Photo: Yury Kim
Ontario to Target High-Risk Sectors and Repeat Offenders – Ontario Inspecting Workplaces to Protect Workers’ Health and Safety
Ontario is conducting more than two dozen inspection blitzes in 2018-2019 to ensure employers are meeting health, safety and employment standards at workplaces across the province.
Enforcement staff will visit workplaces such as warehouses, “big box” retail, grocery stores, chemical manufacturing plants, pulp and paper mills, hotels, golf courses, health care organizations, mines and construction projects. In particular, sectors with new and young workers, temporary help, vulnerable workers and a history of low compliance will be targeted.
Occupational health and safety inspectors will look for occupational health and safety violations involving issues such as working at heights, hazardous materials, machine guarding, conveyors, mobile equipment, violence, ergonomics and falls. The goal will be to raise awareness that safety is everyone’s responsibility, to enhance workplace health and safety and to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths.
Employment standards officers will check for employment standards violations in the construction sector. The goal is to ensure that workers are receiving their entitlements and employers are aware of, and complying with, their responsibilities.
QUICK FACTS
- Blitzes and initiatives are part of Ontario’s enforcement strategy to increase compliance with the Employment Standards Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act and their regulations.
- Between April 1, 2005 and December 31, 2017, more than $177 million in wages and other money owed to employees has been recovered through inspections, claims, collections and other program activities.
- Since June 2008, Ministry of Labour occupational health and safety inspectors have conducted more than 792,400 field visits, and 100 provincial inspection blitzes.
- Inspectors have issued more than 1,297,500 compliance orders for safety issues across all sectors in Ontario since June 2008.