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Specialized Professional Services
The Specialized Professional Services program in the Ministry of Labour provides technical support and expertise to regional staff in the industrial, construction, mining and health care programs in five key areas:
- ergonomics
- occupational hygiene
- engineering
- radiation protection
- emergency management.
Provincial Specialized Professional Services enforcement initiatives
Ergonomics initiative
In addition to supporting the ministry’s general inspectorate, ministry ergonomists also conduct proactive ergonomics inspections. In 2015-16, they gave priority to workplaces that have a history of musculoskeletal disorders and are known to have ergonomics-related hazards. In their inspections, ergonomists focused on:
- vehicle-pedestrian interaction at industrial workplaces, construction projects and mines
- material handling in the electronic waste recycling process
- client repositioning in retirement homes and long term care facilities
- manual material handling and work station design at mining pits and quarries
- storage and manual materials handling at construction projects.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are the number one type of work-related injury. Safe At Work Ontario ergonomics initiatives proactively target workplaces where MSD hazards are known to exist in order to prevent these injuries from occurring.
Brian McInnes
Provincial Ergonomist, Specialized Professional Services
| Program activities | Number |
|---|---|
| Field visits | 361 |
| Workplaces visited | 266 |
| Orders and requirements issued | 451 |
| Stop work orders | 16 |
| Orders and requirements per workplace visited | 1.70 |
| Orders and requirements per field visit | 1.25 |
Resources
- Vehicle/mobile equipment and visibility hazards in mining workplaces
- Vehicle/mobile equipment and visibility hazards at industrial workplaces
- Client handling and musculoskeletal disorders in the health care sector
Occupational hygiene initiative
Occupational hygienists continue to promote efforts to control exposures to toxic agents in workplaces by enforcing the regulations related to designated substances, the control of exposure to biological or chemical agents and the workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS).
Occupational hygiene workplace interventions emphasize measures to control the use of substances that are considered to be carcinogens, sensitizing agents and reproductive hazards. They work to reduce toxic exposure by substituting chemical substances with lower toxicity.
In 2015-16, occupational hygienists proactively visited 397 workplaces. In their inspections, they put particular emphasis on workplace compliance with the WHMIS regulations related to labels, safety data sheets and material safety data sheets, worker education and communication.
| Program activities | Number |
|---|---|
| Field visits | 484 |
| Workplaces visited | 397 |
| Orders and requirements issued | 272 |
| Stop work orders | 4 |
| Orders and requirements per workplace visited | 0.69 |
| Orders and requirements per field visit | 0.56 |
Resources
Radiation protection service initiative
In 2015-16, radiation protection officers continued to promote radiation safety by enforcing the Regulation Respecting X-ray Safety. The officers gave priority to workplaces with young or vulnerable workers who were being exposed to radiation. They focused on:
- dental X-ray source installation in veterinary facilities
- young (< 20 years of age) and vulnerable (monitored for radiation exposure for less than a year) X-ray workers
- cosmetic use of high power lasers
- X-ray sources converted to digital systems in veterinary facilities.
| Program activities | Number |
|---|---|
| Field visits | 426 |
| Workplaces visited | 383 |
| Orders and requirements issued | 782 |
| Stop work orders | 7 |
| Orders and requirements per workplace visited | 2.04 |
| Orders and requirements per field visit | 1.83 |