Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness

The Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness (OHSW) graduate program provides a focused body of knowledge and skills for individuals interested in developing and building their knowledge and skills in occupational health, safety and wellness.

The program is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in how occupational health, safety and wellness initiatives can be developed, implemented and evaluated in businesses and organizations across all sectors of the economy to address these imperatives. Students will learn about existing health, safety and wellness trends, analyze best practices, and utilize that learning to develop programs that address health, safety and wellness concerns within the workplace. The Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness (OHSW) graduate certificate program meets the education requirements for the Canadian Registered Safety Technician (CRST) certification offered by the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP). The program exceeds the CRST competencies by including courses in organizational effectiveness, project management, disability management and consulting skills.

What You’ll Learn

• Assess risk for harm to workers within the workplace in order to identify opportunities for promoting and protecting individual and organizational well-being.
• Design and evaluate the effectiveness of OHSW programs, referring to relevant and validated health, safety and wellness theories and evidence-informed best practices.
• Develop and evaluate OHSW policies, procedures, and practices to ensure compliance with Canadian legislation, regulations, standards and guidelines.
• Propose solutions for issues related to disability management, return to work, and health and safety through the interpretation and application of relevant legislation, regulations, standards, and related benefits programs.
• Employ effective interpersonal communication and problem solving skills, and ethical and professional conduct, in working with stakeholders to resolve health, safety and wellness challenges within organizations.
• Promote a strong safety and wellness culture within organizations by incorporating the biopsychosocial model of health into human resource and OHSW initiatives.
• Recommend controls, interventions, and/or emergency response plans to mitigate workplace risks and hazards that emerge as a result of inspections, investigations, compliance and management system audits.
• Apply human resource management principles appropriate for diverse workplace environments that support organizational business decisions.
• Evaluate business propositions and promotional strategies developed to address HSW initiatives, ensuring alignment with business goals.