NCSO™ Designation Requirements

Upon acceptance into the program, NCSO™ candidates are required to complete the following:

Training Requirements

Compulsory Course Requirements

Provide proof of completion of the following required courses:

  • Certificate of Recognition (COR®) (5 days)
  • OHS Committee Training 2015 (2 days) *
  • Fall Protection (2 days)
  • Standard First Aid (2 days)
  • WHMIS 2015 (&1988) (½ day/also available online)
  • Instructional Techniques (2 days)
  • Incident Investigation (1 day)
  • Early and Safe Return to Work (½ day)
  • Construction Worker Safety (1 day/also available online)
  • NCSO™ Administration (1 day) **

* Please note that OHS Committee Training 2015 certification will be awarded to any candidate who completes the 5-day Certificate of Recognition® (COR®) training after June 30, 2015.

** Please note that NCSO™ Administration is the last course completed for the NCSO™ program and that all other training and practical requirements must be met prior to registering for this course.

Elective Course Requirements

Provide proof of completion of a minimum of three (3) required courses:

  • Confined Space (2 days)
  • Transportation of Dangerous Goods (1 day)
  • Environmental Awareness 2017 (1 day/also available online)
  • Safety for Supervisors (2 days)
  • Trenching & Excavation (½ day)
  • Powerline Hazard (½ day)
  • Traffic Control Person (6 hours)
For a list of upcoming training – visit our online training calendar

Applicants are required to submit the following documentation to demonstrate the practical application of their skills and abilities:

  • Jobsite Inspection
  • Toolbox Presentation
  • Accident/Incident Investigation
  • Hazard Assessment
  • COR® Internal Audit and Action Plan

Locating a company to participate in the practical requirements is the responsibility of the NCSO™ candidate. All practical requirements must be completed independently and individually (i.e. not as part of a team or committee) and must have been completed within 12 months of submission. In addition, the NCSO™ candidate will be required to submit updated/current practical requirements for any one or more of the practical requirements that were completed more than twelve (12) months prior to the time that the candidate challenges both NCSO™ knowledge examinations. An individualized action plan may be developed for candidates who submit two (2) or more practical submissions that do not meet the standards of the program.

Applicants are required to successfully complete both of the following examinations:

  • NCSO™ National Knowledge Exam
  • NCSO™ Provincial Knowledge Exam

The candidate will be eligible to challenge both examinations after it has been verified that all other requirements have been successfully completed and/or have valid expiry dates. In addition, upon completing all outstanding requirements the candidate will have twenty-four (24) months to successfully complete both knowledge examinations.

Upon notification that all requirements have been successfully met, it is the responsibility of the NCSO™ candidate to contact the NLCSA and make arrangements to challenge both the national and provincial knowledge examinations. A schedule for the NCSO™ national and provincial knowledge exams is available under the NLCSA’s training schedule on our website. Please note that the NLCSA requires a minimum of two (2) weeks notice prior to registering for either one of the examinations. Electronic devices and textbooks are not permitted in the examination room. Additionally, when the candidate arrives to challenge the exam(s), they will be required to show a valid Government issued photo identification card (ID) to verify their identify.

Both examinations will be scheduled to be written on the same day. The candidate will be required to challenge the national knowledge exam first and will have two (2) hours to complete the exam. Following the completion of the national knowledge exam, the candidate will be granted one (1) hour to challenge the provincial knowledge exam. The successful passing mark for each examination is 75 percent (75%).

If a candidate fails to meet the passing mark(s), they must wait ninety (90) days before being permitted to challenge the exam(s) again. The candidate will also be required to pay a re-writing fee of $50.00 + HST for one or both examinations. Candidates can challenge the national and provincial knowledge exam three (3) times. If they are not successful after three (3) attempts, they must start the application process all over again.