A message from the Chief Prevention Officer

Every year, the ministry’s health and safety annual report allows us to review what we’ve achieved, and to look towards the future of the health and safety system.

In 2013, the ministry launched Healthy and Safe Ontario Workplaces — A Strategy for Transforming Occupational Health and Safety, which provided a road map for the occupational health and safety system over the last five years. In 2019, the ministry’s Prevention Office consulted widely with Ontarians on the next five-year strategy.

As we focus on the future, our ministry is committed to ensuring our initiatives are data-driven and measurable. For example, we want to use data to understand the events and circumstances around workplace incidents to reduce injuries or fatalities. We also want to measure the outcomes of our initiatives to improve them. And we need to effectively translate this data for those who would most benefit from the information.

The ministry is also focusing on the areas in the system where it can make the biggest impact. We are working with our partners and Ontarians in various sectors to determine the highest priority risks. This helps employers design specific solutions to prevent injuries and fatalities. This risk-based approach has received positive support from employers and workers alike. We must keep moving in this direction.

Let’s continue working together to achieve our shared goals. As demonstrated in this report, we have many examples of ongoing collaborative work over the past year. I am proud of this work, but there is still more to do. I urge everyone to continue working together, drawing on each other’s strengths and diversity to be bold and innovative.

We need to build on the momentum from the last five-year strategy and take health and safety in this province to the next level. By working together, I am confident that we can reach new heights.

Ron Kelusky
Chief Prevention Officer, Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development