Operations | Occupational Health & Safety | Employment Standards | Ministry of Labour Safe At Work Ontario 2015/16 Ministry of Labour

Operations | Occupational Health & Safety | Employment Standards |

Ministry of Labour

Safe At Work Ontario 2015/16

Ministry of Labour


Ministry of Labour

Disclaimer

This presentation has been prepared to assist the workplace parties in understanding their obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and the regulations. This document does not constitute legal advice. To determine your rights and responsibilities under OHSA, please contact your legal counsel or refer to the legislation

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Mission: To advance safe, healthy, fair and harmonious workplace practices that are essential to the social and economic well-being of the people of Ontario

The Ministry and its agencies are responsible for administering a variety of labour/workplace-related legislation through 3 core programs:

• Occupational Health and Safety

• Employment Rights & Responsibilities

• Labour Relations

MOL administers and delivers programs through 36 offices across five regions: Central East, Central West, East, West and North regions

Ministry of Labour (MOL) Overview


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Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) – provides no-fault collective liability insurance and access to industry-specific health and safety information for employers and provides loss of earnings benefits and health care coverage for workers.

Health and Safety Associations (HSAs) – six HSAs have responsibility for training, consulting and clinical services for workers and employers• HSAs all play an important role in supporting the OHS system by sharing information and

best practices, and by providing programs and services to workers and workplaces

HSA Description

Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA)

Provides OHS prevention training, consulting and advisory services to the construction, electrical, utilities, aggregates, natural gas, ready mix concrete, and transportation sectors

Public Services Health and Safety Association (PSHSA)

Provides OHS prevention training, consulting and auditing services to the public service sector including health and community care, education and culture, municipal and provincial government, public safety, and First Nations communities

Workplace Safety North (WSN) Provides OHS prevention training, consulting and auditing services to forestry, mining, smelters refineries, paper, printing, and converting sectors

Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS)

Provides OHS prevention training, consulting and auditing services to the agricultural, industrial, manufacturing and service sectors

Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

Provides OHS diagnostic and clinical services to workers concerned with work-related health conditions and to workers, unions and employers requiring support to prevent health conditions from developing

Workers Health and Safety Centre (WHSC)

Provides training for workers, Joint Health and Safety Committee members, supervisors and employers in every sector and region of the province

Occupational Health and Safety System Partners:Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and Health and Safety Associations


Enforcing the OHSAMinistry of Labour inspectors visit workplaces to:

• Conduct reactive & proactive inspections to ensure employers are complying with the OHSA

• Conduct reactive inspections due to workplace injury, fatality or work refusal

• Ensure workplace parties are maintaining an effective Internal Responsibility System (IRS).

• In addition, the Ministry of Labour employs a team of specialists who may accompany an inspector during a workplace inspection or investigation to provide additional expertise, including Engineers, hygienists, Doctors, Ergonomists; and Radiation experts.

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Typical OHS Inspection• Every workplace inspection will be different in nature due to varying workplace

sizes, types and operational requirements.• In most instances, an occupational health and safety (OHS) Inspector will:

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Review

The structure and operation of the Joint

Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) (if

applicable)

The OHS Policy and ensure that it is

posted and reviewed annually

Workplace Violence and Harassment

Policies – are they posted and has

information and instruction been

provided on the policies and programs

Ensure

A violence risk assessment has been

done

The OHS Act is posted

The JHSC members’ names and work

locations are posted

Workplace inspections


Safe At Work Ontario: Objectives• Safe At Work Ontario uses information from a variety of sources to analyze and

determine where the hazards are occurring to drive proactive inspections and to better align with prevention measures.

• Information and data sources for analysis include:

• The WSIB

• Field intelligence

• Stakeholder feedback

• Internal data systems

• This information and data are used to:

• Identify workplaces that have not previously been visited by the Ministry.

• Improve compliance through education and enforcement.

• Transparency in regulatory direction and continuous improvement obtained through annual stakeholder engagement and consultation.

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OHS System Priorities – 2015 / 2016• For 2015/2016, the OHS System Priorities are:

1. Vulnerable workers

2. Small business

3. Highest hazards

• OHS System Priorities cross all programs and influence the focus of all inspections.

• Health and Safety Associations (HSAs) & MOL’s Prevention Office support MOL enforcement activities and provide information to workers and employers.


Safe At Work Ontario 2015/2016

For 2015/2016, Safe At Work Ontario field visits will support: • blitzes,

• provincial initiatives and

• regional initiatives

The Ministry will be conducting provincial blitzes and provincial initiatives.

Regions will be conducting regional initiatives based on their local intelligence and remaining proactive capacity.


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Initiatives and Blitzes 2015 / 2016


Construction Enforcement Initiatives

Initiative #1

Supervisory awareness of OHS and regulatory duties

Initiative #2

Worker safety on sloped roofs - after hours MOL inspections with a focus on the underground economy (UE)

Initiative #3

Worker material handling practices and ergonomic risks and controls


Construction Inspection Blitzes

Blitz Topic #1: Struck By HazardsConstruction inspectors will be visiting construction projects to ensure that worker

safety is protected against the dangers of working around vehicles and large pieces of mobile equipment at construction sites, including road work projects.

This blitz will run from April 1, 2015 to May 30, 2015.

Blitz Topic #2: TrenchingConstruction inspectors will be visiting construction projects to ensure that worker

safety is protected against trenching or excavation cave-in. Most cave-ins occur on small, short-duration jobs like water, gas, electrical and sewer connections.

This blitz will run from July 1, 2015 to August 31, 2015.


Construction Inspection Blitzes

Blitz Topic #3: Heavy Equipment OperationConstruction inspectors will be visiting construction projects to ensure that heavy

equipment is maintained and operated by competent workers in a safe manner.

This blitz will run from October 1, 2015 to November 31, 2015.


Industrial Enforcement Focus

Assist the most vulnerable workers

For 2015/2016, inspectors will focus on temporary foreign workers (TFW).

Support occupational health and safety improvements in small businesses

For 2015/2016, inspectors will conduct a Small Business IRS initiative.

Address the highest hazards that result in occupational injuries, illnesses or fatalities

For 2015/2016, inspectors will have highest hazard incorporated into blitzes.


Proposed Industrial Enforcement Initiatives

Initiative #1: New Small Business Registrations and IRS Initiative (2015-2016)

The initiative will focus on a review of the IRS/administrative requirements of the OHSA and a physical inspection of the entire workplace.

Expected outcomes:

• increase small business awareness of the workplace parties’ roles and responsibilities under OHSA and its regulations,

• promote awareness and compliance with the mandatory occupational health and safety training for workers and supervisors (O. Reg. 297/13),

• promote understanding of the new definition of “worker” in the OHSA, and

• support vulnerable workers by making them aware of their rights under the OHSA and the resources available to help them.


Proposed Industrial Enforcement Initiatives

Initiative #2: Education

The initiative will focus on the hazards in laboratories and technological classes in secondary schools (in response to the Eric Leighton inquest) and an IRS audit of colleges, libraries, museums and universities (to promote the use the MOL self audit tool).

This proposed initiative will run between November 16, 2015 and December 18, 2015.


Proposed Industrial Inspection Blitzes

Blitz Topic #1: New and Young Workers

There are two focus groups in this blitz. The first group is the new young worker 15-24 and the second group is the new older worker, older than 25 that has been on the job for less than 6 months or reassigned to a new job.

Inspectors will be visiting industrial sector workplaces across Ontario (focus on vulnerable workers and temporary foreign workers).

This proposed blitz will run from May 1, 2015 to August 31, 2015.

Blitz Topic #2: Material Handling

• Inspectors will conduct an enforcement focus on lifting devices and manual material handling (MSD- to support MSD month in October).

•This proposed blitz will run from September 14, 2015 to October 23, 2015.


Proposed Industrial Inspection Blitzes

Blitz Topic #3: Safe Operation of Machinery

Inspectors will focus on hazards associated with the operation of machines and address machine guarding and electrical hazards.

This proposed blitz will run from January 18, 2016 to February 26, 2016.


Occupational Hygiene

• Canada’s Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) will be replaced by the Global Harmonization System (GHS) by June 2015.

• Proactive workplace visits to increase employer awareness of the GHS

• Participate in blitzes and regional initiatives under the Safe At Work Ontario enforcement strategy

• Provide professional and technical support to inspectors; including conducting air quality surveys

• SPS will continue to support policy branch in regulation amendments


Radiation Protection

• Conduct joint visits with health and safety program inspectors and specialists

• Focus on dental X-ray source installations and conversions to digital imaging systems in veterinary facilities

• Investigate the highest personal X-ray exposures at workplaces supplied by the national dose registry database which is the repository for occupational x-ray exposures (focus will be on young (19 years of age and younger) and vulnerable (monitored for less than a year) X-ray workers)

• Confirm x-ray registration and installation reviews on-site

• Focus on cosmetic use of high power lasers

• Support the Inspectorate on reactive or proactive visits to a nuclear facilities or initiatives with a radiation protection component


Upcoming Changes and Training

Working at Heights

Mandatory entry level in construction (MELC)

JHSC certification - new program standards

H&S Rep training

ACA / TQA now enforced by College of Trades

Mining Review


Resource Material to Employers

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Worker Awareness Products

• Worker Health and Safety Awareness in 4 Steps was developed by the Ministry of Labour to support our commitment to make health and safety awareness training in the workplace mandatory.

• To make health and safety awareness training mandatory for workers, a regulation will be required. Stakeholders were consulted on a regulatory proposal between December 2012 and February 2013.

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Awareness Poster• Under the OHSA, employers are

required to post the Act and any explanatory material prepared by the Ministry, which includes this poster, in the workplace.

• The poster must be displayed in English and the majority language of the workplace (available in 17 additional languages).

• The Employment Standards poster must be displayed in the workplace (also available in multiple languages).

• Both posters can be printed from the MOL web-site.

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Sector Plans

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• As part of Safe At Work Ontario, the MOL develops annual sector–specific enforcement plans that focus on hazards specific to those workplaces

• The plans describe the industrial, health care, construction, and mining sectors and outline what inspectors will be looking for during an inspection

• Sector Plans are posted on the MOL website


Guidelines

• Guidelines are developed to clarify the intent of sector specific regulations and to help workplace parties understand the requirements


Videos

• The Ministry of Labour released a number of new videos in 2012 that demonstrate what an Occupational Health and Safety Inspector looks for during a workplace Inspection

• These include:• Loading Dock Safety• Heat Stress• Workplace Violence and Harassment • Forklift Safety• Manual Materials Handling in Industrial

Workplaces

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Ministry of Labour Website

The MOL website is the source for the latest news on:

• Blitzes

• Sector plans

• Hazard alerts

• Compliance tools

• Interactive Web Tools

• Prosecution Activity

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Health and Safety Associations

Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA)

Serves: construction, electrical and utilities, aggregates, natural gas, ready-mix concrete and transportation.

Toll-free: 1-800-263-5024

http://www.ihsa.ca/

on Twitter @IHSAnews

Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)

Serves: agriculture, manufacturing, and service sectors.

Toll-free: 1-877-494-9777

http://www.wsps.ca/

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Workplace Safety North (WSN)

Serves (province wide): forestry, mining, smelters, refineries, paper, printing and converting.

Toll-free (Ontario): 1-888-730-7821

http://www.workplacesafetynorth.ca/

on Twitter @WSN_News

Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA)

Serves: hospitals, nursing and retirement homes, residential and community care, universities and colleges, school boards, libraries and museums, municipalities, provincial government and agencies, police, fire and paramedics and First Nations.

Toll-free: 1-877-250-7444 | Toronto: 416-250-2131

http://www.pshsa.ca/

on Twitter @pshsa1

http://www.ihsa.ca/

https://twitter.com/


http://www.wsps.ca/

http://www.workplacesafetynorth.ca/

https://twitter.com/@WSN_News

http://www.pshsa.ca/



Health and Safety Associations

Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC)

As Ontario’s designated health and safety training centre, the WHSC provides training for workers, their representatives and employers from every sector and region of the province.

Toll-free: 1-888-869-7950

http://www.whsc.on.ca/

on Twitter @OHS_Training

Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

OHCOW provides comprehensive occupational health services - to workers concerned about work-related health conditions and to workers, unions and employers who need support to prevent these health conditions from developing. OHCOW services are free of charge.

Toll-free: 1-877-817-0336

http://www.ohcow.on.ca/

on Twitter @OHCOWclinics

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http://www.whsc.on.ca/



http://www.ohcow.on.ca/



We’re Here to Help

Ministry of Labour Health & Safety Contact Centre• Toll-free, 1-877-202-0008

Fax, 905-577-1316

• Call any time to report critical injuries, fatalities or work refusals.

• Call 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday, for general inquiries about workplace health and safety.

• In an emergency, always call 911.

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Employment Standards Information Centre

• GTA: 416-326-7160Canada-wide: 1-800-531-5551TTY: 1-866-567-8893

Need other languages?

• The Employment Standards Information Centre (1-800-531-5551) provides service in 23 different languages – from Arabic to Vietnamese.


Web Links

Ontario.ca/healthandsafetyatwork

Ontario.ca/SafeAtWorkOntario

Ontario.ca/EmploymentStandards

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http://www.ontario.ca/SafeAtWorkOntario

http://www.ontario.ca/SafeAtWorkOntario

http://www.ontario.ca/EmploymentStandards

Documents

Operations | Occupational Health & Safety | Employment Standards | Ministry of Labour Safe At Work Ontario 2015/16 Ministry of Labour