Occupational Health and Safety

School of Education and Community Services

This program is a great fit if you're looking to enter the occupational health and safety profession, are already working in occupational health and safety and want to expand your career opportunities, or are considering to write the Canadian Registered Safety Professional exam or Canadian Registered Safety Technician exam.

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Employers nationwide, from natural resource companies to hospitals and schools to manufacturers and office-based businesses, must conform to occupational health and safety legislation. As legislation and standards become multifaceted, demand for qualified Occupational Health and Safety professionals grows.

Explore the career possibilities of Saskatchewan Polytechnic's Occupational Health and Safety certificate program. Our graduates work in various industries, advising employers on occupational health and safety issues.

The program provides knowledge relevant to all workplaces in:

auditing safety management
contractor safety management
disability management
emergency management
ergonomics
law and ethics
incident investigation
industrial hygiene
risk management
safety management systems

The program is offered in Saskatoon (on-campus courses are listed below in the Courses section), and online. For current information regarding Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) options, contact the program head John Hancock at john.hancock@saskpolytech.ca.

The Occupational Health and Safety certificate program consists of:

15 theory-based courses
5 electives (students are required to complete one of five)
an 80-hour two-week practicum

The practicum provides a hands-on look at the day-to-day operations of a workplace, its safety management system and the role of Occupational Health and Safety professionals.

For more information, see our frequently asked questions.

Career and salary information

Your career

Occupational Health and Safety professionals provide injury and disease prevention expertise in a wide variety of roles and workplaces. You could be part of a multidisciplinary team working on environmental or wellness initiatives, disability management, regulatory compliance and more.

Possible career opportunities include working with the federal, provincial or municipal government, in health care or educational institutions, with oil and gas companies, manufacturers, transportation firms, utilities, trades, construction and safety associations. For more information, contact Student Employment Services at Sask Polytech.

Potential careers

Sample job titles	NOC classification
Occupational health and safety officer	Occupational health & safety specialists (22232)
Health and safety advisor	Occupational health & safety specialists (22232)
Safety supervisor - occupational health and safety	Occupational health & safety specialists (22232)
Manager, occupational health and safety	Human resources managers (10011)

Part-time delivery

In order to graduate and receive a credential for this program, part-time students must apply and be admitted prior to taking the practicum (PRAC 189).

Part-time schedule, 2024-25

Course	Distance Schedule
	Summer *	Fall	Winter	Spring
Auditing Safety Management	X	X	X	X
Contractor Safety Management		X	X	X
Culture and Diversity		X
Disability Management	X	X	X	X
Emergency Management		X	X	X
Ergonomics		X	X	X
Fire Prevention and Protection	X	X	X	X
Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene 1		X	X	X
Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene 2	X	X	X	X
Incident Investigation	X		X	X
Law and Ethics		X	X	X
Organizational Behaviour	X	X	X	X
Practicum (2 weeks)		Nov	Mar	June
Professional Education and Career Planning		X	X	X
Risk Management		X	X	X
Safety Program Management		X	X	X
Electives (must complete one)
Fatigue Management	X		X	X
Psychological Health and Safety		X		X
Respiratory Fit Test Train the Trainer		Nov		June
Transportation of Dangerous Goods Train the Trainer				May
WHMIS Train the Trainer				May
* Summer Term - all courses offered in a 6-week accelerated format

To register for individual courses, please view the part-time offerings available in the Courses section below.

Admissions

Admission requirements

Grade 12
English Language Requirement

Note

Accepted international students require a co-op work permit to complete the practicum requirements of this program. This is mandatory. Students who do not have a co-op work permit will not be allowed to participate in their practicums. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they have the required documentation to study in Canada and a co-op work permit to complete the practicum requirements of this program.

Alternative admission

Applicants who do not possess the academic qualifications for a program may be admitted if evidence of probable success can be established through an alternative admission assessment. Applicants are automatically considered for alternative admission. However, some specific admission requirements may still need to be met.

ACCUPLACER©

Refer to the ACCUPLACER© cut scores for this program below, and review additional details concerning Alternative Admission using Accuplacer.

250 Arithmetic
253 Reading
245 Writing

Post-secondary

Some programs allow applicants to meet the admission grade level requirement using 15 approved post-secondary credits. Review additional information.

If the program applied to has specific course requirements, they may be met through alternative post-secondary courses. Review already approved courses that may be used for admission purposes for your programs.

Admission method

First Qualified/First Admitted

The First Qualified/First Admitted (FQFA) process is used for the majority of Saskatchewan Polytechnic programs. When we determine that you meet the program's admission requirements, you will be offered admission based on the date you fully qualify for the program. The earlier you provide the appropriate documents and information that qualify you for admission to the next intake, the earlier you might begin your studies. Your application, once qualified, is always considered for the next intake.

Applicants to programs with multiple intakes in an academic year remain in the application pool until the last intake for that academic year has begun. Programs using the FQFA process receive applications year round and maintain an application pool for each academic year. Qualified applicants who are not offered a seat must reapply for the next academic year.

Sponsored programs or programs targeted to specific groups do not accept applications year round or maintain an application pool.

See Admission Processes for more information about this method of admission.

Tuition and fees

Estimates are based on current rates and are subject to change. Amounts for a program may vary by campus. Totals shown here include all mandatory fees as well as approximate cost for books and supplies. Visit the Tuition and Fees web page for a complete breakdown of tuition and fees for this program.

2024-25 academic year

$15,030

International students

View tuition rates for international students.

Courses

Get credit for what you know

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

Saskatchewan Polytechnic recognizes that adults learn in many different ways. This includes acquiring knowledge and skills through life and work experience or non-formal training.

See link(s) below to get more information about PLAR.

Transfer credit

Many Sask Polytech students benefit from transferring course credit. You may be eligible to transfer credit to Sask Polytech or to another college or university.

Institution	Details
Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA)	Graduates of this program admitted to National Construction Safety Offices (NCSO) may be recognized for up to 50% of the program requirements for NSO certification; certified NCSOs admitted to Sask Polytech OHS program may apply for PLAR credit.

Student awards

Thanks to the generosity of donors and alumni, Saskatchewan Polytechnic gives away more than $2 million in student awards during the academic year.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic offers student awards for every certificate and diploma program at every campus. Not all student awards are based on marks - some are based on financial need or things like community or volunteer involvement.

More about scholarships

Additional information

Have a question? Email ConEd@saskpolytech.ca or call 306-659-4418.