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Occupational Health and Safety Certificate

This online course offers participants a foundational understanding of health and safety standards as they pertain to legislation, facilities, risk, and overall workplace health.

Graduates of this program are eligible to apply for Canadian Registered Safety Technician (CRST) certification. Visit the  for more details.

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Campus

  • Penticton
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Legend:
  • Full program offered
  • Partial program offered

Credential

Certificate

Delivery options

Part-Time

Tuition and fees

2024-25: $6,887.50

Program details

The 272-hour online Occupational Health and Safety Certificate provides the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for a career as a health and safety professional. Health and Safety professionals assume roles such as Health and Safety Advisor, Health and Safety Officer, Health and Safety Supervisor, Health and Safety Coordinator, Health and Safety Trainer and Health and Safety Manager. These professional play a vital role in a variety of fields including, but not limited to, construction, forestry, mining, manufacturing, education, health care, government, agriculture and oil and gas.

Learners become familiar with effective health and safety systems, how to evaluate and continually improve health and safety systems, health and safety legislation, facilitation techniques, ability management, risk management, investigations and audits. Learners go beyond the development and management of a technically sound health and safety system to learning about facilitating a workplace that takes a team approach to health and safety by reducing the human factor in accidents.

Adrienne Bootsma, program instructor

Adrienne Bootsma began her educational training in the field of computer automated systems. She has an MBA in Health and Safety Leadership and a MBA Master’s Certificate in Human Resource Management, both through the University of Fredericton. In 2010, Bootsma was given provincial recognition and awarded the Non CSSE Safety Professional of the Year. In 2016, she was named to the Canadian Forest Industries Top 10 under 40 list.

Bootsma has worked in a manufacturing environment for over 22 years and has faced challenges and successes in the realm of OH&S.  She has a passion for creating a health and safety culture in the workplace, one that fosters a sense of continual evolution towards improvement. 

In addition to teaching, she works full time as a Corporate Environmental, Health, and Safety Manager and as a Corporate Internal/External Training Manager for a large international manufacturing/construction/engineering company.

Campus Start date Schedule
Penticton Oct. 2025

Schedule- Computer-Based, Asynchronous and Tutor-Supported (No Direct Instruction)

Admission requirements

  • B.C. secondary school graduation, or equivalent, or 19 years of age and out of secondary school for at least one year as of the first day of classes.
  • English 12 with minimum 60% or.
  • Math requirement:

    A minimum of 60% in any of:

    • Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus Grade 10
    • Applications of Mathematics 10
    • Principles of Mathematics 10
    • Adult Basic Education MATH 071 and MATH 072
  • Or a minimum of 65% on the ABLE Mathematics test. Test scores are only good for two (2) years.

Program outline

OHS 111 - Introduction to Health and Safety Systems
OHS 112 - Management of Health and Safety Systems
OHS 113 - Health and Safety Legislation
OHS 114 - Ability Management
OHS 115 - Human Factors
OHS 116 - Training, Development and Facilitation
OHS 117 - Risk Management
OHS 118 - Investigation and Auditing
  • Students must pass each course with a minimum grade of 70% to receive the certificates.
  • Students must pass each final exam to receive the certificate.
Additional information

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