Occupational Health & Safety

Medicine Hat College works together with the University of Alberta Faculty of Extension to provide students with the opportunity to complete a Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety on a part-time basis. Individual courses are open to anyone.

• About the OHS Program
• Program Contents 
• Current Course Listings
• Admission Requirements
• Awards and other information 

The Importance of OHS Training

In Alberta’s vibrant industrial, manufacturing and construction sectors, Health and Safety professionals are in constant demand. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers are responsible for the health and safety of all workers at the work site.

Workers, too, must take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and other workers.

In 2007, the WCB recognized the deaths of 154 workers as resulting from work-related incidents or exposure. 40 of those were workplace incidents and 71 were a result of occupational diseases. From 1998 to 2007, there were 1,228 such deaths.

Alberta companies are paying a heavy price for health and safety infractions. In the first six months of 2008, over 3.6 million dollars in fines were handed out.

With adequate training and the enforcement of safe work practices, every Albertan could make a positive difference. It is time to develop a stronger culture of safety within our workplaces.

This certificate program is designed to help practitioners from many different backgrounds to develop the competencies needed to be effective in the development, implementation, and evaluation of occupational health and safety programs and systems in a wide variety of occupational settings.

Program Outcomes
Graduates of the OH&S Certificate Program will have received extensive instruction in how to:

• Design, implement, and manage OH&S management systems and programs
• Measure and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of OH&S programs
• Anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control health and safety hazards
• Investigate workplace incidents and recommend preventative measures

This program can also help to prepare a candidate for registration as a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) as granted by the Board of Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP), and assist Registered Occupational Hygienists maintain registration with the Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists (CBOH) and the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH).