1. About this Guide

If you are concerned about workplace health and safety, you should take the time to read this guide. It explains what every worker, supervisor, employer, constructor and workplace owner needs to know about the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It describes everyone's rights and responsibilities and it answers, in plain language, the questions that are most commonly asked about the Act.

However, please remember that this guide is only an explanation of the Act. It is not a legal document. To make the guide easier to read, some parts of the Act have been omitted or condensed. The guide does not cover every situation or answer every question about the legal requirements concerning workplace health and safety in Ontario.

In some situations, you may need to know exactly what the Act says, so that you can be sure you are making the right decision or giving the right advice. In such cases, you must read the Act and the regulations. But if you read this guide beforehand, you will find the legislation easier to understand. Throughout the guide, the relevant section numbers of the Act have been inserted in the text.

If you need help in answering questions about the Act or the regulations, you should contact your nearest Ministry of Labour office.