In response to COVID-19, the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development plans to adjust the current 2020-21 health and safety compliance initiative schedule. Further updates will be provided as necessary.

We thank you for your continued efforts in keeping workplaces safe in Ontario during this time.

Overview

Health and safety inspection initiatives are part of the province’s Safe At Work Ontario compliance strategy.

These initiatives are announced to sectors in advance. However, individual workplaces are not identified in advance.

Results from provincial initiatives are posted on the ministry’s website. The initiatives are intended to raise awareness of workplace hazards and promote compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations.

Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development inspectors are responsible for enforcing the OHSA and its regulations at workplaces across the province. As part of the Safe At Work Ontario strategy, the ministry decides on the focus of initiatives using a risk-based process. This process takes into account:

  • 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 the field

The focuses can be on specific sectors, hazards, issues or topics.

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

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

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.

High risk traumatic hazards – motor vehicle and mobile equipment hazards

This initiative is taking place in all sectors (such as construction, health care, industrial and mining).

Phase 1: Compliance assistance

Dates: April 1, 2020 – June 26, 2020

Partners: Infrastructure Health and Safety Association, Public Services Health and Safety Association, Workplace Safety and Prevention Services and Workplace Safety North

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

  • deliver sector-specific webinars before the focused inspections phase starts
  • publish motor vehicle and mobile equipment hazards compliance assistance resources and packages

Phase 2: Focused inspections

Dates: May 1, 2020 – June 26, 2020

Rationale

As reported in 2018/19 Occupational Health and Safety in Ontario Report the most common incidents in which workers were killed include motor vehicle accidents and being crushed or stuck by machinery or objects.

According to the 2016 Ontario Road Safety Annual Report, “Studies show road safety marketing campaigns result in a 12% reduction in collisions. Ontario aims to be among the many countries that emphasize proactive, preventative measures, particularly education and awareness initiatives that reduce risky driving behavior.”

Changes in workplace structure and an increase in remote work have led to an increase in driving for many workers, including health care workers who provide community and home care services. Driving in the course of employment may add new risks to everyday driving hazards, such as: tight time schedules, unexpected demands, working alone and driving in unfamiliar areas.

Initiative focus

Inspectors will check that employers have provided information, instruction and supervision to workers who are operating vehicles and mobile equipment in the course of their employment. For motor vehicle and mobile equipment, common hazards include:

  • contact/struck by
  • improperly maintained equipment

Resources and compliance assistance

Healthy workers in healthy workplaces – occupational contact dermatitis in health care

Healthy workers in healthy workplaces is an initiative to focus attention on issues related to occupational diseases. This initiative is taking place in all sectors (such as construction, health care, industrial and mining). In the health care sector, the focus of the initiative will be on awareness and prevention of occupational dermatitis.

Phase 1: Compliance support and awareness campaign

Dates: October 1, 2020 – December 28, 2020

Partners: Public Services Health and Safety Association, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, and the Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease.

Alignment with Occupational Health and Safety system’s continued focus on Occupational exposures – prevent occupational disease and recent work on occupational contact dermatitis in health care settings by Public Health Ontario.

Phase 2: Focused inspections campaign

Dates: November 1, 2020 – December 28, 2020

Inspectors will focus on workplace violence prevention in long-term care, retirement homes and community care workplaces to raise awareness of workplace hazards and promote compliance with the OHSA.

Rationale

Public Health Ontario recently published a guideline on Occupational Contact Dermatitis in Health Care Settings. Key messages from the guide include the following:

  • occupational contact dermatitis is associated with considerable morbidity, time lost from work or need for change in occupation, and can have negative long‐term impacts on quality of work and home life
  • occupational contact dermatitis among health care workers is a common condition, with a reported one-year prevalence varying between 11% and 24%. The true prevalence and incidence is unknown due to significant under-reporting
  • wet work (including frequent hand washing with soap and water and frequent glove use) is the greatest risk factor for the development of irritant contact dermatitis in health care workers, making up the majority of occupational contact dermatitis cases (75%-80%)

Initiative focus

Exposures and work practices that may result in occupational dermatitis.

In health and community care workplaces, inspectors will focus on activities and work processes and appropriate controls that should be in place to reduce workers’ exposure to agents that may result in occupational dermatitis.

To prepare for the initiative, employers should:

  • identify and assess the risks from skin hazards
  • implement controls to reduce workers’ exposure to agents that cause occupational contact dermatitis
  • provide education and training, information and resources that will reduce the incidence and prevalence of occupational contact dermatitis in health care workplaces
  • encourage workers to participate in their workplace health and safety program through early reporting of occupational dermatitis symptoms or concerns to their employer/supervisor
  • follow up to ensure preventive measures are working

Employers should consider a comprehensive hand care program at the workplace that allows for training, early identification of contact dermatitis, and for workers to be able to protect their skin while having ongoing exposure to wet work and allergens/irritants.

Inspectors will check that:

  • all workers who handle hazardous chemicals (such as cleaning agents and preservatives) have been trained on proper and improper use of such agents
  • there are appropriate measures and procedures for the safe handling of hazardous chemicals
  • there are suitable measures and procedures on managing spills of hazardous chemicals and drugs, and that spill kits are accessible and maintained
  • workers who require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for hand protection:
    • are trained on its use (including putting on and taking off PPE, disposal, equipment maintenance, hand hygiene and measures to protect skin integrity)
    • can freely access such equipment when required
    • know when to access it

Employers in workplaces under the Health Care and Residential Facilities Regulation must establish written measures and procedures in consultation with the joint health and safety committee.

Resources and compliance support

Safe transition and transfer of care

From June 1, 2020 to February 1, 2021, the ministry will focus on workplace violence prevention as it relates to communicating the risks of violence to workers during the transition and transfer of clients across the health care systems.

Phase 1: Compliance assistance

Dates: June 1, 2020 to February 1, 2021

Partner: Public Services Health and Safety Association (PSHSA)

The ministry and its health and safety partners have made it a priority to reduce workplace violence and strengthen protection of workers across all health care settings in Ontario.

Transition of care occurs when clients (patients/residents) move across the health care system such as between different care settings or systems. Transfer of care occurs when a patient/resident is transferred from one care provider to another (such as a move from one program area to another within the same organization). Transition or transfer of care from one setting to another has been identified by the ministry’s health and safety partners as a major contributor to worker exposure to hazards including workplace violence. This is mainly attributed to a lack of structured process or mechanism to communicate the health and safety risks when clients transition across or within the health care system.

Together with its health and safety partners this ministry continues to promote the alignment of prevention, education and awareness resources to assist workplace parties with identifying, assessing and controlling hazards during the transition and transfer of care process.

During this phase of the initiative, the ministry will work with PSHSA to provide education and raise awareness about potential issues during the transition of care process. Many compliance support resources including the Violence, Aggression & Responsive Behaviour (VARB) Toolkits are available to help employers put in place strategies to prevent injuries and illness and control hazards. This initiative will align with the release of a new VARB tool on transition of care.

Phase 2: Focused inspections campaign

Dates: Part 1: September 2, 2020 to October 2, 2020

Part 2: January 4, 2021 to February 1, 2021

Inspectors will have two enforcement time periods for this initiative. During both part 1 and 2 of the enforcement phase, inspectors will focus on workplace violence prevention to raise awareness about occupational health and safety concerns including the provision of information and communicating the risk of workplace violence to workers during transition and transfer of care both between health care settings (e.g. from long-term care to acute care) and within health care settings (e.g. from one program to another within a hospital). They will promote compliance with the OHSA and applicable regulations, such as the Health Care and Residential Facilities Regulation.

Rationale

  • Safety in the transition and transfer of care among care providers has been identified by the ministry, its system partners and stakeholders as an occupational health and safety issue for health care workers. According to PSHSA, evidence has shown that gaps in communication and provision of information pose strong health and safety risks during the transition of care between facilities. Many workplace incidents involving clients takes place shortly after admission.
  • In support and alignment of an integrated health care system, the transfer of information to prevent workplace injuries from hazards related to workplace violence, (and others such as musculoskeletal and infections) is important for workplace parties so they can put in place the appropriate measures and procedures to protect workers.
  • It is important to bring the focus of worker health and safety into the forefront of the changing and integrated health care system.

Initiative focus

Demonstrated commitment and strong leadership by senior executives and other managers is important to set the tone and make workplace violence prevention a strategic priority.

Ministry inspectors will look for strategies to prevent injuries and illnesses and control hazards during the transition and transfer of care process. This may include employers putting in place mechanisms for identifying, assessing and controlling hazards related to workplace violence during the transition and transfer of care process such as:

  • educating and training workers in order to raise awareness about transition/transfer of care points and the hazards involved
  • providing health and safety information at transition and transfer points, including the provision of information regarding a person with a history of violence in order to alert workers who may encounter that person that the risk of violence exists
  • reassessing the risks of workplace violence as often as necessary to ensure the policy and related program continue to protect workers from workplace violence

Ministry inspectors will also check that:

  • employers are providing information and instruction to protect the health and safety of workers. This may include information when clients transition across the health care system that pose a health and safety risk to workers
  • employers are training workers on their workplace violence policy and programs, including education and training on staff awareness about transition of care points and the hazards involved
  • employers are providing workers with information and instruction on a risk of workplace violence from a person with a history of violent behaviour including during the transition of care process
  • employers are completing risk assessments and putting measures and procedures in place to control risks and improve internal and external transition of care work practices
  • employers have measures and procedures in place on reporting incidents of workplace violence. These should also explain how the employer will investigate and deal with violent incidents. Note: Employers in workplaces under the Health Care and Residential Facilities Regulation must establish written measures and procedures in consultation with the joint health and safety committee
  • employers provide appropriate detail in the written notification of a workplace injury, including the steps taken to prevent reoccurrence
  • supervisors are advising workers of any potential danger, such as the risk of workplace violence
  • workers can summon immediate assistance when workplace violence occurs or is likely to occur

Resources and compliance support

Read more about inspector focuses and resources on workplace violence in health care settings.

Learn more about the law and how it applies to preventing workplace violence in health care settings:

These health and safety partners’ tools and resources may help improve safe work practices for safe transition and transfer of care.

Find more information and resources (VARB toolkits, fact sheets, web tutorial) to support health care workplaces to prevent and reduce the risk of workplace violence here on Public Services Health and Safety website.