Enforcement initiatives

Enforcement initiatives are part of the province’s Safe At Work Ontario compliance strategy.

They may be announced to sectors in advance although individual workplaces are not identified in advance.

Results from province-wide initiatives are posted on the ministry’s website. The initiatives are intended to raise awareness of workplace hazards and promote compliance with the Occupational health and safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations.

Inspectors’ findings may influence the frequency and level of future inspections of individual workplaces. Inspectors may also refer employers to health and safety associations for compliance assistance and training.

Noise hazards provincial enforcement initiative

The ministry will be conducting a one-year provincial enforcement initiative on noise hazards in workplaces across the province. The initiative takes place between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018.

Why focus on noise?

Noise is a serious health hazard. Over time, if worker exposure to noise from machinery, processes and equipment is not properly eliminated or controlled, it may cause permanent hearing loss, a leading cause of occupational disease in Ontario workplaces.

Exposure to high levels of noise in the workplace may also reduce productivity, interfere with communication and contribute to accidents and injuries by making it difficult to hear moving equipment, other workers and warning signals. Furthermore, hearing loss can have a significant impact on quality of life for workers and their families.

In addition to the negative health effects for workers, noise-induced hearing loss is costly for Ontario’s health and safety system. Between 2009 and 2014 the annual costs for noise-induced hearing loss claims for all sectors exceeded $50 million per year according to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). During this period, the costs of noise-induced hearing loss claims for the construction sector alone were close to $7 million dollars per year.

There is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss; however, it can be prevented by eliminating or controlling noise exposures.

In 2017-18, inspectors will check on employer compliance with the Noise Regulation (O. Reg. 381/15) under OHSA. Employers have a duty to take all measures reasonably necessary in the circumstances to protect workers from exposure to hazardous sound levels.

The regulation requires that every employer shall ensure that no worker is exposed to a sound level greater than a time-weighted average exposure limit of 85 dBA (decibels measured on the A-weighting network of a sound-level meter) measured over an eight-hour work day.

Where it is practicable to do so, employers must post a clearly visible warning sign at every approach to an area in the workplace where the sound level regularly exceeds 85 dBA.

Employers must comply with this limit following the hierarchy of controls, which emphasizes the use of engineering controls and work practices to protect workers and places restrictions on the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) by workers.

When the prescribed exposure limit would be exceeded, employers are required to put in place protective measures to proactively reduce workers’ noise exposure. These measures include:

  • engineering controls to reduce noise at the source or along the path of transmission
  • work practices such as equipment maintenance (to keep it quieter) or scheduling to limit a worker’s exposure time
  • personal protective equipment (PPE) in the form of hearing protection devices (HPDs), subject to the restrictions stated in the regulation.

Employers who provide workers with HPDs must provide them with adequate training and instruction on their care and use.

The training and instruction must address:

  • limitations of the device(s)
  • proper fit
  • inspection and maintenance, and, if applicable
  • cleaning and disinfection.

The regulation requires HPDs to be selected with regard to:

  • sound levels to which a worker is exposed
  • attenuation or reduction in sound level provided by the HPD
  • the manufacturer’s information about its use and limitations.

The regulation also requires HPDs to be used and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Key focus for inspectors

In the industrial health and safety program, the initiative will include but not be limited to:

  • workplaces in manufacturing (including wood product manufacturing and metal fabrication)
  • municipal operations (including operators of powered equipment, heavy equipment and maintenance shops) and
  • workplaces involved in automotive repair and service.

Inspectors will focus on:

  • sources of noise
  • signage
  • engineering controls
  • PPEs and HPDs
  • the condition of HPDs
  • HPD worker training.

Resources/compliance support:

Preventing struck by injuries provincial enforcement initiative

From April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018 Ministry of Labour inspectors will conduct an enforcement focus on activities that result in struck by injuries. The initiative will have two streams:

  • struck by materials/equipment
  • struck by moving vehicles / mobile equipment.

Why focus on struck by hazards?

Workers being struck by objects and equipment accounted for 16 per cent of allowed lost time claims received by the WSIB in 2015 for lost-time injuries, according to the 2015 WSIB Statistical Report, Schedule 1.

The initiative may include but not be limited to visits to the following types of workplaces:

    • automotive
    • logging
    • ceramics, glass and stone
    • chemical, rubber and plastics
    • wholesalers including building supply centres
    • wood and metal fabrication

Visits to the workplace may include but not be limited to warehouses, loading docks and shipping and receiving areas with a focus on pedestrian and traffic safety in interior and exterior areas of workplaces.

Key focus for inspectors

Ministry of Labour inspectors will check for hazards that could result in worker injuries and deaths. They will check that employers are taking appropriate action to assess and address these hazards, as required by law:

Internal Responsibility System (IRS): Inspectors will check that employers, supervisors and workers are aware of their OHSA rights and responsibilities. They will also check that required health and safety representatives or joint health and safety committees (JHSCs) are in place, where appropriate, and are functioning as required.

Worker training: Inspectors will check that employers are providing information and instruction to workers to perform tasks safely, including providing mandatory basic awareness occupational health and safety training.

Workplace supervision: Inspectors will check that employers have appointed competent supervisors and the supervisors have completed the mandatory occupational health and safety awareness training.

Pre-start reviews (PSRs): Inspectors will check that employers have a written PSR report where it may be required (e.g. for racking, if required in accordance with Table 7 of the Industrial Establishments Regulation).

Lift-trucks and other lifting devices: Inspectors will check that employers have lift-trucks and other lifting devices (including associated hardware and rigging equipment) examined for their load capacity and check that employers maintain them in good condition.

Maintenance of vehicles and mobile equipment: Inspectors will check that employers maintain vehicles and mobile equipment in good condition.

Pedestrian/vehicular traffic plan: Inspectors will check that employers are providing safe and appropriate access and egress to work areas. They will also check that employers ensure workers/pedestrians are not endangered by vehicles, mobile equipment or the movement of materials at the workplace. This includes looking at the lighting in the workplace and seeing what barriers, warning signs or other safeguards for the protection of workers are present.

Material storage: Inspectors will check that employers ensure materials are placed or stored in a safe manner and can be removed or withdrawn without endangering a worker. 

Racking/storage systems: Inspectors will check that employers are maintaining their racking systems and where required by the Industrial Establishments Regulation a pre-start health and safety review has been completed.

Automated systems (robots): Inspectors will check that employers have safe work procedures in place for the use of automated systems (robots) and, where required by the Industrial Establishments Regulation that a pre-start health and safety review has been completed.

Resources/compliance support:

Guidelines for Pre-start Health and Safety Reviews

Vehicle / mobile equipment and visibility hazards at iIndustrial workplaces

Storage and material handling

Lifting equipment

Mobile equipment

Videos available at: