Every year, the Government of Ontario conducts inspection blitzes and initiatives to maintain contractor safety and protect the rights of workers under the Employment Standards Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The purpose of these inspections is two-fold—first, to raise awareness of hazards and increase compliance, and second, to make sure employers are upholding standards related to minimum wage, hours of work, public holidays, etc.
During the most recent contractor safety blitz, which was conducted between January 15 and February 28, 2018, the Ministry of Labour inspectors conducted 842 field visits, went to 694 industrial workplaces, and issued 3,777 orders and requirements under the Occupational Healthy and Safety Act.
One of the main focuses of this particular blitz was on compliance when working with machinery. The inspectors checked for a variety of safety issues, including whether employers had enacted proper lockout procedures, if electrical hazards were present, and whether supervisors had completed all necessary safety training.
Some of the most frequently issued orders under the Regulation for Industrial Establishments were for employers’ failure to:
- Thoroughly examine lifting devices
- Secure loads to prevent tripping and falling
- Prevent access to moving parts
- Prevent access to an in-running nip hazard
An average of 4.5 orders were issued for every field visit completed, illustrating that most workplaces have plenty to work on in terms of the health and safety of their employees and the safety of their operations as a whole.
At ContractorCheck, our mission is to streamline compliance management for contractors and clients, so safety blitzes like this are of no consequence to your operation. For more information about how we can help you adhere to government-mandated compliance regulations, reach out to us today.