Health and safety

Following information provided by Ministry of Labour:

Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act gives workers rights. It sets out roles for employers, supervisors and workers so they can work together to make workplaces safer.

Improve Health and Safety:

  • Find out about your Joint Health and Safety Committee or Health and Safety Representative.
  • Talk to your employer, supervisor, workers, joint health and safety committee or health and safety representative about health and safety concerns.

Workers have the right to:

  • Know about workplace hazards and what to do about them
  • Participate in solving workplace health and safety problems
  • Refuse work they believe is unsafe

Workers must:

  • Follow the law and workplace health and safety policies and procedures
  • Wear and use the protective equipment required by their employer
  • Work and act in a way that won’t hurt themselves or anyone else
  • Report any hazards or injuries to their supervisor

Employers must NOT take action against workers for following the law and raising health and safety concerns.

Employers must:

  • Make sure workers know about hazards and dangers by providing information, instruction and supervision on how to work safely
  • Make sure supervisors know what is required to protect workers’ health and safety on the job
  • Create workplace health and safety policies and procedures
  • Make sure everyone follows the law and the workplace health and safety policies and procedures
  • Make sure workers wear and use the right protective equipment
  • Do everything reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers from being hurt or getting a work-related illness
  • Provide proper Health and safety training and WHIMS training

Supervisors must:

  • Tell workers about hazards and dangers, and respond to their concerns
  • Show workers how to work safely, and make sure they follow the law and workplace health and safety policies and procedures
  • Make sure workers wear and use the right protective equipment
  • Do everything reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers from being hurt or getting a work-related illness.

Contact the 2nd Vice President for more information.

Call the Ministry of Labour at 1-877-202-0008.

Helpful Links:

Health & Safety Ontario

Ministry of Labour Health & Safety