Overview

Health and safety compliance campaigns are part of our commitment to meeting requirements outlined in our five-year occupational health and safety strategy, Prevention Works.

We announce these campaigns to sectors in advance. Each campaign starts with an education, outreach and compliance assistance phase provided by MLITSD and the Health and Safety Associations. This serves to prepare workplaces for a possible inspection. We do not inform individual workplaces of plans to conduct a health and safety inspection.

We post the results from provincial campaigns online. The campaigns are intended to raise awareness of workplace hazards and promote compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations.

Focus of campaigns

Our inspectors are responsible for enforcing the OHSA and its regulations at workplaces across the province. We decide on the focus of campaigns using a risk-based process. This process considers:

  • injury, illness and fatality rates
  • compliance history
  • the nature of the work (for example, hazards that come with the job)
  • current events
  • the vulnerability of the workers
  • strategic priorities
  • advice from stakeholders and field intelligence

The focus of campaigns can be on specific sectors, hazards, issues or topics.

Inspectors are not limited to inspecting only the topics identified in the campaigns. They can apply the OHSA and its regulations to the situations they find at each workplace they inspect.

Inspectors’ findings may influence how often individual workplaces are inspected in the future. Inspectors may also refer employers to health and safety associations for assistance and training.

Vulnerable workers

Some workers are more vulnerable than others to occupational hazards in the workplace. These workers are often referred to as “vulnerable workers.” Protecting vulnerable workers is a priority within Ontario’s health and safety prevention system.

“Vulnerability” in a workplace depends on many individual factors, including:

  • age
  • literacy level
  • physical and mental ability
  • job experience

Workplace factors, such as hours of work, employment stability and hazards also play a role. 

According to an Institute for Work & Health (IWH) Study, workers with one or more vulnerabilities are at a greater risk of injury and tend to receive far less occupational health and safety training.

Factors that contribute to worker vulnerability

A vulnerable worker may be a recent immigrant, young worker, new worker, temporary foreign worker, precariously employed worker or temporary help agency worker, among others. The following factors increase a worker’s vulnerability:

Low socioeconomic status

Individuals with financial instability or precarious employment, such as those performing temporary or freelance work, often have limited bargaining power or representation and may be more prone to exploitation.

Low literacy and limited training

People with low literacy levels or those who lack specialized skills may have fewer employment options and may be more susceptible to unscrupulous employers.

Age

Young workers may lack experience and knowledge about their rights, making them more vulnerable to exploitation. Similarly, older workers may face age-related discrimination or may be prone to additional risks or hazards relating to physical or technological changes in the workplace.

Language barriers

Workers who have limited proficiency in the dominant language spoken in their workplace may have less awareness of their rights and/or ability to communicate their health and safety concerns.

Immigration status

Undocumented workers or those with temporary immigration status may be hesitant to report workplace violations due to fear of reprisal or deportation.

People facing discrimination

Indigenous peoples, racialized individuals, LGBTQ+ individuals, or people with disabilities may face discriminatory practices and/or harassment that make them vulnerable to exploitation.

Labour trafficking

It is important to note that workers with vulnerabilities may be particularly susceptible to labour trafficking. Ministry inspectors have been trained to identify labour trafficking practices in workplaces during their inspections.

Learn more about labour trafficking and how to get help.

Addressing vulnerable workers during campaigns

During campaigns, inspectors will ensure employers are providing all workers with information, instruction and supervision in occupational health and safety.

Inspectors will ensure that the training:

  • is provided in a way that workers can understand, given language and other barriers
  • sets clear expectations for how workers are to carry out tasks
  • teaches workers how to use equipment available to them

Some campaigns and initiatives include specific resources to help support vulnerable workers.

Construction sector campaign

From April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, we will conduct a health and safety campaign focused on single-family residential and multi-family residential construction projects. 

Single-family residential and multi-family residential 

This campaign is focused on single-family residential construction, including residential re-roofing, and multi-family residential.

During these visits we will focus on activities, hazards and control measures commonly found on single-family and multi-family residential construction projects.

Phase 1: Compliance assistance 

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Partners for this campaign are: 

The ministry will partner with the IHSA, as well as industry experts, to produce a series of resource materials for common activities, associated hazards, and control measures on a residential project.

Phase 2: Focused inspections

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Rationale for campaign

From April 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024, the Construction Health and Safety Program (CHSP) conducted 11,315 proactive inspections and responded to 6,875 events at single-family and multi-family residential sector projects. This is a combined total of 18,190 field visits, which is 52.9% of the total field visits completed by CHSP.

During these field visits, inspectors issued:

  • 50,801 orders (66.3% of all orders in the construction sector)
  • 5,612 stop work orders (71.7% of all stop work orders in the construction sector)

Of the 50,801 total orders issued, 21,743 (42.8%) were issued against eight sections of O. Reg. 213/91 Construction Projects, which are the items listed in the Inspections section, below.

Over the past two years, our campaigns have focused on falls from heights in single-family residential and multi-family residential, as well as struck-by hazards.

Campaign focus

The ministry’s Construction Health and Safety Program (CHSP), along with Prevention Division and the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), will continue to collaborate to address the hazards and control measures associated with the common activities on single-family and multi-family projects.

Our data identifies that there are often contributing factors that lead to a hazard or event. This focus will look at the overall activities and addressing all issues instead of looking at a single task in isolation.

Inspections

Inspectors will focus on all activities of the residential project with particular focus on the issues that have been leading to the higher sources of events and injuries, such as:

  • working at heights
  • movement of equipment and material around site
  • set up and use of scaffolding
  • installation of stairs and handrails
  • set up and use of ladders
  • excavation and trench protections
  • housekeeping
  • adequate information, instruction and supervision

Resources and compliance assistance

Small businesses

Small business owners have limited time and resources to:

  • know and understand the OHSA requirements and responsibilities
  • identify hazards and how to control them
  • find resources that they can use to develop and implement a health and safety program to keep their workers safe

Partners for this campaign include the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA). The ministry will partner with IHSA to create various health and safety resources, such as:

  • short, easily accessible podcasts or videos to help workplace parties understand the hazards in their workplaces
  • potential use of QR codes during each of our field visits to help direct small businesses and their workers directly to IHSA’s resources
  • dedicated email contact with IHSA for specific projects that meet certain criteria and would benefit from IHSA outreach
  • where appropriate, identify specific equipment being used and lead them to the manufacturer for further resources

Health care sector campaign

From April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, we will conduct a health and safety campaign focused on the prevention of workplace violence. 

Workplace Violence Prevention campaign

This campaign includes education, awareness and enforcement. Online resources are available to assist workplaces to set up or improve their workplace violence prevention (WVP) programs. Among the health and safety associations, the Public Services Health and Safety Association works with Ontario’s health and community care sector to provide training, consulting, and resources to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses.

Phase 1: Compliance assistance

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Partners for this campaign are:

The ministry will partner with PSHSA to:

  • promote the development of a comprehensive workplace violence prevention program
  • promote the current and new PSHSA Violence, Aggression & Responsive Behaviours (VARB) Toolkits
  • deliver sector-specific webinar(s) before the focused inspections phase begins
  • help workplaces develop their workplace violence prevention program by making resources and tools available on partner websites

Phase 2: Focused inspections

Dates: June 2, 2025, to March 31, 2026

Rationale for campaign

Workers in health and community care workplaces are at an increased risk of exposure to workplace violence due to factors such as working in the community, working alone and working with the public. According to the WSIB, violence accounted for 1,661 lost-time injury claims in 2023 alone. The broader OHS system has made workplace violence prevention a strategic priority (Prevention Works - Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety 5-Year Strategy).

Previous initiatives on workplace violence prevention

There have been several previous initiatives on workplace violence prevention over the past number of years, most recently on:

  • the safe transition of care in the prevention of workplace violence (June 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023)
  • workplace violence prevention in long-term care, retirement homes and community care workplaces (July 22 to September 27, 2019)

Campaign focus

This campaign aims to:

  • increase compliance with Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and related regulations
  • promote and raise awareness specifically related to workplace violence
  • help workplace parties prevent, assess and control identified risks of workplace violence
  • promote workplace violence prevention resources

Since workplace violence is a significant issue in many health care workplaces, MLITSD inspectors will be focusing on most aspects of a workplace violence prevention program with a particular focus on:

  • the assessment of the risk of violence
  • the re-assessment where required, as often as necessary
  • reporting of incidents

Inspectors will check that workers are protected from the hazard of workplace violence. Areas where there may be higher risks of violence toward health care workers include:

  • the nursing station (if applicable)
  • areas where there is access to objects of value (drugs, cash, potential weapons)
  • areas where workers are working alone and/or are isolated
  • areas where there may be a care recipient who has exhibited responsive behaviours, or areas where there are unpredictable care recipient behaviours
  • areas with family members who may exhibit unpredictable behaviours
  • arrival and screening areas, such as areas where there may be a search of a person prior to entry, triage in an emergency department, entry to mental health units, etc.

Health care sector inspections will take place at a variety of health and community care workplaces, including:

  • hospitals
  • long-term care homes
  • group homes
  • retirement homes
  • treatment clinics and specialized services
  • professional offices and agencies
  • home health care

At workplaces where the Health Care and Residential Facilities regulation applies, inspectors will check that the employer has:

  • established written measures and procedures on workplace violence prevention in consultation with the joint health and safety committee (JHSC) or health and safety representative (HSR)
  • reviewed the measures and procedures at least annually, and revised these as required considering current knowledge and practice related to workplace violence prevention
  • provided training to workers on workplace violence prevention

Small business

There are more than 47,500 businesses in Ontario’s health and community care sector as reported in June 2024 by Statistics Canada. From that total, 95% are small businesses with fewer than 50 workers. Almost all health practitioner offices and medical and diagnostic laboratories are small businesses, and these businesses are the majority of small businesses in the health and community care sector.

In companies with fewer than 50 workers, owners may have limited time and financial and human resources to develop and implement a health and safety program. The following links provide various tools to assist small businesses in setting up their prevention programs and keeping their workers safe:

Ministry inspectors may provide other awareness and compliance assistance resources during their workplace visits.

Addressing vulnerable workers

Some resources to help keep all workers, including vulnerable workers, safe in the workplace include the following:

Resources and compliance assistance

Use these resources to learn more about the prevention of workplace violence and how to put in place programs, practices, and tools that will assist in the prevention of workplace violence.

Ministry resources

Public Services Health and Safety Association resources

Industrial sector campaign

From April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, we will conduct a health and safety campaign to raise awareness of material handling hazards that workers face in industrial workplaces.

Material handling

Phase 1: Compliance assistance

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Partners for this campaign are: 

The ministry will partner with WSPS and PSHSA to host webinars on the campaign and provide compliance assistance resources.

Phase 2: Focused inspections

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Rationale for campaign

The way workers handle materials continues to be among the top contributors to fatalities and critical injuries in the industrial program.

Overall, fatalities in the industrial program have significantly decreased over the last two years. Unfortunately, being crushed or struck by something persistently remains the leading causes of fatalities.

Ministry data from 2024 shows that:

  • there have been 26 fatalities, a decrease from 32 in 2023 and 44 in 2022
  • seven of the fatalities were because of crushing injuries
  • five of the fatalities were a result of being struck by something

In the farming and agriculture sectors, ministry data from 2024 shows that:

  • there were two worker fatalities, a decrease from four in 2023
  • one fatality was related to being struck by something and the other was related to being crushed by something

On farming operations, material handling is often challenging because the materials being moved are often not palletized and there may be limited material handling equipment.

Campaign focus and priorities

This year-long campaign asks inspectors to visit various sectors where fatalities and critical injuries are taking place. The focus will be on workplaces where materials, articles or things are lifted, carried, or moved, and put workers at risk of being injured by their movement.

The priority sectors will include:

  • agricultural services
  • automotive
  • chemical, rubber and plastics
  • farming
  • industrial services
  • primary metals
  • wood and metal fabrication

Other key sectors will include:

  • food, beverage and tobacco
  • government services (municipal services only)
  • retail
  • tourism, hospitality and recreational services
  • transportation
  • vehicle, sales and service

Inspectors will focus on the following key priorities:

  • lifting devices/mobile equipment/cranes
  • workplace layout and design
  • manual material handling
  • storage systems
  • automation
  • machine guarding, blocking and lockout
  • training and orientation provided by the employer (for example, supervisor and worker awareness training)
  • internal responsibility system (for example, joint health and safety committee/health and safety representation)

Small businesses

According to Statistics Canada in June 2024, there are:

  • over 220,000 small business (fewer than 50 employees) in Ontario that are in the key sectors identified for this campaign
  • over 20,500 businesses in the manufacturing sector, with 86% of which are small businesses
  • approximately 53,000 businesses in the retail trade sector, over 93% of which are small businesses
  • over 8,200 businesses in agriculture and farming, over 96% of which are small businesses

Small business owners may lack knowledge and understanding of the OHSA and hazard identification. They also may have limited financial and human resources to develop and implement a health and safety program which keeps workers safe. Here are some resources to assist small businesses in keeping their workers safe:

Ministry inspectors may offer more resources during the visits.

Addressing vulnerable workers

Here are some resources that may be useful to vulnerable workers:

Resources and compliance assistance

Use these resources to help keep workers safe.

Ministry resources

Workplace Safety and Prevention Services resources

Mining sector campaign

From April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, we will conduct a health and safety campaign to focus on slips, trips, and falls in mines and mining plants.

Slips, trips, and falls in mines and mining plants

Phase 1: Compliance assistance

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Partners for this campaign are

The ministry will partner with the health and safety associations to:

  • deliver sector-specific webinars before the focused inspections phase starts
  • publish compliance assistance resources and packages

Phase 2: Focused inspections

Dates: June 2, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Rationale for campaign

In Ontario’s mining sector:

  • Slips, trips, and falls contribute to a large number of the critical injuries occurring in mines and mining plants
  • Between 2023 and 2024, nearly 40% of all critical injuries in the mining sector were related to slips, trips, and falls

Campaign focus

  • Inspectors will check that employers in all mines and mining plants are meeting the requirements set out in Sections 46, 54, and 59 of Regulation 854 as well as Clause 25(1)(b) of the OHSA for maintaining safe accesses to the workplace and equipment in good order
  • Inspectors will focus on housekeeping in workplaces, environmental conditions where workers are working, how workers are mounting and dismounting mobile equipment, and how workplaces are maintaining materials, equipment and protective devices

Small businesses

According to Statistics Canada in June 2024, over 87% of Ontario businesses from mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sectors are small businesses.

From a health and safety perspective, small businesses are in a more vulnerable position than larger businesses with more workers. Small business owners lack time, financial and human resources to know and understand the OHSA, identify hazards, and implement health and safety to keep their workers safe.

Here are some resources to assist small businesses in keeping their workers safe:

Addressing vulnerable workers

Here are some resources that may be useful to vulnerable workers:

Resources and compliance assistance

Specialized Professional Services campaign

Ergonomists and occupational hygienists of the Specialized Professional Services will support the sector-specific campaigns mentioned above and conduct their own campaigns from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026.

Occupational hygiene campaign: worker exposures to chemical agents in the workplace

Employers have a duty to take all necessary measures and procedures to ensure that a worker’s airborne exposure to a hazardous substance does not exceed the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL). For some substances, they must ensure it is reduced to the lowest practical level. Employers can do this using:

  • engineering controls
  • administrative controls
  • work practices

Under certain conditions, the employer’s duty to limit airborne exposures may include providing workers with personal protective equipment, such as respirators.

Phase 1: Compliance assistance

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Partners for this campaign are:

Phase 2: Focused inspections

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Rationale for campaign

Occupational diseases are the leading cause of worker deaths. Every year, there are approximately four times more deaths from occupational disease than traumatic fatalities. Exposure to hazardous chemical agents in the workplace may result in the worker developing an occupational illness. Identifying, assessing and controlling these exposures will help lower the risk of workers developing an occupational disease.  

Campaign focus

MLITSD hygienists will conduct proactive inspections to ensure compliance with R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 833, Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents in all workplaces where this regulation applies. More specifically, MLITSD hygienists will ensure that workers are not exposed to hazardous substances exceeding the occupational exposure limits. 

The inspections will involve assessing worker exposures to hazardous chemical agents by reviewing work processes, observing work practices, evaluating control measures, and reviewing exposure data. In some cases, air sampling for hazardous chemical agents may be required to assess exposures and ensure that workers are adequately protected. 

Resources and compliance support

Occupational hygiene campaign: WHMIS training based on the amended Hazardous Products Regulations

Employers have a duty under R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 860, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), to provide workers with information on hazardous products they may be exposed to in the workplace. Information is delivered through:

  • labels on the containers of hazardous products
  • safety data sheets
  • worker education programs

Changes in information on labels and safety data sheets will require employers to ensure that workers receive WHMIS training that incorporates these changes.

Phase 1: Compliance assistance

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Partners for this campaign are: 

Phase 2: Focused inspections

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Rationale for campaign

The federal Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) requires suppliers of hazardous products to provide safety data sheets (SDS) and ensure that the containers of the products are properly labelled. The HPR was amended in December 2022 to include changes in hazard classifications and information elements in the SDS. There is a three-year transition period for suppliers to comply, during which time workplaces will begin to receive updated safety data sheets and labels for their hazardous products. This will require retraining of workers on WHMIS so that they understand the changes in the SDS and labels.

Campaign focus

MLITSD hygienists will conduct proactive inspections to ensure compliance with R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 860, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) in all workplaces where this regulation applies. More specifically, MLITSD hygienists will determiner if retraining on WHMIS will be required depending on whether the hazardous products in the workplace have labels and safety data sheets that are compliant with the amended Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR). This will ensure that workers understand the hazards associated with the products they work with, and that they take the necessary measures and procedures to prevent injuries and hazardous exposures.

Resources and compliance support

Ergonomics campaign: musculoskeletal disorder prevention within the retail sector

From April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, the MLITSD Ergonomic Consultants will conduct a health and safety campaign focused on musculoskeletal disorder prevention in the retail sector. Inspections will examine for hazards related to the handling and movement of materials within the retail workplace.

Many retail work tasks, such as receiving shipments, un-packing, processing returns, stocking, as well as point of sale, require workers to manually handle loads. This material handling can also involve working near delivery and shipping equipment, using carts or other transporting equipment, as well as using ladders to access storage. 

The goals of the campaign are to:

  • prevent injuries that could arise from the handling and movement of loads in the workplace
  • raise awareness of storage practices and ladder use during material handling that can increase a risk of a fall or musculoskeletal disorder
  • raise awareness of the risk of being struck when working near delivery/unloading equipment
  • ensure workers have been provided with information and instruction on musculoskeletal disorder hazards specific to retail work activities
  • enhance the IRS, especially regarding internal workplace inspections to identify struck by, fall and musculoskeletal disorder hazards,
  • ensure workplace parties are complying with the law

Phase 1: Compliance assistance

Dates: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Partners for this campaign are: 

The ministry will partner with WSPS to:

  • promote musculoskeletal disorder prevention within retail workplaces
  • increase employer awareness regarding struck by hazards and fall hazards that can occur during manual material handling activities
  • deliver a sector-specific webinar before the focused inspections phase begins
  • provide MSD prevention resources, including delivering training and sharing tools that can be used in the workplace

Phase 2: Focused inspections

Dates: June 2, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Rationale for campaign

Every year roughly 30 percent of lost-time injuries in the retail sector are musculoskeletal injuries. Additionally, from 2020-2024, the retail sector had the second highest injury count for lost time ladder related injuries, and among ladder related injuries the most prevalent injury outcome was sprains and strains. Workers at retail workplaces manually handle goods at every step of a product’s movement including receiving, unpacking, storing, transporting, stocking, point of sale, customer assist and delivery. Recognizing and controlling the hazards that contribute to these musculoskeletal injuries at each step along a product’s path is something every retail employer should be working to achieve. 

Campaign focus

Ministry ergonomic consultants will visit retail workplaces and check that workers are protected from MSD hazards, and that workers are familiar with what those MSD hazards are in their workplace and have been instructed on safe material handling practices, including safe ladder use specifically as it relates to the handling of loads. In workplaces where the manual handling of loads involves interacting with mobile equipment or vehicles, the ergonomic consultants will check that the employer has safeguards in place to protect workers. The ergonomic consultants will review the employer’s MSD prevention efforts to ensure the employer has taken all reasonable precautions in the circumstances for the protection of workers, including the employer’s actions to identify and control hazards that can contribute to MSDs in their workplace. Some examples of activities at retail workplaces that may contribute to MSDs include:

  • extended reaches leading to awkward back and shoulder postures when handling loads during check-out activities
  • lifting and lowering loads from above head level during de-palletizing and stocking/retrieving product from shelving/racking
  • cart loading and movement – awkward postures and high forces when moving carts that are over stacked
  • twisting and reaching when passing/retrieving loads on a ladder
  • repetitive grasping/repetitive reaches when unpacking/stocking products
  • lifting heavy loads during customer service and delivery activities

Resources and compliance support

Ministry resources:
Health and safety partners resources:
Related documents:

Small Businesses

In Ontario, 95% of businesses recorded by Statistics Canada, as of June 2024, are small businesses with fewer than 50 workers. Small business owners may have limited time, financial and human resources to dedicate to legislative requirements under the OHSA, to identify hazards in the workplace, and to implement measures which protect workers.

The following links provide various tools to assist small businesses in setting up their prevention programs and keeping their workers safe:

Ministry inspectors may provide other awareness and compliance assistance resources during their workplace visits.

Addressing vulnerable workers

Some resources to help keep all workers, including vulnerable workers, safe in the workplace include the following: