Topics and Publications: Health and Safety
- Content last reviewed: March 2019
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Occupational Health and Safety Act coverage expanded to unpaid co-op students and learners in work placements, effective November 20, 2014. Learn More
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Resources by Topic
- Chemical Hazards / Dangerous Substances
- Confined Spaces
- Construction
- Critical Injury
- Day of Mourning
- Definition of "Worker"
- Diving
- Emergency Preparedness
- Electrical Hazards
- Ergonomics
- Explosion and Fire Hazards
- Fall Hazards
- Farming Operations
- Firefighters
- Flu
- Footwear
- Guarding / Lockout
- Health and Community Care
- Health and Safety Awareness Training
- Heat Stress
- Impairment
- Internal Responsibility System
- Joint Health and Safety Committees
- Lifting Equipment
- Logging/Forestry
- Manufacturing
- Mining
- Mobile Equipment
- Noise Hazards
- Occupational Exposure Limits
- Occupational Health Hazards and Illnesses
- Performance Industry (Live, Film, TV, Children)
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- Pre-Start Reviews
- Prevention
- Radiation Hazards and Protection
- Reprisals
- Role of the Ministry
- Small Business
- Scaffolds / Window Washing
- Storage and Material Handling
- Temporary Help Agencies
- Traumatic Mental Stress
- Ventilation
- WHMIS
- Working Alone
- Working at Heights Training
- Workplace Violence and Workplace Harassment
- Young Workers
Chemical Hazards / Dangerous Substances
- Guidelines for Pre-Start Health and Safety Reviews: How to Apply Section 7 of the Industrial Establishments Regulation – Guideline
- Liquid Nitrogen in the Food and Beverage Industry - Information Bulletin
- Vehicle Painting Process - Information Bulletin
- Thermal Spray Aluminum Coating Process - Alert
- Asbestos on Construction Projects and in Buildings and Repair Operations - Guide
- Asbestos: FAQs
- Asbestos Hazard in Vehicle Brake Repairs – Alert
- Abrasive Blaster Dies of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – Alert
- Workplace Beryllium Exposure - Alert
- You and Chemicals in the Workplace - Alert
- Explosion Hazards in Dispensing Products Containing Toluene – Alert
- Hazards in Hardwood Floor Installation and Finishing – Alert
- Flammable Vapours from Polyethylene (Packing) Foam – Alert
Construction
Construction projects should be safe workplaces. Workers, supervisors and employers are all responsible for safety. Construction site safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Diving
Injuries sustained by commercial divers are usually fatal. A lack of operational and contingency planning is often the root cause of diving accidents. Divers are at risk if hazards are not identified and adequately handled, and if emergency management measures and procedures are not in place.
Electrical Hazards
Ergonomics
Musculoskeletal disorder hazards
- Hand-arm vibration
- Whole-body vibration
- Manual materials handling
- Manual handling of beer kegs
- Manual transfer of mobile industrial waste containers
- Back belts in manual materials handling
- Client handling and musculoskeletal disorders in the health care sector
- Computer ergonomics
- Videos:
Fall hazards
- portable ladders (mobile ladder stand/platform)
- portable ladders (step, platform or trestle ladder)
- sliding, fixed, portable (extension, single) ladders
- Step stools
Visibility hazards
Explosion and Fire Hazards
- Guidelines for Pre-Start Health and Safety Reviews: How to Apply Section 7 of the Industrial Establishments Regulation – Guideline
- Vehicle Painting Process - Information Bulletin
- Thermal Spray Aluminum Coating Process - Alert
- Explosion Risk Associated with Old Laboratory Samples - Alert
- Tire Explosion – Pyrolysis - Alert
- Tire Machines - Alert
- Explosion Hazards in Dispensing Products Containing Toluene - Alert
- Explosion – Sewer Construction Using a Laser Device - Alert
- Flammable Vapours from Polyethylene (Packing) Foam - Alert
- Gasoline Tank Removal - Alert
- Hazards in Hardwood Floor Installation and Finishing - Alert
- Welding on Containers - Alert
Fall Hazards
Falls from heights and same-level falls result in a significant number of worker injuries.
Workers are at risk of falling in any workplace.
Firefighters
Flu
- Flu and Your Workplace – Information Bulletin
- Just Clean Your Hands – Hand Hygiene Program
- I want to wash my hands (video) – Brant Community Healthcare System
Guarding / Lockout
- Collector Shoe Assemblies on Overhead Cranes – Bridging an Isolation Gap – Alert
- Conveyor Guarding - Guideline
- Dough Mixers - Alert
- Equipment Blocking - Alert
- Guidelines for Pre-Start Health and Safety Reviews: How to Apply Section 7 of the Industrial Establishments Regulation – Guideline
- Machine Shop Lathes: Entanglement Hazards During High-Speed Polishing - Alert
- Meat Mixer/Grinder - Alert
- Unguarded Rotating Trolley Track Hoist Drums – Alert
- Vine Pulling Machines on Farms – Alert
- Wood Splitters – Alert
Health and Community Care
Health and Community Care includes workplaces such as hospitals, long-term care homes, homes for residential care, nursing services, supported group living residences and independent support residences (group homes), treatment clinics and specialized services, laboratories, and professional offices and agencies.
Health and Safety Awareness Training
A new regulation will require health and safety awareness training for every worker and supervisor under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). Learn more about the regulation, training requirements, and our free suite of training resources.
Heat Stress
Heat stress can happen when hot, humid conditions and physical activity overcomes your body’s natural cooling system. You might suffer cramps and fainting, or even serious heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke can kill quickly.
Internal Responsibility System
Joint Health and Safety Committees
Joint health and safety committees (JHSCs) and multi-workplace joint health and safety committees (MJHSCs) represent workers and employers at Ontario workplaces. An MJHSC is a single JHSC, established and maintained for more than one workplace, each of which would normally require its own JHSC.
Some members of a JHSC must receive training called 'certification' to perform their duties effectively.
Lifting Equipment
Workplaces that operate lifting devices, including forklifts and personnel lifts, may expose workers to potentially serious physical hazards.
Logging/Forestry
Manufacturing
Noise Hazards
Occupational Exposure Limits
Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) restrict the amount and length of time a worker is exposed to airborne concentrations of hazardous biological or chemical agents.
There are OELs for over 725 substances set out in Regulation 833 Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents and O. Reg 490/09 Designated Substances under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Occupational Health Hazards and Illnesses
Occupational illness normally develops over a period of time because of workplace conditions. Such conditions might include exposure to disease-causing bacteria and viruses, for example, or to chemicals or dust.
Personal Protective Equipment
Pre-Start Reviews
Prevention
We are ALL responsible — employers, supervisors and workers — for preventing workplace illness and injury. Get involved now! Your search for workplace health and safety information starts right here...
Radiation Hazards and Protection
The Radiation Protection Service (RPS) is administered under the direction of the ministry. It is Ontario’s primary source of expertise on all matters concerning exposure to radiation, whether regarding nuclear facilities or veterinary dental X-ray machine installation.
All ministry resources on radiation – including alerts, guidelines and reports – can now be found in one convenient location.
Role of the Ministry
- The Ministry of Labour and its Role – Frequently Asked Questions
- A Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act – Part Vlll: Enforcement – Guide
- A Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act for Farming Operations – Chapter 8: Enforcement – Guide
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS): A Guide to the Legislation – Chapter 9. WHMIS and the Ontario Ministry of Labour – Guide
- Fatalities and Immediate Response (FAIR) Policy – Brochure
- Multi-workplace Joint Health and Safety Committee
- Nuclear Generating Facilities
- Occupational Health and Safety Inspections: What You Should Know
- Occupational Health and Safety in Ontario: 2015-2016 Annual Report
Small Business
Small businesses represent 95% of all employers in Ontario, and they employ 28% of Ontario’s workers. Business owners know that running a business involves risks and costs; we know that a commitment to health, safety and fairness makes good business sense.
Scaffolds / Window Washing
- Davit Arm System Failure – Alert
- Elevating Work Platform Safety in Construction – Fact Sheet
- Guidelines for Multi-Point Suspended Scaffolds – Guideline
- Ladder Safety in Construction – Fact Sheet
- Swing Stage Inspections – Video
- Window Cleaning: Guideline for the Design, Installation and Use of Fall Arrest Anchor Points, Tie-Back Anchor Points and Primary Support for Suspended Equipment Systems – Guideline
Storage and Material Handling
Workplaces with racking and storage facilities may contain potentially serious hazards. The improper use, selection and installation, or maintenance of racking and storage systems may put workers at risk of injury.
Temporary Help Agencies
Temporary help agencies provide employees to client businesses that require staff on temporary assignments. This could be for short-term jobs that last for a few days or weeks, or long-term assignments that can last for several months or years.
Learn about the rights and rules that apply to assignment employees, temporary help agencies, and clients of temporary help agencies.
Traumatic Mental Stress
Ventilation
- Thermal Spray Aluminum Coating Process - Alert
- Ventilation Inspection and Report for Health Care and Residential Facilities – Guide
- Explosion Hazards in Dispensing Products Containing Toluene – Alert
- Hazards in Hardwood Floor Installation and Finishing – Alert
- Flammable Vapours from Polyethylene (Packing) Foam – Alert
- Gasoline Tank Removal – Alert
- Abrasive Blaster Dies of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – Alert
Workplace Violence And Workplace Harassment
Everyone should be able to work in a safe and healthy workplace. The Occupational Health and Safety Act sets out roles and responsibilities of workplace parties to address with respect to workplace violence and workplace harassment, including developing and implementing policies and programs and providing information and instruction on these.
Young Workers
Every day in Ontario, an average of nearly 50 young workers under age 25 are injured or killed on the job.
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