Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA): Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask

Mandatory health and safety awareness training is the latest obligation being imposed on Ontario employers under OHSA.

All employees must complete training by July 1, 2014. The Ministry of Labour will exempt employers who have already provided equivalent training to its employees. For more information on this new training requirement, click here.

Under Bill 168, a 2010 amendment to OHSA, employers were required to create workplace harassment policies and programs, as well as completing a workplace violence assessment.

It is difficult for an employer to keep up to date on its health and safety obligations. Certain policies and posters must be posted in the workplace. Certain policies have to be updated annually. Health and safety representatives must be elected from the organization’s workers.  The list goes on and on. For 7 things you should know about OHSA, click here.

If there is a “critical” injury an employer has certain reporting obligations to the Ministry of Labour.  When there has been a critical injury, the MOL often files charges against the employer for violating the OHSA. The courts will impose fines of up to $ 500 000 plus a 25% victim surcharge. Fines in connection with relatively minor injuries often exceed $ 50 000. For 5 things to keep in mind if there has been a workplace accident, click here.

If you have any questions about the Occupational Health & Safety Act, please contact our managing partner, Doug MacLeod, at 416 317-9894 or at [email protected]