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Notices

  • Content last reviewed: January 2021

Notices: 2021-23 | 2018-20 | 2015-17 | 2013-14 | 2011-12 | 2009-10


July 28, 2021

Mining Health and Safety Regulatory Amendment Proposal

The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) is proposing to amend various requirements that apply to mines and mining plants in Regulation 854 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

For more information on the proposal please visit the Government of Ontario’s Regulatory Registry.  The consultation ends on September 15, 2021.


July 14, 2021

Consultation on Improving Health and Safety Requirements relating to Tower Cranes

The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) is proposing to modernize and clarify existing requirements relating to the use of tower cranes set out in the Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91) and O. Reg. 420/21: Notices and Reports Under Sections 51 to 53/1 of the Act - Fatalities, Critical Injuries, Occupational Illnesses and Other Incidents under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

This proposal includes 20 recommendations targeting 6 key areas of focus, including:

  • introducing new notification requirements relating to the use of tower cranes
  • clarifying requirements for design, installation, maintenance, and inspection requirements including record keeping
  • referencing the Professional Engineers of Ontario's practice standard for tower crane review and clarifying the role and responsibilities of professional engineers in the design, erection and inspection of tower cranes, including certifying tower cranes as safe to use after repairs or following fault diagnosis
  • introducing new, and updating existing, references to relevant national and international standards relating to the design and operation of tower cranes
  • updating and introducing new training requirements for crane operators
  • addressing advances in technology by adding new and specific requirements for self-erecting tower cranes

For more information on the proposal please visit the Government of Ontario’s Regulatory Registry.


July 12, 2021

Proposal to Amend Ontario Regulation 213/91 - Construction Projects to Modernize the Notice of Project Requirements

The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development is proposing to modernize the Notice of Project (NOP) requirement under O. Reg. 213/91- Construction Projects by potentially replacing the $50,000 monetary threshold with an expanded list of hazard-based triggers in order to continue to identify high-risk construction projects and protect the heath and safety of construction workers.

The ministry is also proposing to move various other notice requirements throughout the regulation into a single section of the regulation for easier reference.

For more information on the proposal please visit the Government of Ontario’s Regulatory Registry.


July 12, 2021

Harmonization of Head Protection Requirements under the Occupational Health and Safety Act

The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development is proposing to harmonize head protection requirements across all workplaces that fall under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The proposal is to move to a performance-based approach, and could encompass a wide range of protective headwear, including hard hats, motorcycle helmets, rope access helmets, or structural fire fighting helmets, depending on the hazard and the activity.

In every situation in which there is a hazard of head injury, the protective headgear chosen would need to be appropriate to protect the worker. Where there is no hazard of head injury, such as in an office or in the cab of a vehicle, there would be no requirement to wear head protection in that location. The proposal would also allow workplaces the flexibility to consider other ways to address head injury hazards, for instance by eliminating the hazard or controlling it by using engineering or administrative means.

The Ministry would publish a guideline or an approved code of practice to accompany the proposed amendments to provide detailed information to help employers meet their obligations with respect to head protection.

For more information on the proposal please visit the Government of Ontario’s Regulatory Registry.


June 10, 2021

Industrial Establishments Regulation Amendments

The Industrial Establishments regulation (Regulation 851) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act has been amended to streamline and clarify pre-start health and safety review requirements while maintaining existing worker health and safety protections. The changes will come into effect on January 1, 2022.

Section 7 of Regulation 851 requires that a pre-start health and safety review be carried out in factories on certain machinery, protective elements, structures, and processes that can pose a serious hazard to worker health and safety, before they are operated for the first time or before modifications are made.

With the proposed amendments, the equipment, protective elements, structures and processes that would need a pre-start health and safety review would continue to be:

  • storage and dispensing of flammable liquids
  • safeguarding devices such as light curtains, or interlocked barrier guards that prevent worker access to a hazard
  • racks and stacking structures
  • processes and dust collectors that pose a risk of fire or explosion
  • processes that involve molten metals
  • cranes and other lifting devices that are suspended from or supported by a structure
  • ventilation systems used to control worker exposure where processes use or produce a hazardous biological or chemical agent

For ease of use, the Table to section 7 has been modified to include a new column setting out exemptions, which were previously described in the body of section 7. Some of circumstances and exemptions have been modified to clarify their meaning, and there are two new exemptions.

Other administrative amendments

Additionally, sections 104, 105, and 106.2, which set out modular training requirements for workers in the logging sector, have been updated to reflect current training program names and numbers. Updates also reflect that the approval and administration of these training programs is now the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. These amendments come into force July 1, 2021.

For more information, read:


June 8, 2021

New Regulation to Streamline Reporting Requirements

A new regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) will come into effect on July 1, 2021: Ontario Regulation 420 / 21 – Notices and Reports under Sections 51 to 53.1 of the Act – Fatalities, Critical Injuries, Occupational Illnesses and Other Incidents.

The new regulation incorporates the critical injury definition and streamlines reporting requirements into a single regulation that applies to all workplaces covered under the OHSA.

Amending regulations


April 21, 2021

Occupational Health Consultation

The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) is consulting on new or revised occupational exposure limits (OELs) based on the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommendations for 2018 and 2019. The MLTSD is also proposing to:

  • Align the current OELs for silica in Regulation 833 – Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents (Reg. 833) and O. Reg. 490/09 – Designated Substances (O. Reg. 490/09) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) with the limits recommended by the ACGIH.
  • Align the current OELs for hydrogen sulfide in Reg. 833 with the limits recommended by the ACGIH.
  • Adopt the 2019 version of CSA standard CAN/CSA-Z180.1:19, Compressed breathing air and systems in Reg. 833, O. Reg. 490/09 and O. Reg. 278/05 – Asbestos on Construction Projects and in Buildings and Repair Operations (O. Reg. 278/05).

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April 13, 2021

Ontario Ensuring WSIB Premiums and Compensation Remain Stable

The Ontario legislature has passed the Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act, 2021. The new legislation will protect employers from an unexpected increase in Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) premiums, while maintaining an increase to the maximum earnings cap for worker benefits.

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January 21, 2021

Consultation on Proposed Amendments to Pre-Start Health and Review Requirements for Factories

The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) is proposing to amend section 7 of the Industrial Establishments regulation (Regulation 851) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), which requires that a pre-start health and safety review (PSR) be carried out on certain machinery, protective elements, structures and processes in factories before they are put into service for the first time or if modifications are needed.

Between February 3 and April 30, 2020, the ministry held a consultation to get stakeholder feedback about the current pre-start health and safety review requirements and the current PSRs guideline. The feedback received indicated that while there is general support for PSRs and their role in proactively protecting worker health and safety, there was strong support for changes that would clarify and streamline the regulatory requirements.

Based on the feedback received during that consultation, the ministry is now proposing amendments to section 7 and the table to that section.

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January 8, 2021

First Aid Modernization Consultation

The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) is proposing to transfer the responsibility of workplace first aid from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to MLTSD. This regulatory modernization could include a new first aid regulation made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, revocation of the current Regulation 1101 First Aid Requirements made under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, and the development of first aid training standards that are approved by the Chief Prevention Officer.

Feedback to the questions posed in the ministry’s consultation paper will provide valuable insight in developing options to modernize workplace first aid requirements in Ontario.

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