Ontario Workplace Health & Safety
The Ministry of Labor, through its Safe At Work Ontario program, protects workers' health and safety on the job. The ministry enforces the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), and is partnered with several health and safety associations, which train and educate workers and employers, and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), which focuses on injury prevention.
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Occupational Health and Safety Act
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The ministry advises that OHSA works alongside the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA), which deals with the prevention of occupational injury and disease, and the Human Rights Code, which is frequently considered when dealing with occupational health and safety issues. The act sets out duties for all workplace parties and rights for workers. It establishes procedures for dealing with workplace hazards and provides for enforcement of the law when compliance has not been achieved voluntarily.
Significance
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OHSA applies to almost every worker, supervisor, employer and workplace in Ontario, including workplace owners, and suppliers of equipment or materials to the workplace covered by the act. Importantly, the act does not apply to work done by an owner or occupant, or a servant, in a private residence or on adjacent land (e.g., yard); or workplaces under federal jurisdiction. However, OHSA applies to contractors or employees of a contractor while working in federal workplaces.
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Workers' Rights
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According to the ministry, workers' rights under OHSA include the right to participate in efforts to identify and resolve health and safety concerns. A worker has the right to know about any hazards to which he or she may be exposed, and the right to refuse work believed to be dangerous. Under certain conditions, work that is dangerous can be stopped.
Duties of Employers
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OHSA Section 25 outlines the duties of employers. An employer must provide equipment, materials and protective devices; ensure that the equipment, materials and protective devices are maintained in good condition; that these measures and procedures are carried out in the workplace; and that the workplace is capable of supporting all loads as established under the Building Code Act.
Workplace Hazards
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The ministry states that workplace hazards must be recognized, assessed and then controlled. Hazard recognition is an important role of the Joint Health and Safety Committee, which typically consist of at least two persons, who represent the workers and the employer at a workplace. The committee's primary role is to identify workplace health and safety problems and bring them to the attention of the employer.
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References
Resources
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