Weather alerts

Employers should sign up for Environment and Climate Change Canada weather information and heat alert notifications through their local public health unit. Employers may sign up for an ECAlertMe account for alerts.

Air quality

The quality of our air directly impacts people’s health and their natural environment. Please be aware of the air quality (such as changes due to wildfires) and how it impacts IAWs on farm or in your business.

There is a network of 38 ambient (outdoor) air monitoring stations across the province that collect real-time air pollution data. This information is communicated to the public through Ontario's Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) as hourly concentrations of each pollutant. The AQHI and data collected from the monitoring stations are posted hourly.

Find a list of wildfire smoke, air quality and health resources.

Heat stress

Heat stress is a serious threat to workers. It is a life-threatening, occupational illness with both short- and long-term effects. Heat stress occurs when the body is unable to get rid of excess heat, which causes the heart rate and core body temperature to increase, often leading to heat-related illness.

Learn more about heat stress and ways to prevent heat stress.

OHCOW has resources to support employers with assessing heat stress, develop a heat stress program and support IAWs.

The tools in the Heat Stress Toolkit will help you understand the heat conditions in your workplace, assess the risk of heat stress and protect yourself and your workers.

Learn about extreme heat and how to handle heat stress.

Working outdoors

Working outdoors can expose you and your employees to different health hazards, from high ultraviolet radiation (UV) levels to hazardous plants and pests such as ticks.

Learn more about keeping workers safe when working outdoors and how to stay safe in areas with a high risk of ticks.

Water testing

Public Health Ontario tests water samples from private drinking water systems such as wells, cisterns and treated lake water.

Well water should be tested regularly for bacteria to ensure that water is safe to drink. It is the owner’s responsibility to maintain and monitor their well. Farm owners/operators must test their water for bacterial indicators, E. coli and total coliforms before workers arrive to ensure that drinking water that is free from bacterial contamination is provided.

Well water quality can change frequently. The best way to protect your drinking water is to test often.

If you have questions, contact the Laboratory Customer Service Centre.

Contact your local public health unit to learn more about water and testing requirements.

Emergency and evacuation planning

The wellbeing, health and safety of IAWs may be put at risk by emergencies such as extreme weather, incidents and disasters. Public health emergency preparedness requires planning and intervention activities to prevent, respond to and recover from incidents and emergencies that may put a person’s health at risk.

Learn more about different emergencies and how to be prepared and check out Public Health Ontario’s emergency preparedness resources.