This page was published under a previous government and is available for archival and research purposes.
Health care program
Health care inspectors enforce the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations at health care workplaces across the province.
In Ontario, health and community care services are provided in a variety of complex settings. The Ministry of Labour Health Care Health and Safety Program covers seven settings:
- long-term care homes (homes for nursing care)
- retirement homes (homes for residential care)
- hospitals
- nursing services
- supported group living residences and other facilities (group homes)
- treatment clinics and specialized services
- professional offices and agencies
In addition to their general inspection duties in 2016-17, inspectors conducted field visits as part of the provincial health care enforcement initiative.
Health care blitzes
Provincial health care initiative
As part of Safe At Work Ontario, the Ministry of Labour conducted a three-year (July 1, 2014-June 30, 2017) initiative to promote health and safety in Ontario’s health care sector.
This initiative addressed the five most serious hazards in health care workplaces:
- musculoskeletal disorders
- exposure to hazardous biological, chemical and physical agents
- slips, trips and falls
- worker contact with objects and/or being struck by objects
- workplace violence
Over the three years, inspectors visited all acute care hospitals as well as some long-term care homes, retirement homes, group homes and community-based health care services. During the inspections, they reviewed both clinical and non-clinical areas.
Inspectors checked for compliance with:
- the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- the regulations for health care and residential facilities
- regulations related to needle safety
- other health and safety regulations
Inspectors also reviewed the workplaces’ Internal Responsibility System and their compliance with regulations related to occupational health and safety awareness and training. Inspectors may also have referred employers to health and safety associations for compliance assistance and training.
Enforcement initiatives raise awareness of known workplace hazards and promote compliance with health and safety requirements. Inspectors' findings may influence the frequency and level of future inspections of individual workplaces in the health care sector.
| Program activities | Number |
|---|---|
| Field visits | 871 |
| Workplaces visited | 332 |
| Orders and requirements issued | 1,900 |
| Stop work orders | 22 |
| Orders per workplace visited | 5.72 |
Enforcement activities from previous years are captured in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 annual reports.
Orders were issued for various violations under the:
- Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Reg. 67/93: Health Care and Residential Facilities
- Reg. 474/07: Needle Safety
- other health and safety regulations
The following table illustrates the number of visits by type of health care workplace, as well as the orders issued.
| Sector | Orders issued | Stop work orders issued | Requirements issued | Workplaces visited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitals | 1,267 | 9 | 32 | 141 |
| Homes for nursing care | 355 | 6 | 8 | 87 |
| Group homes | 39 | 0 | 1 | 22 |
| Professional offices and agencies | 76 | 0 | 2 | 26 |
| Homes for residential care | 138 | 7 | 3 | 48 |
| Treatment clinics and specialized services | 21 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Nursing services | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Grand Total | 1,900 | 22 | 46 | 332 |