Workplace Safety and Prevention Technician

Every mine, construction site and power plant needs someone who can spot a hazard before it becomes an injury. Workplace Safety and Prevention Technician is a two-year Ontario College Diploma, delivered over five semesters from Cambrian College in Sudbury in partnership with Lambton College and Seneca College, that trains you to plan, audit and improve occupational health and safety.

Semester one introduces Occupational Health and Safety, Training and Development, Introduction to Biology and Client Comm. & Leadership Develop. Semester two covers OHS Management Systems, Chemistry OHS Fundamentals, Employment Law, Ethical Leadership and Health and Wellness. In semester three you study Ergonomics, Risk Management, Disability Management, Accident Prevention and Invest and Organizational Behavior, while semester four brings Ind. Hygiene and Toxicology with its Ind. Hygiene and Toxico. Lab 1, Introduction to Process Safety, Emergency Planning and Mgmt, Environmental Management and Operational Safety.

Many theory courses are completed virtually, while mandatory labs take place on campus, and the teaching team draws on safety experts from across Ontario and a range of industries. Scenario-based learning trains you to investigate incidents and communicate findings clearly. In semester five you complete a full-time, seven-week Field Placement in sectors such as power generation, mining, forestry and construction. Graduates qualify to write the Canadian Registered Safety Technician (CRST) examination, and may continue their studies at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Graduates find roles as health and safety technicians, safety coordinators, ergonomics assistants, return-to-work and disability management assistants, emergency planning assistants and safety trainers. The Workplace Safety and Prevention Technician diploma suits observant, confident communicators who are comfortable challenging unsafe practice on a site floor and want to apply chemistry, law and risk analysis to keeping workers healthy.