protection from Reprisal
Module Five explains the three worker rights, to know, to participate and to refuse unsafe work, and the protection from reprisal that makes them work, with the steps supervisors must follow when a right is used.
Lessons:
- Lesson Seventeen: The Right to Know
- Lesson Eighteen: The Right to Participate
- Lesson Nineteen: The Right to Refuse Unsafe Work
- Lesson Twenty: Protection from Reprisal
Module Six: Committees, Representatives and Safety Programs
Module Six covers joint health and safety committees and representatives, what makes them effective, and the health and safety programs, policies and management systems that legislation requires across Canada.
Lessons:
- Lesson Twenty-One: Joint Health and Safety Committees Across Canada
- Lesson Twenty-Two: Health and Safety Representatives in Smaller Workplaces
- Lesson Twenty-Three: Making Committees Effective
- Lesson Twenty-Four: Legislated Health and Safety Programs
Module Seven: Core Legislated Requirements
Module Seven covers four core legislated requirements: hazard assessment and control, WHMIS and hazardous products, harassment, violence and psychological safety, and first aid, emergency response and working alone.
Lessons:
- Lesson Twenty-Five: Hazard Assessment and Control Requirements
- Lesson Twenty-Six: WHMIS and Hazardous Products
- Lesson Twenty-Seven: Harassment, Violence and Psychological Safety
- Lesson Twenty-Eight: First Aid, Emergency Response and Working Alone
Module Eight: Incidents, Inspections and Enforcement
Module Eight covers what the law requires when something goes wrong: reporting serious incidents, investigating them, inspectors and their powers, and responding to inspections and orders, including reviews and appeals.
Lessons:
- Lesson Twenty-Nine: Reporting Serious Incidents
- Lesson Thirty: Investigating Incidents
- Lesson Thirty-One: Inspectors and Their Powers
- Lesson Thirty-Two: Responding to Inspections and Orders
Module Nine: Penalties and Legal Liability
Module Nine explains the consequences of breaking the law: prosecutions and penalties, administrative penalties, tickets and creative sentencing, criminal liability under the Westray law, and the link between OH&S and workers’ compensation.
Lessons:
- Lesson Thirty-Three: Prosecutions and Penalties Across Canada
- Lesson Thirty-Four: Administrative Penalties, Tickets and Creative Sentencing
- Lesson Thirty-Five: The Westray Law: Criminal Liability for Workplace Safety
- Lesson Thirty-Six: Workers’ Compensation and Its Link to OH&S
Module Ten: Applying the Law Across Canada
Module Ten applies the law across Canada: federally regulated workplaces, Quebec’s distinct approach, work that crosses jurisdictions, and how to stay current and build your own compliance plan.
Lessons:
- Lesson Thirty-Seven: Working in Federally Regulated Workplaces
- Lesson Thirty-Eight: Quebec’s Distinct Approach
- Lesson Thirty-Nine: Working Across Jurisdictions
- Lesson Forty: Staying Current and Building Your Compliance Plan
Complete Your Online OH&S Legislation Training
Register online, then work through the lessons in order at your own pace. After each video, complete the lesson’s three-question knowledge check. You need all three answers correct (100%) to move on, and you can retry as many times as you need, with feedback after each answer to help you learn.
After Lesson 40, complete the 10-question final exam, with one question from each module. You need 8 correct answers (80%) to pass, and you can retake it as many times as you need. Once you’ve completed all 40 lessons, their knowledge checks and the final exam, you can download your Certificate of Completion.
The certificate shows that you completed awareness-level online training on Canadian OH&S legislation. It isn’t a professional designation or legal qualification, and it doesn’t confirm compliance for any workplace.
Frequently Asked Questions About Online OH&S Legislation Training
Does this OH&S legislation training cover every province and territory?
Yes. The course covers all 14 Canadian jurisdictions: the federal government, the 10 provinces and the 3 territories. It teaches the principles they share and shows where they differ, and the Student Reference Guide includes jurisdiction reference tables for quick comparison. Always confirm the current law for your own workplace.
Who should take OH&S legislation training?
Supervisors, managers, safety staff, business owners, directors and officers, and committee members or health and safety representatives. Anyone who directs work or makes safety decisions benefits from knowing what the law expects of them.
How long does the online OH&S legislation course take?
We estimate about 11 to 12 hours. The 40 lesson videos run about 9.5 hours in total, and the knowledge checks and final exam add time depending on your pace. You can stop and return at any time.
Do I receive a certificate?
Yes. You receive a Certificate of Completion after you complete all 40 lessons, their knowledge checks and the final exam. It records completion of awareness-level online training. It isn’t a legal qualification and it isn’t approved by any regulator.
Is there a final exam?
Yes. The final exam has 10 questions, one from each module, and you need 80% (8 of 10) to pass. You’ll see feedback after each answer that points to the lesson to review, and you can retake the exam as many times as you need.
Does this course cover due diligence and the Westray law?
Yes. Module Two explains due diligence as a legal defence and how to build a due diligence record, and Module Nine covers criminal liability under the Westray amendments to the Criminal Code, including section 217.1 and how courts have applied it.
Can employers purchase training for several leaders?
Yes. Employers can buy online training for two or more learners on this page. After placing your order, complete our Group Training Student Information form with your order number and each learner’s name and email address. We set up each learner’s account and email course-access instructions.
Is this course legal advice?
No. The course explains how OH&S law generally works and points to the requirements in each jurisdiction, but it isn’t legal advice. For decisions about a specific situation, check the current legislation and get advice from the regulator or a qualified professional.
Additional OH&S Legislation Resources
The resources below help you find and apply the law where you work. Use them to read the current legislation, to check the requirements in your province or territory, and to get help when your safety program needs more than training. Laws change, so always use the current consolidated version.
Canada Labour Code, Part II
Issued by: Government of Canada (Justice Laws website)
The federal OH&S law for federally regulated workplaces such as banks, airlines, interprovincial trucking, railways and telecommunications. Use it if your employer is federally regulated.
Canada Labour Code, Part II
Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario)
Issued by: Government of Ontario
Ontario’s OH&S Act, with its duties for employers, supervisors and workers, the right to refuse and the internal responsibility system. Use it for work in Ontario or as a detailed example of provincial law.
Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario)
Alberta OHS Act, Regulation and Code
Issued by: Government of Alberta
Search Alberta’s OHS Act, Regulation and Code in one place. Use it for work in Alberta.
Alberta OHS Act, Regulation and Code
Criminal Code, Section 217.1
Issued by: Government of Canada (Justice Laws website)
The Westray amendment that sets out the legal duty of everyone who directs work to take reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm. It applies everywhere in Canada.
Criminal Code, Section 217.1
OH&S Legislation in Canada
Issued by: Calgary Safety Consultants
Our safety guide to finding and using OH&S legislation, regulations and codes across Canada.
OH&S Legislation in Canada
OHS Compliance Audits and Safety Program Gap Assessments
Issued by: Calgary Safety Consultants
Our consulting support for checking your safety program against the legislation that applies to you. Use it when you need a legal register, a gap assessment or help preparing for an audit.
OHS Compliance Audits and Safety Program Gap Assessments
Related courses: Hazard Assessment and Control for Canadian Workplaces, Working Alone and Lone Worker Safety and OH&S Online Leadership Training.
