The WHSC Occupational Health and Safety Level I (Fundamentals) program is intended for use by unions to train new joint committee members and health and safety representatives. Through the Level I program, participants learn and practice skills needed to promote and achieve prevention in the workplace. Upon completion of the program, learners receive a Level I certificate.

The Level I program trains worker representatives to identify and fight off behavioural-based management approaches and establish real prevention programs that identify, assess and control hazards. But workers do not have the power to simply institute these programs; employers hold the power in the workplace, workers must bargain.

These negotiations are both similar and different than those typically carried out to establish a collective agreement. Like collective agreement bargaining, there is a profound need to get information, communicate with members, build proposals and apply leverage

However, when it comes to health and safety, there is no multi-year contract that defines the conditions of work. In all workplaces, hazards changes regularly – even daily – and these changes to the conditions of work usually take place without any consultation with workers. Because the employer can continuously and unilaterally change the hazards of work, worker representatives need to continuously bargain with employers for improved prevention. The WHSC Level program trains worker representatives to carry out this continuous bargaining mission.