PSHSA ‐ Provincial Health and Safety Compliance Initiatives

What are Provincial Health and Safety Compliance Initiatives?

Generally, each year, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) schedules compliance initiatives in specific sectors focused on specific hazards or topics. View the full 2023-24 Provincial Health and Safety Compliance Initiative Schedule.

The purpose of the compliance initiatives is to protect workers' rights under both the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and the Employment Standards Act (ESA) and enhance employers' awareness of their responsibilities. To support health and safety in the workplace, occupational health and safety inspectors carry out their initiatives to raise awareness of hazards and increase compliance with the OHSA and its regulations.

Provincial Health and Safety Compliance Initiatives generally consist of two phases.

Phase 1: In partnership with Ontario’s health and safety associations, the MLITSD focuses on education, outreach, and awareness with the goal to equip workplace parties with knowledge and tools to comply with health and safety requirements and help workplaces prepare.

Phase 2: The MLITSD conducts a focused inspection blitz where occupational health and safety inspectors conduct field visits to check that employers are complying with the OHSA and its regulations, and to raise awareness about specific issues at the workplaces they are visiting. Individual workplaces that will be inspected are not notified in advance.

How Can Your Workplace Prepare?

Do your due diligence by reviewing the Provincial Health and Safety Compliance Initiative Schedule and information below as well as the OHSA requirements in collaboration with your organization’s management and supervisory teams and Joint Health and Safety Committee or Health and Safety Representatives to confirm compliance.
Create an action plan to address any compliance gaps identified – assign responsibilities and timelines.
Update policies, procedures and safe operating procedures as required.
Communicate and provide training or review on policies, procedures and roles and responsibilities to workplace parties.

Continue to check back regularly for additional information, webinar announcements and resources, and connect with your PSHSA Health and Safety Consultant for support or assistance at any time.

Material Handling - Municipal Sector

Phase 1 – Awareness and Compliance Assistance: April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025
Phase 2 – Focused Inspections: April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025

View a recording of the free webinar hosted by Ministry and WSPS on June 27th, 2024, to learn more: MLITSD Materials Handling Campaign: The Essentials

Campaign and Inspection Focus:

This year-long enforcement campaign asks inspectors to visit various sectors where fatalities and critical injuries are taking place. The focus will be on workplaces where materials, articles or things are lifted, carried, or moved, and puts workers at risk of being injured by their movement.

The key sectors will include:

agricultural services
automotive
farming
food, beverage and tobacco
government services (municipal services only)
industrial services
primary metals
retail
tourism, hospitality and recreational services
transportation
vehicle, sales and service
wholesalers
wood and metal fabrication

Inspectors will focus on the following key priorities:

lifting devices/mobile equipment/cranes
workplace layout and design
manual material handling
storage systems
automation
machine guarding, blocking and lockout
training and orientation provided by the employer (for example, supervisor and worker awareness training)
internal responsibility system (for example, joint health and safety committee/health and safety representation)

PSHSA resources:

Ministry resources:

Related Partner documents:

Occupational Hygiene Campaign - All Sectors

Phase 1 – Awareness and Compliance Assistance: April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025
Phase 2 – Focused Inspections: July 2, 2024, to March 31, 2025.

View a recording of the free webinar hosted by the Ministry and PSHSA on April 30th, 2024, to learn more: MLITSD Occupational Hygiene Campaign. You can also download the presentation slides.

Campaign and Inspection Focus:

The Worker Exposures to Chemical Agents in the Workplace Campaign will focus on:

Compliance with R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 833: Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents in all workplaces where this regulation applies.
Assessing worker exposures and the effectiveness of control measures in place
Ensuring that workers are not exposed to hazardous substances exceeding the occupational exposure limits.

The WHMIS Training Based on the Amended Hazardous Products Regulations Campaign will focus on:

Ensuring compliance with R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 860, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) in all workplaces where this regulation applies
Determining the requirement for retraining on WHMIS depending on whether the hazardous products in the workplace have labels and safety data sheets that are compliant with the amended Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR)

Ministry resources:

Related Partner documents:

Slips, Trips and Falls Prevention Campaign - Healthcare Sector

Phase 1 – Awareness and Compliance Assistance: April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025
Phase 2 – Focused Inspections: June 3, 2024, to March 31, 2025.

View a recording of the free webinar hosted by the Ministry and PSHSA on April 30th, 2024, to learn more: MLITSD: Slip, Trip and Falls Prevention Campaign In the Health and Community Care Sector.

Campaign and Inspection Focus:

MLITSD inspectors will be visiting health and community care workplaces to conduct focused inspections related to prevention of slips, trips and falls. Inspectors will check that workers are protected from the hazard of STFs. In order to decrease the risk of STF injuries, inspectors will check that employers have assessed for STF hazards and put controls in place to manage them.

Common STF hazards include:

poor maintenance and housekeeping practices, such as not:
- cleaning up spills and picking up dropped items
- clearing ice and snow from outdoor areas
- keeping work surfaces free of cracks, holes or bumps
- keeping work areas and walkways clear of obstructions or trip hazards such as equipment and electrical cords
unsafe ladders or use of ladders

In workplaces visited, inspectors will check that the employer is taking reasonable precautions in the circumstances for the protection of workers and that workers are provided appropriate instruction, information and supervision to protect workers from STF hazards.

At workplaces where the Health Care and Residential Facilities regulation applies, inspectors will check that the employer has:

established written measures and procedures on STFs prevention in consultation with the joint health and safety committee (JHSC) or health and safety representative (HSR)
reviewed the measures and procedures at least annually, and revised these as required considering current knowledge and practice related to STFs prevention
provided training to workers on STFs prevention

Learn more and find workplace resources.

Ministry resources:

Related Partner documents: