The Ministry of Labour (MOL) has announced an ambitious and wide-ranging series of inspection blitzes and initiatives that spotlight key hazards and industry sectors. The campaign is intended to raise awareness of priority hazards and promote compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations.
Inspectors will focus their attention on workplaces where workers are at greatest risk of injury. Here's what the ministry considers when identifying workplaces to visit:
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number and severity of injuries and associated costs
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compliance history
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hazards inherent to the work
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new businesses
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size of businesses
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specific events or incidents (e.g., critical injuries or fatal injuries, or injuries due to violence)
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the presence of young, new or otherwise vulnerable workers.
Even if your workplace doesn't fit any of these criteria, use the blitz schedule to set priorities for your own workplace.
Appearing below is a list of inspections affecting Ontario's manufacturing and services sectors. For related WSPS resources, including free downloads, consulting services, public, online and self-study training courses, check WSPS's comprehensive selection of resources organized by topic.
Watch for more on specific blitzes in upcoming issues of WSPS Network News.
Provincial blitzes
| H&S Priority |
Date |
New and young workers |
May - August 2014 |
| Material handling |
Sept. 15 - Oct. 26, 2014 |
| Machine guarding |
Nov. 3 - Dec. 14, 2014 |
| Slips, trips and falls |
Feb. 2 - March 15, 2015 |
Throughout 2014/15, inspectors will also focus on these province-wide priorities:
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Internal Responsibility System in new small businesses
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compliance with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS)
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workplaces with
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dermatitis hazards
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musculoskeletal disorders
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vehicle-pedestrian interaction
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manual transfer of mobile industrial waste containers
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manual keg handling
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temporary workers
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young or vulnerable x-ray workers who may be exposed to radiation
Regional initiatives
As indicated below, inspectors have been assigned additional regional priorities.
Central West: includes Simcoe, Peel, Dufferin and York
| Focus |
Date |
Amusement devices |
July - Sept. 2014 |
| Tower cranes, man and material hoists, concrete pumps |
Oct. 2014 |
Central East: includes Toronto and Durham
| Focus |
Date |
Food distribution centres |
Spring 2014 |
| Industrial plazas |
Spring, Fall 2014 |
| Man-material hoists |
Fall 2014 |
Eastern: includes Ottawa, Kingston, Peterborough
| Focus |
Date |
| Automotive shops not inspected in last 2 years |
April 2014 - March 2015 |
| New small businesses, not previously registered |
April 2014 - March 2015 |
| Wood / Metal fabrication shops |
April 2014 - March 2015 |
| Wineries / Micro-breweries |
Sept. - Nov. 2014 |
Northern: includes Thunder Bay, North Bay, Timmins, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie
| Focus |
Date |
| Remote access tourism, recreation and hospitality workplaces |
June 23 - Sept. 9, 2014 |
Western: includes Hamilton, Kitchener/Waterloo, Wellington/Cambridge, London
| Focus |
Date |
| Field-to-Bottle (wineries) |
April 2014 - March 2015 |
| Small manufacturers |
April 2014 - March 2015 |
Not sure how your operation would fare in an inspection blitz? A WSPS consultant can help you assess your operation's hazards and controls.