Workplace compliance initiatives
Find upcoming proactive workplace inspections for health and safety and employment standards conducted by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
What we aim to do
Each year, the Ministry strategically schedules sector-focused compliance initiatives and/or campaigns to: Each year we schedule compliance initiatives and/or campaigns in specific sectors to:
- protect workers' rights under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Employment Standards Act
- enhance employers' awareness of their responsibilities
While the Ministry announces the sectoral focus of compliance initiatives/campaigns in advance, workplaces subject to inspection are not provided prior notice.
Health and safety in the workplace
Occupational health and safety inspectors will proactively:
- raise awareness about hazards in the workplace
- increase compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations
Compliance campaigns and initiatives
Health and safety compliance campaigns and initiatives focus on specific significant hazards or topics of interest. Campaigns run for a minimum of 12 months. Initiatives run for a shorter amount of time and are scheduled as needed.
Campaigns and initiatives have two phases.
Phase 1: Education, outreach and awareness
- We work with health and safety associations (HSAs) to raise awareness and provide resources, training and education to workplace parties (for example, employers, labour associations and workers) on that campaign’s focus.
- The goal is to give workplace parties the tools and knowledge to comply with health and safety requirements.
- Workplaces can prepare and access resources or get help before the inspection campaign starts.
Phase 2: Focused inspections
- Inspectors conduct field visits to check that employers are complying with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations, and to raise awareness about specific issues at the workplaces they are visiting.
- Inspectors will engage with workplaces to promote compliance.
- Health and safety associations will continue to provide compliance support.
Employment standards in the workplace
Inspections also take place to check that employers across the province are upholding employment standards. For example, employment standards officers inspect workplaces regarding:
- minimum wage
- hours of work
- overtime pay
- public holidays
- paid vacation
They focus on sectors where:
- there’s a history of violations
- vulnerable workers are employed such as:
- new and young workers
- temporary foreign workers
- workers in precarious jobs
- the number of people working is on the rise
Health and safety campaigns in 2026–2027
Campaigns are organized by sector, with separate sections for campaigns that fall under the areas of expertise of our Specialized Professional Services Unit and our Radiation Protection Services Unit:
- construction
- health care
- industrial
- mining
- specialized professional services
- radiation protection services
Construction
Learn more about these campaigns and get resources to help comply with the law.
Single-family residential and multi-family residential
April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Campaign includes:
- education, outreach and awareness supported by the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association
- focused inspections
Health care
Learn more about these campaigns and get resources to help comply with the law.
Internal responsibility system (IRS)
April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Campaign includes:
- education, outreach and awareness supported by the Public Services Health and Safety Association
- focused inspections
Industrial
Learn more about these campaigns and get resources to help comply with the law.
Retail
April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Campaign includes:
- education, outreach and awareness supported by Workplace Safety and Prevention Services
- focused inspections
Farming and agriculture
April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Campaign includes:
- education, outreach and awareness supported by Workplace Safety and Prevention Services
- focused inspections
Education
April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Campaign includes:
- education, outreach and awareness supported by Workplace Safety and Prevention Services and Public Services Health and Safety Association
- focused inspections
Mining
Learn more about these campaigns and get resources to help comply with the law.
Energy isolation: lock out tag out
April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Campaign includes:
- education, outreach and awareness are supported by Workplace Safety North and Infrastructure Health and Safety Association
- focused inspections
Specialized professional services
These campaigns are led by the ministry’s Specialized Professional Services Unit. The Specialized Professional Services (SPS) Unit provides technical support and expertise to Ministry regional staff in the industrial, construction, mining and health care programs. Learn more about these campaigns and get resources to help comply with the law.
Occupational hygiene: noise
April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Campaign includes:
- education, outreach and awareness supported by the:
- Infrastructure Health and Safety Association
- Public Services Health and Safety Association
- Workplace Safety North
- Workplace Safety and Prevention Services
- focused inspections
Ergonomics — musculoskeletal disorder prevention within the retail sector
April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Campaign includes:
- education, outreach and awareness are supported by Workplace Safety and Prevention Services and the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders
- focused inspections
Radiation protection services
This campaign is led by the ministry’s Radiation Protection Services Unit (RPS). RPS Unit provides technical support and expertise to Ministry regional staff in the industrial, construction, mining and health care programs. Learn more about these campaigns and get resources to help comply with the law.
Veterinary clinics
April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Campaign includes:
- education, outreach and awareness supported by:
- Workplace Safety and Prevention Services
- Public Services Health and Safety Association
- Radiation Safety Institute of Canada
- focused inspections
Veterinary clinics and animal hospitals primarily deal with the practice of veterinary medicine, dentistry, or surgery for animals.
Workers in these establishments are exposed to multiple occupational hazards each day such as infectious agents from animal bites and scratches, contaminated medical equipment, chemicals, noise, x-rays, etc.
Read the reports
We report the results of compliance initiatives, usually within 90 days.
2024-2025
Health and safety
Construction
- falls from heights in single family residential and multi-family residential construction
- struck-by hazards (2025)
Health care
Industrial
Mining
Specialized Professional Services
- WHMIS training based on the amended Hazardous Products Regulations
- worker exposure to chemical agents in the workplace
2023–2024
Health and safety
Construction
Health Care
Industrial
Mining
Specialized Professional Services
2022–2023
Health and safety
- excavations and utility contacts
- storage, use and handling of explosives in surface and underground mines
- high risk traumatic hazards — struck-by, motor vehicle and mobile equipment hazards
- temporary help agencies
- workplace violence prevention
- healthy workers in healthy workplaces — occupational disease
- respiratory protection
- asbestos in building structures
2021–2022
Health and safety
2020–2021
Health and safety
2019–2020
Health and safety
- ground control
- suspended access equipment
- new and young workers
- slips, trips and falls
- workplace violence prevention
- emergency preparedness self-audit
- healthy workers in healthy workplaces
- machine guarding
- personal protective equipment
- group homes
- municipalities (ergonomics)
Employment standards
2018–2019
Health and safety
- new small business registrations and internal responsibility system
- machine guarding
- warehouse and big box retail
- mobile equipment
- reversing equipment
- new and young workers
- working at heights
- conveyor guarding
- 10-month health care sector initiative
- 3-year health care sector initiative
Employment standards
2017–2018
Health and safety
- personal protective equipment and high visibility clothing
- machine guarding and electrical hazards
- falls
- residential projects
- new and young workers
- occupational disease
- supervisor awareness and accountability