Introducing CUPE’s Health and Safety Learning Series

The Health and Safety Learning Series will give participants a wide range of knowledge and skills related to workplace health and safety. After the nine-hour introductory workshop, participants can take any of the three-hour workshop modules in the three sections outlined below.

To receive a certificate, participants need to complete the introduction workshop, all four skills workshops, at least three perspectives workshops, and at least three specific hazard workshops.

Health and safety: An introduction (9 hours)

Every CUPE member should take this workshop. After completing it, members can complete other workshop modules from the Health and Safety Learning Series.

Skills workshops

These workshops will teach members basic skills to be successful while working on a health and safety committee, or as a health and safety representative. 

The workshops are:

  • Identifying and documenting hazards
  • Making committees work
  • Basics of incident investigations 
  • Laws and orders

Perspectives workshops

These workshops will challenge participants to think about the different ways that health and safety intersects with human rights issues in our union and our community.

Members will learn how they can contribute to social justice causes while improving health and safety in the workplace. 

The workshops are:

  • Women and work hazards
  • Equality in health and safety
  • Preventing mental injuries
  • Mobilizing around health and safety solidarity beyond borders

Specific hazard workshops 

These workshops will teach members about specific workplace hazards and methods for removing them from the workplace. 

The workshops are:

  • Ergonomics
  • Workload and overwork
  • Violence prevention
  • Harassment prevention