Preamble

The Ontario Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (Minister) is authorized under section 22.5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to designate an entity as a safe workplace association (SWA), medical clinic or training centre specializing in occupational health and safety matters if the entity meets the Standards for Designated Entities (standards) established by the Minister. A designated entity shall operate in accordance with the established standards that apply to it, and in accordance with any other direction issued under section 22.6 of the OHSA.

Standards for Designated Entities, as established under section 22.5 of the OHSA, may be revised or amended by the Minister. The standards set out herein apply to all designated entities operating as a SWA, medical clinic or training centre, are effective December 1, 2024, and supersede all prior versions. These standards continue to be in effect until amended, at which time compliance with the amended standards will be required.

Pursuant to section 22.7 of the OHSA, the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) has an on-going responsibility to monitor the operation of all designated entities, including those operating as a SWA, medical clinic and training centre and, in this regard:

  • may require a designated entity to provide such information, records or accounts as the CPO specifies
  • may make such inquiries and examinations as the CPO considers necessary
  • shall report to the Minister on compliance of all designated entities with the standards established under section 22.5 of the OHSA and with directions given by the Minister or CPO under section 22.6

All designated entities shall be on notice that any of the remedies outlined in sub-section 22.6 (3) of the OHSA, including the reduction or termination of the entity’s funding, may be invoked at the discretion of the Minister for failure to meet any standard or written direction under section 22.6 of the OHSA or for any other reason specified in the Act.

1. Governance

2. Objectives

3. Functions

4. Operations

5. Public sector accountability

Glossary of terms

These definitions are for the purposes of the Standards for Designated Entities only.

Audit sub-committee a sub-committee of the Board of Directors composed of some or all members of the Board and responsible for overseeing financial reporting and related internal controls, risk, independent and internal auditors, and ethics and compliance. The role of the audit sub-committee may be subsumed under an existing committee of the Board, so long as there are regular meetings that capture the function of the audit sub-committee, and regular report-backs to the Board.

Benchmark — a point of reference for making measurements and evaluating performance.

Business plan — a management document that summarizes the operational and financial objectives of an organization and the detailed plans and budgets showing how the objectives are to be realized year-by-year. Once approved by the Ministry, the business plan constitutes a business agreement between the Ministry and the designated entity.

Designated entity — a corporation designated by the Ministry pursuant to section 22.5 of the OHSA as a safe workplace association, medical clinic or training centre specializing in occupational health and safety matters.

Equity groups —populations which have historically been underserved, underrepresented or may be more vulnerable due to increased risk of exposure to hazards and/or other systemic barriers and inequities. Groups include, but are not limited to: Indigenous people, racialized individuals, people with disabilities, women, new immigrants, and temporary and foreign workers.

Finance sub-committee a sub-committee of the Board of Directors composed of some or all members of the Board and responsible for the development and oversight of financial policies; reviewing consolidated budgets and financial statements; reviewing, monitoring and advising the Board on the financial health of the entire organization; and making recommendations and providing advice for steps for improvement. The role of the finance sub-committee may be subsumed under an existing committee of the Board, so long as there are regular meetings that capture the function of the finance sub-committee, and regular report-backs to the Board.

Goal — a desired future state or condition.

Governance — the exercise of authority, direction and control, and the fulfillment of accountabilities to stakeholders.

Human resources (HR) sub-committee — a sub-committee of the Board of Directors composed of some or all members of the Board and responsible for the oversight of HR policies of the organization; reviewing the management of HR within the organization; providing recommendations and advice on the organization’s HR management strategies, risks, initiatives and policies; and reporting these recommendations and advice to the Board. The role of the HR sub-committee may be subsumed under an existing committee of the Board, so long as there are regular meetings that capture the function of the HR sub-committee and regular report-backs to the Board.

Management personnel — management-level employees including Officers (for example, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Operating Officer), Presidents and Vice Presidents, Directors (including Executive Director, Managing Director), Managers (including Regional Manager, Finance Manager, Senior Manager) and any other executive position or office, regardless of actual position title or office.

Measurement — the evaluation of how well an organization is managed and the value it delivers to clients, customers and other stakeholders.

Objective — a specific target or milestone to promote achievement of a specific goal by a specific future date. Objectives answer both ‘what’ and ‘when’ quantitatively.

Occupational health and safety system — the system of organizations comprised of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the WSIB, the designated entities and other agencies and institutions with public accountabilities for occupational health and safety.

Performance — the measurable results of the activities of an organization over a given period of time.

Stakeholders — those who believe they have a claim to an organization’s attention, resources and/or inputs, or are affected by an organization’s outputs and/or outcomes. This includes any groups who feel they can influence, or be affected by, the organization’s products, programs and services.

Strategic plan — a governance document that describes the organization’s fundamental purpose, values and client base, assesses the organization’s strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats in the environment, and communicates the organization’s direction in terms of goals and measurable objectives for the future. It provides a framework for accountability and meeting client needs.

System partners — the organizations that comprise the occupational health and safety system.