Ontario’s Ministry of Labour (MOL) is conducting safety inspections at Family Health Teams as part of a health care sector enforcement initiative. The goal of these inspections is ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA). The three priority areas of focus are for these inspections are internal responsibility systems, workplace violence, and needle safety.
AFHTO has partnered with the Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA) to provide our members with the tools and resources below. We have been working with PSHSA to develop more tools and resources to help you understand and meet your obligations under OSHA. PSHSA is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Labour and works with Ontario’s Public and Broader Public Sector employers and workers, providing training, consulting and resources to reduce workplace risks and prevent occupational injuries and illnesses.
2018-19 Inspection Blitzes
The MOL began its 2018-19 inspection blitzes on April 1, 2018. You can see the schedule here.
For Healthcare Organizations
- Internal responsibility system – workplace violence prevention
- Phase 1: Compliance support and education | April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019
- Phase 2: Enforcement campaign | July 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019
- Health care high hazards | April 1 – June 30, 2018
- For Primary Care, the MOL defines Healthcare High Hazards as internal responsibility system, workplace violence, and needle safety
- The Healthcare High Hazards initiative is a 3-month extension of the 2017-18 initiative
Relevant Cross-sector Initiatives
- Chemical handling | April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) | April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019
- Ergonomics related to falls | April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019
- See the PSHSA’s ladder safety guidelines here [PDF]
- Unsure if your ladder is safe? Here’s a checklist [PDF]
resources from the Public Services Health and Safety Association (PSHSA) (March 2018)
Workplace Health & Safety Webinars
PSHSA holds regular webinars to help employers navigate challenging workplace health and safety issues. Watch this page to see what’s coming up or access past webinars.
Cannabis in the Workplace
PSHSA is working with Ontario employers, supervisors and workers to provide information on cannabis and applicable legislation. Some of the areas we are assisting with are around accommodation and suggested control measures for the workplace. PSHSA has partnered with McMillan LLP, a leading business law firm serving public, private and not-for-profit clients across key industries in Canada, the United States and other countries. As the use of medical marijuana in Ontario continues to increase, employers will need to make changing and updating workplace policies a leading priority.
- PSHSA Medical Cannabis Fast Fact
- Two-part webinar series on medical marijuana:
- Part 1: Basic information on cannabinoids, an overview of medical marijuana in Canada, applicable legislation and how it may impact the workplace. Watch the recording here.
- Part 2: In-depth information on legal framework, accommodation, risks, traps and tips, and more. Watch the recording here.
- Lots more resources available here about accommodation, workplace safety, developing workplace policies, and more.
Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) Assessment Tool: This interactive tool was developed to help JHSCs evaluate and improve their effectiveness (requires Adobe Flash Player)
resources from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) (March 2018)
- Rate Framework: The WSIB is introducing a new model to set premium rates. It comes into effect on January 1, 2020. This page provides information and updates about the rate framework while WSIB transitions to the new model.
- Compass: Use this to find Ontario workplace health and safety statistics. You can search by business name, business type, and/or business size.
Resources from AFHTO
- Statutory Obligations in the Workplace
- Statutory Compliance Toolkit
- Human Resources: Workplace Health and Safety: Tools shared by AFHTO members, available in our Library of Organizational Policies and Procedures.
- Video recording from June 12 Webinar on OSHA Compliance for Primary Care Organizations (link points to PSHSA website)
- How to Engage Everyone in an Integrated FHT
Partnered resources from PSHSA
Prevention of Workplace Violence is a priority indicator for the 2018 Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) from HQO. The resources on this page will help you address this indicator in your QIP. See also the following documents:
- HQO’s guidance document http://www.hqontario.ca/Portals/0/documents/qi/qip/guidance-workplace-violence-en.pdf
- HQO’s report on how teams addressed this question last year http://www.hqontario.ca/Portals/0/documents/qi/qip/workplace-violence-report-en.pdf
