Inspections are preventative; they are used to identify and manage hazards. A workplace inspection is a first-hand examination of a work location for evidence of unsafe, unhealthy conditions or practices.
Investigations happen as a follow-up to an incident. An investigation usually refers to seeking out the facts about an injury, illness, or fatality after it has occurred or after incidents that could have
caused injury, illness or death.
Your inspection and investigation roles and responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) will depend on whether you are a Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) member, a Health and Safety Representative, employer or supervisor. Choose from the options below to get information and support in the areas of inspections and investigations.
Inspections
Workplace inspections are one of your primary ways of knowing the facts so you can prevent incidents from threatening the safety of your workers and your business. Find out how we can help you with inspections through our information, downloads (including checklists, forms and templates), training, courses, and consulting services.
Investigations
If you do have an incident in your workplace, you need to make sure it never happens again. Incident investigation allows you to learn about the circumstances or procedures that led to an undesirable outcome (the root causes). As a result, you will be able to determine and implement corrective measures to prevent injuries and illnesses in the future. Find out how we can help you with incident investigation and reporting: access our information, downloads (including checklists, forms and templates), training, courses, and consulting services.
Visit our new Resource Hub for a curated list of free resources on inspecting your workplace, and investigating incidents.
